Grebe Groupie with Cooties

On Aug. 1st, I went back to the Elk Creek 'pond' to see about better photos of the eared grebes...the sun wasn't cooperating so I still am not satisfied...but it was still awesome to watch the eared grebe families and, as it turned out, the coots too...

When I stepped out of my car, I soon realized that I was surrounded...reminds me of that song, "Clowns to the left of me, jokers to my right...here I am, stuck in the middle with you..." Or, more accurately, a painted turtle in front of my car (later, I picked it up and moved it off the road)...

...and a live snake by the back of my car...garter snake? More importantly, not a live rattler...

The eared grebes were aware of me, they stick near the shore regardless, but mama gathered her two chicks nearer...

...Starting with this one...

Who got to ride shotgun...

Dad arrived with veggies for his growing duo...

Both chicks got a piggy-back ride, in all fairness...

...What a lovely family you have, Mr. Eared Grebe...

On the other side of the split pond, a coot and its chick were hanging out in a clump of smartweed...

More coot chicks were swimming about...talk about ugly duckling, yikes...it's so ugly it's kinda cute...you'd never guess it's a coot w/o the adults nearby...

And older coot chicks...looking more 'normal'.