{"id":116150,"date":"2023-09-20T04:25:50","date_gmt":"2023-09-20T10:25:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=116150"},"modified":"2023-09-22T03:52:02","modified_gmt":"2023-09-22T09:52:02","slug":"late-summer-baby-pied-billed-grebes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/09\/20\/late-summer-baby-pied-billed-grebes\/","title":{"rendered":"Late Summer Baby Pied-billed Grebes"},"content":{"rendered":"

On my most recent trip to Bear River MBR, I had a huge thrill. I found four baby Pied-billed Grebes still in their striped juvenile plumage in the marsh.<\/p>\n

\"FourFour baby Pied-billed Grebes in late summer \u2013 Nikon D500, f8, 1\/500, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

While I was a little surprised to find such young Pied-billed Grebes this late in the summer, it didn’t take me long to focus on the babies. Even though they were pretty far from me, I wanted to document their adorable cuteness. It turned out that their distance from me was a benefit because I could fit all four of the tiny grebes in my frame.<\/p>\n

I was very happy with this image in particular because I could see the eyes of every grebe chick.<\/p>\n

\"TwoTwo late summer Pied-billed Grebe babies \u2013 Nikon D500, f8, 1\/1000, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

The striped plumage that these young grebes display has always fascinated me. My eyes are also drawn to the cinnamon-colored patches at the tops of their heads that match the color of their bills.<\/p>\n

Pied-billed Grebe Chick Development<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Even though temperatures have been dropping here in northern Utah, these baby grebes develop quickly. These chicks will be able to fly before the water freezes over. Pied-billed Grebes<\/span><\/a> will stick around the marshes, ponds, and lakes until just before the surface of the water ices over. Before then, they will move to open water in nocturnal flights.<\/p>\n

A few years ago I was extremely excited when I was able to take photos of adult Pied-billed Grebes making practice flights<\/span><\/a> at my local pond. The grebes were preparing to fly to their nesting grounds that day. I never thought I would be able to photograph them in flight because they usually only do that at night.<\/p>\n

When it comes to my bird and nature photography, I have learned to expect the unexpected, and that has worked out well for me. I didn’t expect to find baby Pied-billed Grebes this late in the year, but I did!<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my Pied-billed Grebe photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

On my most recent trip to Bear River MBR, I had a huge thrill. I found four baby Pied-billed Grebes still in their striped juvenile plumage in the marsh.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":116143,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[124,27,1148,135,26],"tags":[6479,5772,4134,4068,877,707,4067,4071,4094,4059,6428,4009,1053,4166,14370,2315,6917,3996,1983,4095,4193],"class_list":["post-116150","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge","category-avian","category-box-elder-county-utah","category-pied-billed-grebes","category-utah","tag-babies","tag-baby","tag-chick","tag-chicks","tag-grebe","tag-grebes-2","tag-immature","tag-juvenile","tag-marsh","tag-phragmites","tag-phrags","tag-pied-billed-grebe","tag-plumage","tag-podilymbus-podiceps","tag-striped","tag-summer-3","tag-vegetation","tag-water","tag-water-birds","tag-wetlands","tag-young"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/pied-billed-grebe-babies-mia-mcpherson-0852.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-udo","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":95659,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2021\/09\/26\/young-pied-billed-grebe-in-juvenal-plumage\/","url_meta":{"origin":116150,"position":0},"title":"Young Pied-billed Grebe In Juvenal Plumage Compared To Adult Plumage Phases","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"September 26, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"About a week ago I photographed a young Pied-billed Grebe that was still in juvenal plumage on a pond at Farmington Bay WMA.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Young Pied-billed Grebe in juvenal plumage, Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/pied-billed-grebe-immature-plumage-mia-mcpherson-4932.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/pied-billed-grebe-immature-plumage-mia-mcpherson-4932.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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2024","format":false,"excerpt":"While I was out enjoying some sunshine yesterday morning, I photographed an adult Pied-billed Grebe from a distance and up close at one of my local ponds.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Winter Pied-billed Grebe up close, Salt Lake County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/pied-billed-grebe-winter-urban-mia-mcpherson-3394.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/pied-billed-grebe-winter-urban-mia-mcpherson-3394.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/pied-billed-grebe-winter-urban-mia-mcpherson-3394.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, 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Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/pied-billed-grebe-breeding-plumage-mia-mcpherson-8177.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/pied-billed-grebe-breeding-plumage-mia-mcpherson-8177.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/pied-billed-grebe-breeding-plumage-mia-mcpherson-8177.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/pied-billed-grebe-breeding-plumage-mia-mcpherson-8177.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":6408,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2012\/10\/23\/a-rare-sight-to-see-standing-pied-billed-grebes\/","url_meta":{"origin":116150,"position":4},"title":"Rare Sight to See – Walking And Standing Pied-billed Grebes","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"October 23, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"It was an unusual experience to see these Pied-billed Grebes standing upright and walking on the edge of this pond, some might even consider it rare.","rel":"","context":"In "Davis County"","block_context":{"text":"Davis County","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/davis-county-utah\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Standing Pied-billed Grebe adult, Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/pied-billed-grebe-mia-mcpherson-4888.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/pied-billed-grebe-mia-mcpherson-4888.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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