As I gazed out into the center of a small, man-made pond, I spotted gulls and geese and a few ducks. Suddenly a small bird swam into view that I couldn’t identify. It looked a bit like a duck, but the bill seemed to be very different.
I’m stepping out into the unknown by speculating that this might be a Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps), although it doesn’t quite match any photos that in my identification guide or that I could find on-line. I wonder if it is a juvenile bird. I would welcome a clarification, correction, or confirmation from more experienced birders. Thanks in advance for your assistance.
As you can tell, it was a bright, sunny day when I took this shot this past weekend, a welcome respite from the gray days of winter. Alas, it is cloudy again today, with rain forecast for much of the day.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
I wouldn’t know a grebe if it pecked me, but this bird does seem to have huge eyes. Nice to see blue water!
The sky was really blue and reflected its color onto the water, creating the look in the photo. I think we were in the mid-50’s during part of this past weekend.
Good call, Mike. That is indeed a Pied-billed Grebe in winter plumage. The name makes sense in breeding season when the bill gets a black and white pattern.
Thanks for the confirmation, Joe. I’m still a relative neophyte at identifying birds, but I’m getting better at it (especially when I get a decent photo that I can examine after the fact).
Great photo.. I can almost feel the sunshine. Looked like a lovely day:)
Nice photo, Mike! The Pied-billed is my favorite Grebe – they’re just so darned cute! We have lots of them around my area in the good weather.
I don’t see them very often, which is why I wasn’t sure about the identification. This one seemed to be alone in a mixed group of other birds. I’m learning how important it is to look carefully at groups of birds–they are not always just one species.
That’s so true, Mike. I’ve been surprised many times by what I’ve found in large groups. Glad you’re having fun with it!