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Looking for Mr. Eared Grebe
- To: carolinabirds@acpub.duke.edu
- Subject: Looking for Mr. Eared Grebe
- From: Jack Peachey <ppaw@sccoast.net>
- Date: Mon, 11 Dec 2000 20:44:15 -0500
- Cc: pshelley@sccoast.net, kfuller@pscinternet.net
- Sender: carolinabirds-owner@acpub.duke.edu
Hi Carolinabirders,
On Saturday, Murray Honick saw a small grebe in the midst of the large
lake at "Broadway at the Beach" an entertainment shopping complex in the
middle of Myrtle Beach, SC. His description was dead on for an "Eared
Grebe" I did not get his forwarded message from Gary until late Sunday. So
mid-morning I headed for the lake. I searched every nook and cranny of the
lake from both sides, no Eared Grebe. However, I could have missed it
considering how much time it can spend under water. Hundreds of feral
Mallards, (they are a downright nuisance there), lots of Coots and
Ring-billeds and two Pied-billeds. I then walked to the drainage ditch
along 17, but the ditches were absent appreciable water. Did see Am.
Kestrel on the top of a utility pole and a few killdeer and Snipe in the
ditches. As I was driving out I began thinking about any bodies of water
nearby that would hold a grebe. As I approached 10 Ave. I saw Myrtle Beach
Public Works trucks waiting at the light. I made a quick right turn onto
10th Ave. extension. and after going down about a half mile entered the
Public works gate. I went up the shallow grade and at the top saw the sign
for the Myrtle Beach Water Reclamation Facility. I pulled into an availabe
parking space and entered the administration building (low brown brick
building) There was no receptionist at the desk so I called out "hello" and
a gentleman entered the room and introduced himself as Perry Shelley, the
superintendent of the facility. He told me the sewage treatment pond was
right behind the building. I was overjoyed.
Sure enough a large squarish lake with a nice raised wide dike going all
around it. And hundreds of water birds on the lake. I carefully and slowly
walked the entire lake. NO EARED GREBE, but lots of waterfowl.
Pied-billed Grebe-1
Great Blue Heron-2
Green-winged Teal-<50
Mallard-20
N. Shoveler-15
Ring-necked Duck-100
Lesser Scaup-25
Bufflehead-12
Ruddy Duck-100
Am. Kestrel-2
SPOTTED SANDPIPER-1 rare in these parts in winter
Laughing Gull-2
Bonaparte's Gull-80
Ring-billed Gull-3
E. Phoebe-1 immature which had nice wingbars and a greenish yellow cast on
the underparts
House Wren-1
Sedge Wren-1 heard
Ruby-crowned Kinglet-1
Song Sparrow-7
Swamp Sparrow-15
The lake has a nice wetland on its north side which was where most of the
sparrows were. On the west the lake is bordered by the intracoastal waterway.
I thanked Mr. Shelley for letting me in and he assured me that if the gate
on 10 Ave is open birders would be welcome as long as they checked in and
out. I had the impression I was the first birder they had in there. At
any rate here is another nice place to look for ducks and water birds in
winter on the strand. (Mr Shelley told me that one of the employees had
encountered a "Copperhead" last week "so be careful")
Jack
Jack Peachey
Conway, SC