The birds of Durham and vicinity Author:Ned Dearborn Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: THE BIRDS OF DURHAM AND VICINITY. Order PYGOPODES. Family PODICIPIDE. Colymbus holbcellii. Holbcell's Grebe. 2. Holboell's, or the Red-necked Grebe, is ra... more »ther common in October and November on Great Bay, where it may also be found in April and May. Along the coast it is likely to be found at any time during the winter. It feeds principally upon fish, but aquatic insects and vegetable matter are taken in varying quantities. It prefers the larger bodies of water, either the fresh or salt, to the smaller ponds and streams, differing from the Dabchick in that respect. It is not unusual to see several together during the fall migration. At that time old and young alike are in traveling dress, that is, in plain gray without the reddish brown neck characteristic of the nuptial dress, from which it receives one of its trivial names. Colymbus auritus. Horned Grebe. 3. The Horned Grebe is a fall and spring visitant at Great Bay, and a winter resident along the coast. It seems to prefer the sea, however, to the more peaceful interior waters, at least, where the choice is so easy as it is here. Its food is similar to that of the Red-necked Grebe. It is less abundant here than either of the other grebes. In size it is similar to the Dabchick, but it can be instantly distinguished by its acute bill. Podilymbus podiceps. Pied-billed Grebe. 6 The Dabchick, or Pied-billed Grebe, is the most common grebe we have, as well as the easiest to observe, on account of its habit of frequenting the smaller bodies of water. It is not generally found here in summer, but begins to appear by the first of September and remains till nearly or quite November. It feeds on aquatic insects and grass and other vegetable matter growing about water. Three stomachs, from fall birds, which I have examin...« less