{"id":107699,"date":"2022-11-02T04:39:28","date_gmt":"2022-11-02T10:39:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=107699"},"modified":"2022-11-02T10:07:09","modified_gmt":"2022-11-02T16:07:09","slug":"immature-clarks-grebe-and-a-mystery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2022\/11\/02\/immature-clarks-grebe-and-a-mystery\/","title":{"rendered":"Immature Clark’s Grebe And A Mystery"},"content":{"rendered":"

I came across an immature Clark’s Grebe on Monday at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge<\/span><\/a>. I took photos of the grebe because I could see something on its fluffy neck.<\/p>\n

\"BeggingBegging immature Clark’s Grebe in autumn \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/1250, ISO 640, +0.7 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

In this image I can barely make out the mystery “loop” below the begging immature Clark’s Grebe but that loop was what caught my eye. I was concerned that something was wrong with the young grebe.<\/p>\n

\"ImmatureImmature Clark’s Grebe with something on its neck \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/2000, ISO 640, +0.7 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

The mystery loop is far more evident in this photo of the young Clark’s Grebe. In fact it almost looks as if I could have attached a leash or a string to that loop to tow the grebe along on the water.<\/p>\n

In case anyone is wondering how I know that this is an immature Clark’s Grebe and not a Western there are two things I used to identify that this young bird is a Clark’s. First when the young grebe was begging to be fed it was chasing after an adult Clark’s Grebe and not a Western Grebe. Second, the bright yellow bill is typical for a Clark’s Grebe. Western Grebes have more olive toned bills.<\/p>\n

\"YoungYoung Clark’s Grebe with something on its neck \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/2000, ISO 640, +0.7 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

In this image the mystery loop is seen on the side of the young Clark’s Grebe’s neck. I can also see that in all of the images that there isn’t anything going around the neck of the grebe so that lessened my concerns about the grebe being strangled by whatever the loop was.<\/p>\n

\"YoungYoung Clark’s Grebe in autumn at Bear River MBR \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/2000, ISO 640, +0.7 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

My final thoughts on the mystery loop seen on the neck of this young Clark’s Grebe is that the loop might be twisted juvenal feathers that the grebe is molting that are still attached somehow to the grebe’s neck.<\/p>\n

I just never know what I will find or see when I am in the field.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my Clark\u2019s Grebe photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I came across an immature Clark’s Grebe on Monday at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge. I took photos of the grebe because I could see something on its fluffy neck.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":107687,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[124,27,1148,162,26],"tags":[4155,970,740,4016,4620,5025,877,707,4067,4643,4071,13431,4094,2312,11398,3996,5123,4095,4193],"class_list":["post-107699","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge","category-avian","category-box-elder-county-utah","category-clarks-grebes","category-utah","tag-aechmophorus-clarkii","tag-autumn","tag-begging","tag-clarks-grebe","tag-fall","tag-feathers","tag-grebe","tag-grebes-2","tag-immature","tag-juvenal-plumage","tag-juvenile","tag-loop","tag-marsh","tag-molt","tag-twisted","tag-water","tag-waterbirds","tag-wetlands","tag-young"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/clarks-grebe-immature-bear-river-mbr-mia-mcpherson-3188.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-s15","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":101210,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2022\/03\/29\/clarks-and-western-grebe-images\/","url_meta":{"origin":107699,"position":0},"title":"Clark’s 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Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/clarks-grebe-chick-prey-mia-mcpherson-7796.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/clarks-grebe-chick-prey-mia-mcpherson-7796.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/clarks-grebe-chick-prey-mia-mcpherson-7796.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/clarks-grebe-chick-prey-mia-mcpherson-7796.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":101597,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2022\/04\/14\/spring-clarks-grebe-images\/","url_meta":{"origin":107699,"position":2},"title":"Spring Clark’s Grebe Images","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"April 14, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"I'm sharing a few spring Clark's Grebe images today that I took up in the marshes of Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge during the first week of April.","rel":"","context":"In "Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge"","block_context":{"text":"Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Pair of Clark's Grebes in early spring, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/clarks-grebe-adult-spring-mia-mcpherson-2649.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/clarks-grebe-adult-spring-mia-mcpherson-2649.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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