Western Grebes

Yes, a show showing the faces will definitely help.

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Clarks_Grebe/id/ac http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Western_Grebe/id/ac I'm looking for to seeing more photos. I think if you have one of the faces you'll see the Clark's has white surrounding the eye, whereas the Western had dark feathers around the eyes.

I don't think I can tell from this picture, but I believe by range the Clark's Grebe is year-round resident in the mapped location, while Western Grebes winter along the California Coast. What color are the bills? Clark's Grebes are said to have paler bills than Western Grebes. (I'm colorblind, so I can't tell.)

Neither the Western Grebe nor the Clark's Grebe are found in New York. Your map must me misplaced.

very nice action photo

Probably Western Grebe Aechmorphorus occidentalis

Those are grebes, but I'm not sure which species.