Horned Grebe

This is a Horned Grebe in the process of changing into its breeding plumage.  I took this photograph yesterday afternoon at Winchester Bay where I spent a couple of hours looking for birds, amazingly enough in the sunshine.  It was raining when I left my site at Oceanside RV Park at 11:30, raining when I filled up with diesel at the Pony Village Safeway, and still raining when I filled the propane tank at North Bend, but by the time I got to Winchester Bay the rain had ceased and the sun was out.  I watched three Osprey preform numerous aerial displays, put up with numerous squawking Western Gulls, and admired diving Common Loons in their black and white breeding plumage. I took over 100 photos and this Horned Grebe is my favorite of the day. I saw about six of these small grebes, but they continued to move their diving just far enough away to make photographing difficult.