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A Pied-billed Grebe is reflected by the water in a lake in Sharon Woods Metro Park, Westerville, Ohio.
It takes a lot to get me to stop one of my photo hikes to take a picture of some waterfowl floating on a lake. Personally, I find a photo of a duck or goose floating on water to be boring. Also, it’s not a challenge to photograph, so I usually walk on past.
The exceptions are if the bird is doing something interesting, like carrying a fish or other food in its bill, or if the surroundings are interesting, like my photos of Canada geese on water that is reflecting bright fall colors.
But this Pied-billed Grebe floating on a lake in a park north of Columbus, Ohio, caught my attention.
First, the grebe was just floating. Grebes typically float for a couple of seconds before diving under the water to search for food. They may resurface a long distance from where they dive, which has some bird guides describing the Pied-billed Grebe as part bird, part submarine.
But the interesting thing was that the water was still and clear — not a ripple or distracting reflection — and reflected the morning blue sky. It almost looked like the grebe was sitting on a mirror.
So I grabbed the shot.
Pied-billed Grebes are common across much of North America. They look like small, brown bowling balls with necks.
I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a grebe in flight and I know I’ve never seen one on land. According to the bird guides, Pied-billed Grebes are poor fliers and very awkward when moving on land. The Latin genus name for grebe is “podylimbus,” which means “feet at the buttocks.” It’s an accurate description because the bird’s feet are located near their rear, which makes it easy for the bird to propel itself when underwater.
This bird was photographed in October, well after the breeding season, so it doesn’t display the black band on a white bill (or a “pied” bill) that gives the species its name.