Pushing the Season?

This time of year, Pied-billed Grebes are common on nearly every body of water in southeast Arizona, their dumpy brown forms punctuating the colorful flocks of ducks.

Last week, we ran across one at Gilbert Water Ranch that was anything but dumpy; this little beauty was already in breeding feather, the throat black and the bill nattily pied. A reminder to enjoy winter while we can!