PB Grebes on land

I've spent many hours (probably several hundred) photographing and observing Pied-billed Grebes and have never once seen them on land until a couple of days ago. These two birds and one other spent about a half hour alternately seeming to enjoy a foray onto the shore and then returning to the water. While on land their behavior was relaxed - picking at vegetation, wing stretching and just lazing in the morning sun.

The manager of the bird refuge where this shot was taken says that he has never seen PB Grebes on land either.

I did once see (and photograph) a grebe with a fish scoot onto the ice in an effort to avoid another grebe that was trying to steal the fish but that lasted only for an instant and it obviously wasn't something that the bird particularly wanted to do.

The purpose of this post is to find out how common or uncommon this behavior might be for the species. Have any of you observed it? If so, how often?

Thank you for any feedback.

I've yet to actually see grebe's in the wild (though I havn't tried and didn't become interested until they were gone for the season) but I can say I've seen mergansers on shore waddling twice, which is equally bizzare, as they are a diving duck and aren't built for walking. Great photo though!

- Luke

I've never seen this in 35+ years of birding.

Great observation!

Like you, Ron, I've spent a lot of time with PB Grebes over the years and I guess I always assumed that they ventured on to land sometimes when I'm not around, but I've never seen it. I never really thought about it until your post.
How very cool that you not only saw, but photographed and shared this behavior with us!

Don't know about PB grebes, but I saw a pair of red-necked grebes in BC go up onto land several times, coming back with grubs and stuff for the babies.

http://www.naturephotographers.net/imagecritique/ic.cgi?a=vp&pr=127949&CGISESSID=605c904de2b80fed89519785b12049b6&u=14510

The nests are usually on little islands, and they have to climb out of the water to get to them - not too much different, seemingly, than this.

Great image!

Sandy r

Sandy r

I have seen PB grebes on "land" a couple of times here in FL. The area they were walking on was really boggy ground, so not so much hard terra firma. However, they were still walking. Obviously, given the paucity of reports of this behaviour, PB grebes do not walk around on land very often. However, in my 20+ years of studying water birds it seems to me that many species that we just don't envision walking on land, do from time to time. The first time I saw Canvasbacks on land startled me and made me laugh. Like PB grebes their legs are so far back on their bodies they are not at all good at moving about on land. But as I started looking for this behaviour, the more I saw it. Very nice to get an image of this somewhat, IMO, rare behaviour of PB grebes.

I have never seen them on land, interesting discussion.

For the second time in a week Ron and I saw the Pied-bill Grebes on land again this morning. Until this week I had never seen them on land either. They are fascinating to watch as they try to get up on the shoreline.