Odd company...

I cruised by the Ohio riverfront in New Richmond on my way home from work today like I do every day checking for anything odd or interesting that might be there (bird wise that is). I have seen some good birds here before. (Sooty Tern, Harlequin Duck, White-winged Scoter)

An odd grebe swimming with a Pied-billed Grebe caught my attention, so I stopped to check it out. The sun was glaring on the water and I only keep my back up binoculars in the car, so I wasn't able to get a good look. It was bigger than the PB next to it and had a different profile and bill. Its colors differed, but the lighting was bad. My first impression was a Red-necked Grebe. Since Red-necked Grebe would have been a life bird, I did not feel comfortable calling it.

Something with a different profile hanging out with the resident domestic geese caught the corner of my eye. Same color, but different shape - Great Egret? I drove closer to find that it was indeed a Great Egret. Not easy to find here in November. I would not have expected it to hang with the New Richmond River Geese.

I decided to go home and get my proper birding implements (including camera) and return. The odd grebe was gone of course, but I did relocate the Great Egret. And also found a Common Loon far out on the river and 8 American Coots.

Great Egret

A Nice Looking Wood Duck

Found this handsome male Wood Duck yesterday on the bank of the Ohio River in New Richmond, Ohio. I often see woodies hanging out with the Mallards at this location.

A Nice looking male Wood Duck

Winter river hopping

Had to go downtown to take care of family business today, so I didn't really have much time to do any serious birding. I was wanting to go to Armleder , but since I had family with me, that was not an option. Instead, I decided to go river hopping by stopping at various spots along the Ohio River (I have found some of my best birds this way).

First stop was at Rivertowne Marina, where there were 3 Horned Larks on the entrance road.

2 of 3 horned larks seen. Love these birds!

Decided to drive to the back of the marina. Most of the water was frozen, but did manage to find a juvenile Double-crested Cormorant flapping its wings and a Great Blue getting ready to spear a fish. I don't run into cormorants in winter around here very often.

Juv. DC Cormorant and GB Heron.

Went to another nearby marina and was only able to find a Pied-billed Grebe and a few Canada Geese. Stopped at a few other sites along the river between Cincinnati and New Richmond, but didn't come up with anything noteworthy. However, I did come across a Killdeer (in a parking lot none the less), which is not too easy to find at this time of year.