I still have a few pictures from the California trip I’d like to post, but yesterday’s post reminded me of some recent shots I took of Horned Grebes that I’d like to post first. While I was it still in California I noticed that fellow birder and friend John Riegsecker had posted shots of Horned Grebes in breeding colors, so the first thing Leslie and I did when we got home was to take a trip to Port Orchard.
It didn’t take long to spot a Horned Grebe that was just beginning to change into breeding colors.
Some grebes were further along but still hadn’t turned completely into breeding colors.
I only saw one or two that seemed to be in complete breeding colors,
though I’m not sure that they, too, won’t lose some of the white colors in the lower body.
Though I have photographed this phenomena for three years now, thankfully I’m still amazed at this magical transformation and never tire of explaining it to strangers on the dock who seem equally amazed. If you live in the Puget Sound region, now’s the time to see the changes because shortly the grebes will disappear to their breeding grounds.
Sometimes I wish I lived by Puget Sound Loren – your bird life is just amazing.