[obol] Loons and Grebes Broughton Beach

[sandyleapt at comcast.net]

Hi everyone.  I walked Broughton Beach on the Columbia River, by Portland International Airport this morning around 11:00 a.m.

I want to thank Andy Frank for his posting, I never would have wandered down there looking for birds.  I was able to get pictures of the grebes and the loon that are good enough for identification.  The Horned Grebe actually came close enough to shore for me to get nice pictures.  What a lovely morning.

Small Flock of Lesser Scaup

Mallard Ducks

Gulls  (I must learn how to tell these apart)

Canada Geese

PIED-BILLED GREBE

CLARK'S GREBE

HORNED GREBE

RED-THROATED LOON

I also walked the Columbia Slough Trail west of the Canoe Launch.  The thing I saw there that surprised me was the Pied-billed Grebe.  I have to think of the Pied-billed Grebe's as numerous since I've seen them every time I've gone walking my regular and not so regular places.  They are listed as unusual on the Portland bird list, are we having an unusual spring for Pied-billed Grebes?

Thanks

Sandy Leaptrott
NE Portland