[NatureNS] Grebe and Duck and Oriole

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Date: Wed, 18 May 2016 21:46:38 -0300
From: Larry Bogan <larry@bogan.ca>
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It was a beautiful sunny day today in Kentville and there were many people walking the Miners Marsh trail.
On our walk around, the highlight was an excellent view of a male Baltimore Oriole in full breeding plumage.  
Earlier on a walk along the railbed, we encountered three Gray catbirds, flying and chasing each other.

A surprising even occurred between a family of Mallards and a Pied-billed grebe.  We  had been watching the Grebe dive and swim. Suddenly, in the reeds, a female Mallard made a big ruckus and came swimming out chasing the Grebe.  As the Grebe swam away, I noted something tan and fuzzy in its beak. The Mallard mother came out and swam away with six duckling trailing behind.   I looked for the Grebe and it with another (perhaps young) Grebe and beside them, floating in the water, was a dead duckliing. The adult Grebe continued on swimming diving, and not interested in the duckling.

I know Grebes eat insects, frogs and fish but this behaviour seems strange to me. Do they attack other birds?

////// === ///////
Larry Bogan 
Brooklyn Corner, Nova Scotia
<larry@bogan.ca>

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