Clear Lake is considered one of the most dynamic lakes in the country. Not only is it one of the oldest lakes in the Western Hemisphere but it also has one of the country”s most diverse population of water birds. The lake plays host to eagles, osprey, cormorants, pelicans, herons and various species of grebes.
The western grebe is considered by many to be the most popular and colorful bird on the lake. In past years the population of western grebes has varied from as many as 200,000 birds to as a few as several thousand.
For years the grebes were drawn to the lake because of the abundant food source such as the threadfin shad and the ideal nesting habitat. This year the shad died off in January and thousands of western grebes were forced to leave the lake to find food. In fact, the lake”s population of Western and Clark”s grebes went from a high of an estimated 45,000 birds to as few as a couple thousand within a span of a few weeks. Even the sea gulls and pelicans left for more fertile waters.
The good news is that the grebes are now starting to filter back into the lake. The reason being that there are now millions of various fry from different species of fish. The bass, catfish, carp, hitch, blackfish, crappie and bluegill have all spawned and their young are everywhere. There are even reports of shad being seen. The abundance of food has attracted the grebes and the bird population is rapidly building up. The pelicans as well as sea gulls are also returning.
I had the opportunity to witness this one day last week while fishing near Long Tule Point. Minnows were jumping out of the water around me as small bass were chasing them. In a few minutes at least 100 grebes appeared and started diving and feeding on the minnows. The grebes feasted on the minnows for about five minutes before moving on.
The big question is if the grebes will nest this year. To date I haven”t seen a single young grebe and no nests. Grebes have been documented nesting on Clear Lake as late as August so there is still plenty of time. It takes 23 days for the eggs to hatch. A brood can consist of from 1-4 young and they can swim soon after being hatched. They often ride on their parents backs which allows the chicks not only to to rest but to escape danger.
Both the male and female grebes build the nest and raise the young. They use dead tule stalks to make a floating mat and then build the nest on the mat.
It”s their courtship dance that draws most of the attention. The male approaches the female and does a series of dips with his head. She respond with like dips and then they ran across the surface of the water with they necks arched in perfect unison. This maneuver is called “rushing” and the birds actually swim so fast they hydroplane. Their final act is to dive exactly at the same time.
Grebes are incredibly fast swimmers and feed mostly on fish but will also eat insects. Studies at Clear Lake have shown that grebes will use their long sharp bills to spear the fish. In one study where scientists examined the stomach contents of a number of grebes, it was found that nearly all of the partially digested or undigested minnows had a single hole running through their side, indicating they had been impelled by the grebe”s bill. However, on smaller fry the grebes will just often grab the minnow.
It”s not just the grebes that draws attention from bird watchers, other birds can be observed throughout the lake. For example, last week while fishing near the Lakeside County Park a bald eagle passed over me holding a large fish. Later in the day while driving downtown in Lakeport I noticed an osprey flying low over Main Street with about a pound-sized bass in its talons.
One way to observe this abundance of birds is to take a boat and travel slowly along the shoreline from the state park to Lakeport. Another excellent bird watching area is Anderson Marsh and one of my all time favorite areas is Rodman Slough. It proves that Clear Lake has much more to offer than just its excellent bass fishing.
