This tiny bird of wetlands brings to mind the name of a heavy metal ballad by the American band Dio.
The Little Grebe lives to dive. To dive is life.
A duck-like waterbird, it is a little sorcerer of the wetland famous for its disappearing acts. One moment it’s there and, in the split second that you have locked focus on it, it’s gone. Dives can last up to 30 seconds!
I photographed this one after it had just resurfaced after a plunge, and you can see a blob of water on its back.
Why, one may ask?
Little Grebes have specially adapted feathers that allow them to dive rapidly and repeatedly with minimal resistance from the water. Their feathers are densely packed and waterproof, and they can adjust their buoyancy by pressing them against their body. They also have narrow wings, large feet, and lobed toes that work like propellers. These specially adapted feet help them to dive and swim, and they appear to skim on the surface like jet-skiers during their elaborate courtship displays.
Little Grebes are devoted parents, breeding during the rainy season when fish are plentiful. They work tirelessly, feeding their ravenous young ones with fish.
And the song I was talking about? It’s called Holy Diver. Black Sabbath fans would know it as an outcome of former frontman Ronnie James Dio’s finest hour.
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