I love birders

Since the Varied Thrush showed up I've been having lots of birders come to see it, many of them laden with grapes. Birders are the best!

I keep trying to get a decent photo of the thrush with a grape. This is the best I've done so far. My camera was focused on the grapes, so the bird isn't in focus. Not enough time as he grabbed the grape and spun out of sight, but I'm not giving up.

Bonnie Wunderlich is the person south of here who first discovered the Eared Grebe hiding in her outdoor shower. No body of water nearby, so we brought it to my tank. Today she visited the grebe and got a distant shot of it with a fish on her little point-and-shoot camera. So far, I haven't been fast enough with my big Canon to catch the action, but now I have renewed determination to make it happen. Here is Bonnie's shot. (Posted with her permission)

And I love this shot Bonnie captured. It looks like the grebe is thanking her for saving it.

                           

I don't have much prior grebe watching experience, but I was perplexed when shortly after putting the grebe in the tank I observed it swimming with its head underwater. Something I don't remember ever seeing a grebe do before. Thinking about it later, and having it doing it only that one time, I realize it was looking to see if the tank had food, and/or if there were any diving obtacles. (It's nearly 9' deep.) Very interesting behavior. Wish I had photographed it. Something I'll probably never witness again.