Saturday, July 14, 2012

Sweeties of the Sweetwater Wetlands

Away down south in Arizona lie the sky islands of the Huachuca, Santa Rita, and the Chiricahua Mountains. These aria peaks provide rugged trails and absolutely fabulous birds for those scrappy individuals daring enough to pursue them. These short ranges provide some of the birding hotspots in North America. But farther north in Tucson there is another little birding gem tucked away. The Sweetwater Wetlands are well known to those who live and bird in the area, and they provide a more relaxed, gentle setting to see both resident and migrant waterfowl, and maybe a few rarities as they pass through the state. It is only logical that some of the cutest bird chicks in the Milky Way are found at Sweetwater, where the stagnant ponds and thick bullrushes provide plenty of cover for the adult-birds-in-training.


Of course, the most common species of waterfowl at the Sweetwater Wetlands is the Mallard. But being a freshwater haven in the arid southwest, the Wetlands are home to more than just the usual Mallards and their mangy domesticated cousins. Mexican Mallards, or Mexican Ducks, are an interesting subspecies that can be found in the southern parts of California, Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. Both sexes resemble the female Mallard, but with darker bodies and a pure yellow bill.
Unlike the bourbon drinking Mallards, the Mexican Ducks prefer Tequila and can be indentified in their calls be their tendency to roll their 'R's.   


Without a doubt, the main attraction at the Wetlands right now is this Pied-billed Grebe family. With a nest close to the boardwalk and two fireworks-faced chicks, this mama Grebe is one of the most popular individual birds in the Tucson area right now. And doesn't see just look so happy!


Hopefully the recent attention hasn't robbed Sweetwater of its gentle charm for these nesting birds. Child celebrities have a hard time in human society. Then again, child celebrities don't always have such caring parents as these two seem to have.


Within the first ten days of hatching, Pied-billed Grebes spend a lot of their time aboard their parent's backs. The wings of the Pied-billed Grebe are somewhat stunted and infrequently used for flying, but they secure the chicks very well.


The Sweetwater sweeties went for some piggy-back rides around the Keyhole Pond, but honestly the algae there looked thick enough to walk on. The lobed-toes of the Grebe really come in handy for swimming through pea soup.


Except in states with freezing temperatures, Pied-billed Grebes are year-round residents. This little tiger will likely live and hunt in the Sweetwater ponds for years to come. The sense of destiny and heritage was an emotional overload for the little guy as they surveyed his kingdom, and he let out a primordial roar!!!

20 comments:

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    1. What about the Mexican Duck??? Nah I'm with ya. The Grebes steal the show.

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  2. This wonderful post brought a big smile to my face. Precious little baby grebes. I love the tender moments you captured. How lucky you were to see the chick/parent interactions. Terrific photographs! Awwww(e)-some post!

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    1. Thankee Julie,

      It was a great surprise to see these Grebes out in the open and so comfortable. I fear I may have been spoiled by the sighting, and it will be harder to appreciate chickless Grebes in the future...

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  3. wonderful photos Laurence - the babes are adorable

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    1. Thanks Dan. They're too cutey. I worry now that I won't be able to appreciate regular, non-parenting Pied-billed Grebes anymore.

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  4. Incredibly cute series of the Grebe family! I have never seen young ones before, really enjoyed this post :)

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    1. Cheers Debbie! I'd not seen the young n's in person before this. All those wasted years...

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  5. I think you and I were both at the Sweetwater on the same day:) I saw the Momma Grebe and heard the chicks. They didn't come out though. Momma was bringing food over to them. I had just missed the Yellow Billed Cuckoo! He was in the same area as the Pied Bill Grebes. Hope you had fun:) Very humid here right now.

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    1. Oh wow! It was definitely a quick stop for me, but yes it's a lovely spot and definitely the kinda site that could pull in some very cool birds.

      We've got the thunder clouds up here too. It's supposed to clear out by the end of this week, when I hope to bird again, and if they cool things down in the mean time then, well, that's fine by me : )

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    2. I went back today to see if I could see the little ones but no luck. I saw the parent briefly and spent about an hour in the heat waiting! Ridiculous, but I wanted to see the chicks:) However, like everything in the world of birding.....I spot other things but never what it is I intended to spot:)

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    3. Ah, the curses and blessings of searching for the birds.

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  6. Wonderful post, Laurence! The last three pics are priceless!

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    1. Thanks Hilke! I must admit though...if someone offered me money for them, I wouldn't complain : )

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  7. Lovely shots, Laurence! I love the Pied-billed Grebe shots.

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    1. Cheers Scott. It was a cloudy day but the subjects still made it easy on me. Egrebiously Cute.

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  8. The Mexi-Duck is pretty cool.. but yeah, grebe kids are tops in adorable-ness.

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    1. That poor Mexican Duck...it didn't stand a chance. It's whole life it's lived in the shadow of the swanky Mallard, hoping to one day become appreciated, to be picked up by an agent and become a bird model. This was its one shot, and the Grebes stole the show.

      I didn't mention it in the blog post, but I wept for the Mexican Duck. Wept.

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  9. Laurence, I absolutlely LOVE Sweetwater Wetlands! It is truly a birding gem. I used to spend hours there and still be reluctant to leave, but I never got to see any juvenile pied-billed grebes! You lucky devil! They are just too darned cute!

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    1. Oh shame! It must be time for you to head back down then... : )

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