Pied-billed Grebe dissipointment

[Ira Runyan]

Yesterday, we were looking for the Pied-billed Grebe that was carrying a chick on it’s back photographed the day before by Harry Selsor at the Viera Wetlands. We spotted a likely candidate in the back of the same pond that had it’s feathers fluffed up and was not moving except for occasionally flipping up it’s wing. We had high hopes that we had found the bird we were looking for and watched for a chick to appear from under it’s wing. About 20 minutes later we were disappointed when the Grebe regurgitated it’s stomach contents, then stretched it’s legs and wings and began swimming and diving in the back of the pond. There was no chick under the wing, so we will have to look for it another day.