The Up/Down Duck

  Sometimes things on the Bayou can be quite comical.  While on the pier trying to photograph ducks, I had to giggle at a small one. Well, it was not actually a duck but rather a grebe.  A tiny Horned Grebe was swimming rather close to the pier which would normally make for a great photo session. Not so with this little water bird.  When I photograph wildlife, I prefer to take numerous pictures since one can never command the critters to sit still. A lot of the pictures are a bit blurry due to the quick movements.  This little guy was giving me a run for my money!  Up, down, up, down...I think the grebe spent more time underwater than on the surface!

  Grebes are one of those species that sort of get lumped together with anything similar.  To a lot of us, if it is a bird, swims in the water and is sort of squatty...it is a duck!  Cormorants, geese, coots, loons, grebes....they are all ducks!  Anyway, this little grebe seemed to be doing a yo-yo act.  Its bobbing made it difficult to photograph as most of the time, all I caught was a splash of water where the grebe had ducked (pun intended).  Mark and I decided that this was not a grebe at all but an Up/Down Duck!

  Grebes are in a class of their own.  They are the only birds associated with the Podicipediformes order.  They are much smaller than most ducks, have small pointy beaks instead of flat bills and lobed toes instead of webbed feet.  They are also just downright cute!  Most of the time, grebes of all types spend their time in fresh water but during winter migration they will stop in to visit the bays and bayous.  During their visit here, they are in their non-breeding plumage of grey, black and white.  They lack the "horns" that make them easily identifiable during other times of the year.  Still, they are some of my favorites of the waterfowls.  Like I said they are adorably cute and have so much personality so what is not to like?  Ducks or grebes...these little guys are wonderful!