Even though most of Lake Bomoseen has been iced over for the past month or more, it has hosted a rare winter visitor, a Pied-billed Grebe, which has been seen mingling with Mallards at the portion of the lake with open water. Hearing this probably brings up questions for those unfamiliar with this water bird. You may ask, "Why Pied-billed?" As in the case of horses and other animals, the term refers to a multi-toned or blotchy coloration. This small bird has this in the wide, black band on its otherwise tan and white bill.
Pied-billed Grebe on Lake Bomoseen. Photo by Sue Elliott.
Another question you might ask is, "What is a Grebe?" Just as the Coot, which visited the lake last winter, was not a duck, neither is a Grebe. It is more akin to a Loon. Birds of both families are expert swimmers and divers (to which I can attest) and spend almost their entire lives on the water, except when nesting.
They both have legs set far back on their bodies, which allows great propulsion, but makes it awkward for them to walk on land. Also, Grebes have longer necks and smaller, rounder bodies than Loons. A Pied-billed Grebe is one of six Grebe species known as Podicipedidae and is the most frequently seen.
Why is this bird at Lake Bomoseen now? We will probably never know, but Grebes can be found throughout North America, but usually only in our area in the summer. Perhaps the milder winter brought him in or he somehow got thrown off course. Bays, ponds, and open water provide him with the aquatic vegetation, insects, and small fish he needs.
Our little Grebe has been spending his time in the open water at the mouth of Lake Bomoseen. He is solitary, as is customary for his ilk, but has been swimming with and near the Mallards that have congregated there and which seem to accept his presence there, as does the Muskrat which has been swimming nearby, too. None of us has heard him vocalize, but if he did, it would sound like gulping or cooing.
If you have a chance to look for this special visitor, don't let him see your shadow or you'll see how quickly he can submerge and how far he can swim underwater before coming up again! Nevertheless, getting a quick glimpse of this unusual winter visitor is worth the trip.
—by Kathleen Guinness