Jordan Lake. The pied-billed grebe has very specialized “leaf” feet. They are shaped like elongated tree leaves. These feet propel the pied-billed grebe efficiently and quickly underwater chasing fish as well on the surface when he is moving on. Watch closely: you can see the water boiling out from underneath the tiny tuft of his tail as he and his reflection swiftly pass by.
pied-billed grebe
TagEarly!
Jordan Lake. They have arrived … early! These are pied-billed grebes. I usually don’t see them until mid November. They are migrants who come down and spend the winter with us before they return north to their breeding waters. I think they’re darn cute.
Doc Ellen’s Natural Minute 2022/03/18
Jordan Lake: This morning I captured 3 out of 4 pied-billed Grebes. Pretty certain that is two pairs of them. They are about ready to head back north for their breeding season. Enjoy the little grebes!
Pied-billed Grebe Toes
Jordan Lake: Pied-billed grebes are a winter visitor here. They come down and spend the colder months with us. What I find really neat about the pied-billed grebe is, that like all grebes, it has feet where each toe has a lobe surrounding it. These lobes make the foot look like a tree leaf as you can see here in this photo. This makes the little grebe a very fast underwater swimmer as it dashes about catching fish and crustaceans for its food. I always smile when I see these grebes because they sure look like they are shyly smiling at the world.
Jordan Lake Neighborhood for March 2, 2017, 7 photos
The ospreys have returned from South America – welcome home.
One year old bald eagle looking fierce in the morning light.
A very cold eastern bluebird, who like me, was wondering where the warm weather went.
Great blue heron stalking through the shoreline bushes.
Belted kingfisher surveying the waters for his next fish.
The small pied-billed grebe is named after the way the black ring bisects his beak.
The morning light illuminates this Bonaparte’s gull.
watchful
Pied-billed grebes would rather dive or run on the water to escape problems than to fly.
This immature grebe carefully watched me but made no attempt to flee.
doc ellen's journey 