1920 J Wetmore, Birds of Lake Burford, N. Mex. ASS 



examining a nest and eggs, while both gave a low trilling note that contin- 

 ued for some time and was very pleasing. As the season advanced this 

 action became more and more common, and when nest-building began the 

 male performed in this way over the nest foundation constantly. The 

 female now became more active, frequently rising half erect at short in- 

 tervals, arching her neck with head bent toward the breast and then giving 

 a sudden quick spring forward, seemingly imitating the action of sliding 

 up on a nest platform. 



In another action male and female rose from the water, and, standing 

 half erect with the male slightly behind but with his breast touching the 

 female's side, rushed off across the surface for six or eight feet calling ex- 

 citedly. At other times a pair lay prostrate and travelled off on the water 

 with necks extended and wings spread and flapping. Or males alone rose 

 on the surface and with neck bent forward, crest and cheeks expanded, and 

 flapping wings, ran along in a straight line or in a semicircle sometimes for 

 a hundred feet. I thought also that part of the love making of these birds 

 took place beneath the surface of the water as mated pairs often dived to- 

 gether and remained below for some time. It was a common thing for a 

 male to follow a female under as she dived and at times males showed atten- 

 tion to females by diving from a few feet away and coming up immediately 

 beside them. 



Rival males often threatened one another by half extending their wings 

 and then closing them for two or three times as they faced one another, or 

 ran at each other striking with their bills. The attacked bird in this case 

 usually dived to escape. In their squabbles they seemed often to endeavor 

 to strike the feet of an opponent, apparently a tender place, as the attacked 

 bird always dived. Occasionally I saw one spring clear from the water at 

 another to land on his back and slide off. Females too fought to some ex- 

 tent when their mates paid attention to others, and struck vigorously with 

 their bills, doing more real fighting than did the males, who often merely 

 blustered and seldom really came to blows as the one attacked usually 

 dived avoiding a direct encounter. Preening the sides and breast was a 

 constant accompaniment of any mating display. 



On cold, sharp mornings, when the temperature was near freezing, these 

 grebes frequented sheltered bays away from the wind, and floated about 

 on the surface with their backs to the rising sun, the feathers of back and 

 flanks expanded, the wing tips raised, and the whole plumage fluffed to 

 receive the warm rays to the fullest degree. At these times the birds 

 looked as large as Mallards or Gadwall. The sudden change to the usual 

 slim form just before the birds dived was almost startling. Frequently 

 when at rest the birds drew one foot up among the flank feathers, and 

 floated about paddling slowly with the other. Often they stretched after 

 resting, extending first one foot and then the other straight back and free 

 of the water. I saw them feeding by swimming slowly along with neck 

 outstretched, seizing Chironomids floating on the surface film with quick 



