| This diminutive grebe was the last North American grebe on my list- a lone bird at Sweetwater Wetlands in Tucson was actually one of the first birds I ever filmed. But on my December, 2004 trip to south Texas, I was delighted to find dozens of this species in some refuges in the lower Rio Grande Valley. The individual pictured here was found a bit farther north, at Aransas National Wildlife Refuge. I was cruising along the refuge road, intent on getting to the observation tower for a look at my first Whooping Cranes, when I saw this bird out of the corner of my eye. It was in a marshy area but a few feet from the road, and I was able to get this decent footage using my car as a blind. |
| The Least Grebe is a truly beautiful creature, and this individual certainly provided the best looks I've ever had. It also offered the image below, which would be the first entry in my proposed book, Field Guide to the Butts of North American Waterfowl. |
| The somewhat grainy image below is of the Tucson bird- obviously not my best work, but it was an early example of the purpose for which I originally purchased my camera: simple documentation of rare and unusual birds. |
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