Summary: Rare to Very Rare Fall through Spring, Accidental in Summer. Swan Lake is the best location to see them along the road system.

	Spring	Summer	Fall	Winter
Sitka Road System	Very Rare	Accidental	Rare	Very Rare
Sitka Area*
*Unless otherwise noted, occurrence in the Sitka Area is unknown or presumed similar to that on the road system

Infrequently seen along the road system, when a Pied-billed Grebe does occur, it seems to stay for several weeks. These birds effectively blend in to their preferred surroundings in their winter plumage, and can be difficult to spot. Given a preference for freshwater habitat, it does not seem unlikely that these birds show up in the Sitka area most years, though perhaps not on Swan Lake, where they are most likely to be observed and reported.

J Dan Webster
Rare summer visitor and wintering bird; scarce migrant, mostly in March, October and November. No breeding record.

My Comments:
My first encounter with a Pied-billed Grebe was at Swan Lake 23 October 2007. I am pretty sure that I overlooked it at first, thinking it was a resting American Coot. A few minutes later I saw it swimming and diving and realized what it was. For an apparently shy bird, it was reasonably cooperative, and I watched it swimming and diving in the shallows of Swan Lake. It seemed quite effective at catching small fish. On several occasions I saw it come up with one, which it then ate. When it stopped moving it was difficult to spot. When it tucked its bill under a wing it was exceptionally difficult to see, even when I knew where it was.

Observation Notes:
23 October 2007: One observed on Swan Lake.