Friday was another spring-like day, so when I finished up my part-time job for the week, my wife and I took the opportunity get our cameras down to the Riverwalk in Chattanooga to see what birds we’d see. It was a good day; great company and a lifer for us two beginner birders – a Pie-billed Grebe that we spotted on the pond at Amnicola Marsh.
Pie-billed Grebe – Podilymbus podiceps – peering through the waterfront underbrush
As always, click on the pictures for a larger version.
The Grebe was near shore, but on the other side of some fairly dense brush. According to the Encyclopedia of North American Birds by David Aldterton the Pie-billed Grebe is “rather hard to spot, retreating among vegetation such as reeds if they feel under threat.”
Pie-billed Grebe apparently watching me watch it through the underbrush.
This bird apparently felt threatened by me as I moved around to try to get a clear shot, because after swimming back and forth on the other side of the rather thick underbrush, it submerged, resurfacing further out in the pond while heading for open water. Yes, I’ve got to work on that balance between getting a decent photograph and ensuring I don’t disrupt the bird’s activity.
Pie-billed Grebe – Podilymbus podiceps – heading for open water
Clearly different birds have different tolerence for human presence, as this somewhat angry-looking American Coot was much closer to us, and didn’t seem bothered by our presence.
American Coot – Fulica americana – near shore at Amnicola Marsh
We got to see other waterfowl on this walk at the Curtain Pole pond and the Amnicola Marsh. The Grebe swam out to open water where some Hooded Mergansers were swimming, nearby there was a Mallard pair, and over at the Curtain Pole pond were some Gadwalls as well as this resting Canada Goose, who didn’t appear to be disturbed by our presence, even with the somewhat haughty look it gave us.
Canada Goose – Branta canadensis – giving us “the eye.”
Also on the Curtain Pole pond (as well as at Amnicola Marsh) were some Northern Shovelers. When I looked at this photo after we got home I did a bit of a double-take looking at the long orange legs which appears to be bent in the wrong direction. Then I realized that was a reflection.
Northern Shoveler – Anas clypeata – at the Curtain Pole pond
Off the birding topic, one of the first sights to greet us as we started our walk were some Eastern Painted Turtles sunning themselves on a log in the Curtain Rod pond.
Eastern Painted Turtle – Chrysemys picta picta
We also saw a few birds that we see around our house – sometimes commonly, in some cases only rarely, but in all cases we enjoyed seeing them along the Riverwalk.
Yellow-rumped Warbler – Setophaga coronata
Northern Mockingbird – Mimus polyglottos – looking a little bit grumpy.
White Throated Sparrow – Zonotrichia albicollis
Song Sparrow – Melospiza melodia – I think! I find attempting to identify sparrows to be very frustrating.