If it swims like a duck it must be a duck, right? Not necessarily ... The pied-billed grebe may mimic the movements of a duck in water but this bird does not have webbed feet. Instead its toes have lobes extending out from the sides, which makes it a swimmer to rival any duck. The pied-billed grebe is pigeon sized, brownish in color and has a chicken-like beak.
When you photograph and observe the grebes in the field, like Yamil and I did last week, you suddenly learn a lot more about their behavior. The couple had 5 chicks, which needed to constantly be fed. Parents took turn to fish and when they returned they made sure they equally fed the ckicks.
Check out the size of crawfish they brought back. It is quite amazing to see the young ones swallowing such large portions.
By observing these grebes for a few days, we figured out their patterns and schedule. And when this happens, photographing wildlife becomes more than just taking a picture. It is an excelarating experience.