Pied Billed Grebe

I had a long weekend, so I made the trek out to central New York to visit a wildlife refuge. I saw this small water bird that was swimming not too far out from the wildlife drive. It seemed to spend more time underwater then above water, so it was hard to capture.

Water Bird at a Wildlife Refuge
Water Bird at a Wildlife Refuge – Is it a Pied Billed Grebe?

To me it is very cute. Can anyone confirm what kind of water bird this is? Is it a pied billed grebe? Have a great week!

Mystery Bird

All you bird experts out there, I need your help. Can you identify this bird? I assume it is a duck, but I ran this through Merlin North American and Europe and nothing seemed to be an absolute match. I am far from an expert.

Mystery Bird

It appears to have red eyes and an orange beak. The colour on top of its head is a darker brown. I do not know if this is a juvenile or an adult. I saw this in one of the parks in London. That of course does not mean necessarily that it is native to Europe. What are your thoughts? Can anyone identify this mystery bird? Or could this even be a hybrid cross between two birds?

Northern Shoveler ?

I just came back from a little less than 2 weeks in England. I took lots of photos. It was my first visit since before Covid. I took it slow so I did not travel far and wide daily. I believe this bird is a northern shoveler. If I am wrong, let me know.

Northern Shoveler

I saw this bird close to the Thames River in London. I saw a lot of water birds in London through visits to the Royal Parks etc. This bird was in a pond near the Thames River on a cloudy day, and it was a forested area around the pond, so it was dark. This photo has been lightened.

The northern shoveler is a dabbling duck. Dabbling ducks feed on aquatic plants and small invertebrates on or near the surface or the water.

Happy Friday tomorrow!