Redneck Grebe Family
While riding on mom’s back in the warm comfort of her wings, two of the three Grebe chicks stretch their black and white striped heads toward dad waiting to be fed from whatever he found while diving in the weeds at the bottom of the lake. Although the chicks can swim and dive themselves, they still spend a great deal of time sailing in their cozy, feathery yacht.
They live a life of seeming ease when contrasted to the chicks born in a nest along shore no more than 100 yards away. These tiny babies swim on their own all day long while a single male Grebe is constantly diving and feeding them. No warm, feathery resting place, no protection from the wind and turbulence from boat wake, or shelter from predators. So far they have survived. Paddling my kayak I visited the abandoned nest and found the mother dead in a sitting position, propped up by lilies that surround the hidden abode. I gently lifted her with my paddle and placed her across the bow of my kayak and brought her back to bury. Perhaps with her body gone, the chicks can return to the nest for an occasional rest. A painful example of the balance of nature and survival of the fittest.
Gail Niebrugge, wildlife artist
