Interesting observation. Definitely no influx at Kerr Lake. Numbers are
probably about average to slightly below average.
Paul Glass
South Boston, VA
-----Original Message-----
From: david shoch via va-bird [mailto:va-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] ;
Sent: Tuesday, January 09, 2018 11:21 AM
To: va-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [Va-bird] Pied-billed Grebes?
All,
It's been interesting seeing the response of birds to the severe cold
weather this past week, particularly the steady concentration of waterfowl,
and their behavior, in the diminishing ice-free waterbodies. In Albemarle
County, I've also been struck by the absence of a species over the past
week, a species that is usually a fairly reliable winter resident on county
lakes and ponds, namely Pied-billed Grebe. I'm fairly confident they're
absent now at Chris Green Lake, Ragged Mt. Reservoir and Monticello HS Lake,
all places they're generally regular. The last eBird report for the county I
see is for Ragged Mt. Reservoir on January 3rd, despite good coverage
lately. My impression is that they disappeared rather suddenly, thus I don't
think it's a question of mortality (where you would expect to see steadily
diminishing numbers through the period of the cold snap). There's been
discussions on other fora of facultative migrations in response to climatic
conditions, and I wonder if that's not what's taken place. (recall the
influxes of Red-necked Grebes in 2003 and 2014 following prolonged and
extensive ice conditions on the Great Lakes)
It would be interesting to hear if Pied-billed Grebes are also being noted
as absent from other sites in central Virginia, and if others are seeing
influxes of this species to the south (e.g. Kerr Lake) or on the Coastal
Plain.
Dave Shoch
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