Clark's Grebe / Aechmophorus clarkii

Was lucky enough to get a view of this beautiful Clark's Grebe yesterday afternoon, at Carburn Park. Normally, we don't get Clark's Grebes here in Alberta, and I'd never seen one before. Someone e-mailed a photo of it, with its bill open, showing that the top part had the tip broken off. Difficult to tell from my photo - and because the light for most of the time wasn't the best and I had to crop, the quality isn't too sharp. For practically the whole time, other than a few seconds, it had its head tucked right in, too : )

Later today (29 October 2012): four of us went back to Carburn Park just after lunch, but there was no sign at all of this Clark's Grebe on either pond.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clark's_Grebe