RARE (FOR ONTARIO) WESTERN GREBE IN PARK

If you were in the park for clean-up day last Sunday, you probably saw many birders with scopes and cameras. The bird they were chasing is the Western Grebe, a prairie bird that rarely pops up in Ontario. It has been in the waters off the western headland for a few weeks now, sometimes within feet of the shore, hanging out with red-necked grebes. It is an extremely elegant bird and easy to spot. A folk name for this fairly large bird is "swan-necked grebe"; if you see it, you'll know why. The bird is best known for its courtship display - two birds will rear up and patter across the surface of the water.
Check out the two grebe nesting platforms that TRCA have put in the bay. One is close to the spot where there used to be an observation deck, until it was burned. That vantage point is well used by wildlife photographers. It is about a meter from shore and is supported by four blue floats. Hopefully, red-necked or horned grebes will use it and eventually become park residents.