An epic battle: Pied-billed grebe takes on hefty crayfish |
I felt like I had just watched a prize fight from ringside seats!
When I first came across one my favourite little birds, it was resting nonchalantly among the marsh grass not too far from shore. I was excited to see it. I’m surprised I did see it; because it was pretty well hidden.
Pied-billed grebes are experts at hiding right in front of you. They tuck themselves up against the grass and stay perfectly still and blend right in with their surroundings. It helps that they are quite small and are pretty well camouflaged with a mixture of brown, beige and white feathers that don’t really stand out, especially against the fall colours.
The first time I saw a pied-billed grebe, I wasn’t really impressed. It seemed like a kind of plain looking little duck, but the more I saw of them, the more I began to like them. They are real cheeky little characters with a lot of........