After seeing all the signs of Spring at Bloedel Reserve, I decided I would have to stop at Port Townsend and see if the Horned Grebes had started wearing their breeding plumage.
In the Winter, it’s hard to imagine why these little guys
are called Horned Grebes.
Come Spring, though, and it’s easy to see where the name comes from. I don’t think I saw a single Horned Grebe that had completed the transformation, but some, like the one on the right, are close to wearing their Spring outfit.
Luckily, I find the process of transformation nearly as interesting as the end product, so I was excited every time I sighted a bird that was undergoing the process.
It’s almost as magical as Spring itself, and nearly as short-lived.
As soon as all the grebes look like this, they will magically disappear,
only to reappear in Late Fall in their drab winter colors
.
Striking black and red and yellow plumage.. Nature’s palette .
They are truly beautiful on their way to full transformation. Ah, Port Townsend. It’s been nine years since we left.
Well, as we used to say way back in the day, Loren: “Trippy!”
And I echo Robin’s sentiment: “Ah, Port Townsend…”