At least three still-downy Pied-billed Grebes were hanging out on Swan Lake waiting to be fed by parents. Also today, Connor found a green caterpillar crawling on the sidewalk. He brought it home and we were going to try to find it a food plant, but discovered it just wanted to bury itself in dirt, so we left it in a small bucket of dirt inside a rearing cage on the porch to see what might emerge.

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American Swordgrass Moth (Xylena nupera) caterpillar that Connor found crawling across a sidwalk. We discovered it wanted to bury itself in dirt, so we left it to it's own devices in a small bucket put inside a mesh rearing cage.

Three recently hatched Pied-billed Grebes loosely hanging together at the lower end of Swan Lake waiting to be fed by a parent.

Pied-billed Grebes are Very Rare in spring around Sitka, so I certainly was not looking for this bird to show up when we briefly stopped to take a look at the birds on Swan Lake this afternoon. I probably would have missed it entirely while I was checking out the ducks with my binoculars if it hadn’t been for Connor’s excited pronouncement that he had seen a Pied-billed Grebe. I looked up from my binoculars and didn’t see anything except the mallards, scaups, and a single male American Wigeon. Thinking that perhaps he had somehow mistaken a female scaup for a grebe, I asked him where exactly he was looking, but before I could get a zero in on what he was seeing, he told me the bird was now underwater again. After a few moments he saw it pop up and was able to direct my attention to it. Sure enough, it was a Pied-billed Grebe. This time it stayed on the surface long enough for me to get a couple shots for documentation.

Despite the rarity of this species in the area, just last June I found a Pied-billed Grebe on Swan Lake. It may have been the first June observation of this species in Sitka, and ultimately led to the first confirmed breeding record of the species for the Sitka area (and one of only a small number for the entire state). It seems interesting that it’s now two years in a row, and makes me wonder if this bird will find a mate and nest on the lake this year. However, I’m have my doubts since it may still be early enough that this bird is simply moving through on migration.

Another thing I have been wondering is whether the Pied-billed Grebe in No Thorofare Bay for the Christmas bird count at the beginning of the year was one of the birds from last summer on Swan Lake (either one of the adults, or perhaps a hatch year bird). Now, with this bird on the lake, I wonder if it is the same one that was in No Thorofare and/or one of the birds from last year’s successful nesting on the lake.

The graphic below shows the weeks between 1981 and 1999 when a Pied-billed Grebe was reported in Marge Ward and Marlys Tedin’s birding records.

Christmas Bird Count was held today in Sitka. After a quick morning trip through Totem Park, I was able to spend the bulk of the day birding by skiff in the bays south of town. Of particular note was my first trip into No Thorofare Bay – a body of water, which as the name implies, is difficult to access due to a very narrow opening. The relatively large opening behind the narrow entrance means a lot of water flows in and out with the tides, but we had good timing and had little trouble getting in and out just after high tide.

Highlights in the bay included 40 Red-breasted Mergansers and a Pied-billed Grebe. The water was exceptionally clear making it relatively easy to see the bottom below, especially in the shallower sections. It was fascinating to see the different looking marine flora and fauna that lives in the areas of high tidal currents.

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Pied-billed Grebe observed in No Thorofare Bay.

Middle portion of the bay looking toward cut into Birds Nest Bay.

No Thorofare Bay looking up towards end of Bay.

No Thorofare Bay near entrance.

The water was exceptionally clear, revealing some of the organisms growing on the bottom of this fast current location.

Heading out the narrow passage of No Thorofare Bay.

Adult and Juvenile Pied-billed Grebes (Podilymbus podiceps) observed on Swan Lake.

As far as I know this is the first breeding record for Pied-billed Grebe in Sitka, and it seems to be one of only a handful in the Alaska (a couple in Ketchikan and one from the Copper River). This summer I first noticed Pied-billed Grebe on Swan Lake early in June. I heard from a visiting birder that it had been observed singing within a day or two after. Subsequently, I thought I saw it again on 4 July, but did not get a good enough look to be sure, so I inquired from other local birders and heard that one was seen in late June. Last week I saw it again on two different days, with two birds observed the second time. Finally, this morning, I observed at least one adult (but I think probably two) and two juveniles seen in these photos.

Looking at the past reports of Pied-billed Grebes in Sitka, I notice there are a couple of years where the pattern of occurrence suggests possible breeding with observations in May and August. Given how difficult the birds have been to observe this summer after the first couple of days – several times I’ve gone by the lake looking for them and have not been able to find any, and on those occasions when I have seen them, they quickly swim away – it is not implausible that breeding took place.

Adult and Juvenile Pied-billed Grebes (Podilymbus podiceps) observed on Swan Lake.

Adult and Juvenile Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps) observed on Swan Lake.

Juvenile Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps) observed on Swan Lake.

Thanks to Bill Tweit and Carrie Hisaoka for reports of these birds. The information about prior breeding records comes from the paper “Birds of Ketchikan Area, Southeast Alaska” written by Steve Heinl and Andy Piston and published in Western Birds vol 40 no 2, 2009. Prior records for Sitka are referenced from Marge Ward and Marlys Tedin’s observations.

Pied-billed Grebe observed at Swan Lake 7 June 2010.

While relaxing on a bench at Swan Lake, I happened to notice an unusual bird pop up to the surface. I wasn’t sure whether to believe it when I thought I saw a Pied-billed Grebe, but after waiting a while longer, I saw it resurface several more times and was able to confirm (and get the pictures seen here) that it was a Pied-billed Grebe. I had previously seen and photographed a Pied-billed Grebe on Swan Lake two and a half years ago. It was interesting to see the differences – this time of year the pied-bill definitely shows up much more clearly.

Like the first one I saw, this one seemed to prefer to hang out among the weeds and avoid being seen clearly. I did manage to get a couple of clear looks, but most of the time I could not find it, and when I did, it was tucked in among the pond-lily leaves. It was favoring the south side of the peninsula while I was watching it today.

Pied-billed Grebes seem to show up somewhere in Southeast Alaska each Fall. They are considered Very Rare in the Winter and Spring seasons, and only Accidental for summer. In Sitka they seem to be Very Rare Fall through Spring, but this appears to be one of a very few (perhaps the only) June (or Summer) record for Sitka.

Pied-billed Grebe observed at Swan Lake 7 June 2010.

Pied-billed Grebe observed at Swan Lake 7 June 2010.

Pied-billed Grebe observed at Swan Lake 7 June 2010.

Pied-billed Grebe observed at Swan Lake 7 June 2010.

Pied-billed Grebe photographed on Swan Lake 25 October 2007.

Yesterday when I stopped by Swan Lake, I did not see the Pied-billed Grebe I had first observed two days ago. As my photos from the first time I saw it were not exceptional, I thought it might be nice to look for the grebe again today and possibly try for some better photos.

When I first arrived, I scanned the lake a couple of times, with and without binoculars, but did not see the grebe anywhere. It was a cool, but pleasant afternoon, so I sat down on one of the benches to wait and see. As I periodically glanced around, I happened to catch the ripples created by a diving bird right in front of the vegetation off the end of the peninsula. Since I had not seen the grebe, I assumed a scaup had come in close, as I had seen them do this before. However, when the bird popped back up again, I saw it was the grebe. I was a little puzzled, as I had not seen the grebe, despite looking for it, and I could not figure out how it could have moved in from far off without me seeing it.

Pied-billed Grebe photographed on Swan Lake 25 October 2007.

Pied-billed Grebe photographed on Swan Lake 25 October 2007.

I’ll briefly interrupt the narrative here for a demonstration of just how effectively this Pied-billed Grebe is at disappearing. Click on the thumbnails below to test your ability to find the grebe.

Relatively easy

Pied-billed Grebe photographed on Swan Lake 25 October 2007.

Not so easy.

Pied-billed Grebe photographed on Swan Lake 25 October 2007.

Pied-billed Grebe photographed on Swan Lake 25 October 2007.

Those photos were comparable to what it was like looking without binoculars. With binoculars it was quite a bit easier to find the bird (at least when I knew where it was to start with). Here are crops of the last two photos above.

Pied-billed Grebe photographed on Swan Lake 25 October 2007.

Pied-billed Grebe photographed on Swan Lake 25 October 2007.

Note the main difference is in the field of focus. Part of the problem with finding the grebe is the eye tends to focus on the vegetation rather than behind it.

Pied-billed Grebe and American Coot photographed on Swan Lake 25 October 2007.

As the grebe made its final approach toward the moose, an American Coot followed right on its tailfeathers. The coots like the same hangout, and apparently this one was not thrilled with the interloping grebe. They had some words which, in the common language of these two species, seemed to consist of swimming around each other like wary fighters and making an occasional lunge with the bill to nip at ones opponent. Although it is not a particularly large bird, the coot had a distinct size advantage over the grebe. The grebe seemed to realize this, so it backed down and let the coot take its position. At least that’s what I thought at first. Moments after the coot had relaxed and turned away from the grebe, the grebe struck back with a pretty good nip at the flanks of the coot. This got the coot moving, and as the birds seemed to be getting worked up again, the second coot came in, since apparently these coots have each others backs.

American Coots photographed on Swan Lake 25 October 2007.

The grebe did not stand much chance in a direct confrontation with both coots, each of which was a larger bird. Surely this time the grebe would accept that the coots ruled this roost. Pied-billed Grebes don’t think like I do, however. At least this one doesn’t. It only took a few seconds and the grebe saw its opening. The coots had let their guard down, and the grebe struck with a pretty fierce goosing of the nearest coot. As the stricken coot went scurrying across the water, the grebe turned and went after the second coot with no less aggression. This sneak attack was too much for the coots and they decided to retreat, swimming out toward the open water and leaving the moose hideout to the grebe.

Pied-billed Grebe and American Coot photographed on Swan Lake 25 October 2007.

I actually had to laugh at the grebe’s aggressive, and sometimes unprovoked, actions toward the other birds. The Birds of North American on-line account of Pied-billed Grebe behavior suggests that these birds are very territorial, especially toward other grebes, but they also have been known to attack many other waterbird species including Canada Goose(!?) and American Coot. The account suggests that paired birds, especially males, are aggressive even during winter, though not as much as during breeding season. As far as I have seen, there is only one grebe on Swan Lake, and I would think whatever territory it might have is a long way from here. In any case, this seems to be one ornery bird.

Pied-billed Grebe observed at Swan Lake 23 October 2007.

When I first arrived on the peninsula at Swan Lake this morning, it seemed pretty quiet. The usual crowd of domestic Mallards and followers were down near the outlet stream, and there were just a few Mallards on the peninsula. These seemed unusually flighty, or perhaps my mood was such that I seemed more threatening than normal. On my first look around the lake, I noticed a few scaups, but none of the other less common birds that have been on the lake in recent days/weeks. I wondered if the coots were still there, and on a second look, I saw one resting in the weeds on south side of the peninsula. I also noticed quite a few scaups at the upper end of the lake. It was too far to tell, but I think there were probabaly Ring-necked Ducks in the mix as well.

In the past, I have found that spending a few minutes waiting will often reveal birds I might not have otherwise seen. Sometimes they fly in while I’m there, other times it seems that I just somehow overlooked them at first. The benches were wet, so I just stood around waiting and watching.

After a little while I saw a bird south of the peninsula moving around in the remains of the pond-lilies. My first impression was the head looked like the first-year Hooded Mergansers I had seen before. My first look at the bill was a firm rebuff of that idea, however. I realized then that I was looking at a Pied-billed Grebe. Though I had never seen one before, I knew what they looked like from repeated forays in the bird guides.

In hindsight, I think the ‘resting coot’ I thought I saw was probably a resting grebe, as shortly after noticing the grebe, I saw the two coots that have been on the lake down toward the lower end of the lake. They do have similar body shapes, though when they are swimming about, it’s pretty easy to tell them apart. I think my expectations are the main reason I was able to initially miss the new-to-me bird.

I spent a half hour or so watching the grebe swim around in the shallows. It seemed very effective at swimming underwater. I could usually follow its rapid progress underwater by the movement of emergent vegetation it passed. On several occasions when it popped back up to the surface, it had a small fish in its bill.

After fishing, stopping to do some preening, and then some more fishing, the grebe settled in to rest. When it tucked bill under wing, it almost seemed to disappear. Although it was not overly far from where I was standing and I knew where it was, I still needed the binoculars to pick out where it was resting among the pond-lily stems, marestail, and sedges.