Eared Grebe

[Eared Grebe, third from left, with American Coots at Round Valley Reservoir, Hunterdon County NJ today. In major fog.]

Thanks to reports and directions from others, locating the Round Valley, NJ Eared Grebe today was a simple matter, especially since Round Valley is part of my old stomping grounds in Hunterdon County.  Finding myself here looking for venison for the freezer, it was a natural detour to take in the grebe.  And a bit of excitement:  as I came to the cove where the grebe had been reported, a Bald Eagle flew out in front of me and made two passes at the grebe, which escaped by diving while its buddies the coots hid out under shoreline brush. That would have been a rare feast indeed for the eagle. . .