Life at the Pond! (Nature Study: Pied-Billed Grebe)



Good morning!

I'm just putting up this picture of a little bird on our new pond (did I mention our new place has a pond?), and a little more info about it.  I finally identified it after much searching as a pied-billed grebe.  Here are some more links from around the web for information:

•  At this link you can read a little info about it and hear its sound. 
• This one is very similar, but I'm posting mostly because it's another site to search for identifying birds in the future.
•  Wikipedia's article  has more info.
• One more link with info.
• Here's a short but good close-up video from YouTube.
• Here's a video of one calling from its nest.  They build their nests on the water.
• A longer video of some babies. 
• Here's a picture of a baby on the mother's back. 
• I didn't find video of the pied-billed grebes on the mother's back, but here's a different kind of grebe with fighting babies.  I'm not the only mother with children who have arguments. :)

I'm a bit surprised at how interesting the pond is so far. There aren't any trees around it yet so it's rather plain-looking, although lovely in its own way.  I was rather indifferent to it at first overall, and as a mother of young children even a little concerned about keeping the little ones away from it before they know enough about swimming (I'm still concerned about that some).  But it's been so much fun already to just look out and see what's there -- we've had a heron visit, another long-legged bird I've yet to ID, Canadian geese, and these little grebes.  There are also frogs and turtles, and the children have found numerous snail shells on the shore (just one live one).  It's also fun to go walk around, although I've only done it a couple times because I've been so busy with moving-related things.  The older children have had more time to explore it when they didn't need to be helping with something.  

Already the space both on the land and in the new home has been so nice.  We are so very blessed and thankful. 

Now I must get back to packing.  :)