Eared Grebe......Knot! 01Mar2015

I couldn't sleep last night, probably the thought of Eared Grebes were haunting my dreams.  I have seen many Eared Grebes, mainly in California.  However, I have not seen one or at least a good look at one in North Carolina.  Yesterday I was thinking I should head to Topsail in the afternoon to look for the Eared Grebe that Gilbert G has periodically been seeing up there.  However, family duties prevented me from getting away.  Then I heard from Sherry L that she had coincidentally gone there yesterday and got the Eared Grebe at the first turn off after getting on New River Inlet Rd.  ARGGGHHHHH.....

So when I woke at 3:30 am and could not fall back asleep (I periodically get insomnia), I jumped in my truck and headed up to Topsail.

These next couple photos are actually from Saturday (yesterday).

This Ruddy Duck at the Ft. Fisher Aquarium pond is almost in full breeding plumage.

Boat-tailed Grackles are very inquisitive.

Momma Great Horned Owl is still incubating her eggs at CB State Park.

The drive up to Topsail was uneventful. I began to check all the vantage points for Eared Grebe at first light.

In between checkpoints I found this accipiter.  Probably a Sharp-shin.

European Starling - some day I hope to go to Europe where giant flocks of Starlings can be seen performing acrobatics before roosting for the night.

Rock Pigeon

I checked about 20 vantage points and saw hundreds of Bonaparte Gulls and probably about 50 Horned Grebe, but no Eared materialized.

After giving up on Eared Grebe, I was able to at least find a nice flock of Red Knots mixed in with Willet.

I couldn't stay too long as it was George's 8th Bday.  We had a great time watching the snakes be fed at the Serpentarium.  However, the highlight to me was the Golden Macaws they have there.  Beautiful birds.  One even was sitting on an egg, but she did not know it was not fertilized.

This week I head to Grand Island, Nebraska for work.  I hope to get away for some birding in the afternoon after my job.  Grand Island has flocks of tens of thousand of Sandhill Cranes among other things.