Taken a couple of days ago from the pier at Crescent Beach. It was too far away to see clearly. After looking at the image on the computer monitor, I now wish I had taken more serious shots of this bird.

It looks like a Clarke's Grebe in non-breeding plumage.????

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MikeDB
http://www.flickr.com/photos/birdbug3/

Are you sure that isn't a Horned Grebe? The angle of the photo makes it hard to get any sense of proportions. Have you got a profile shot?

thanks,

Guy L. Monty
Nanoose Bay, Vancouver Island, BC

Yep that's a basic-plumage Horned Grebe. At this time of year, Clark's Grebes would still have fairly bright yellow bills. Not as bright orange as in the breeding season, but much more so than this bird. A side-angle shot would confirm it, but the short stocky neck of this bird is unlike any Western or Clark's Grebe that I have ever seen, plus the facial pattern is right for Horned and not basic/non-breeding plumage for either Western or Clark's.

I like the way you're thinking though!

Russ Cannings
Burnaby, BC

Obvious, now that I look again. One reason I was thinking of the Clarke's Grebe is that there were many Westerns around, about half in their "Pie Plate" pose.

Nice red eye.

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MikeDB
http://www.flickr.com/photos/birdbug3/