Plastic netting will kill this Pied-billed Grebe unless myself or someone else can capture the grebe and remove the netting. The grebe will starve to death.
That is a fact.
Pied-billed Grebe with plastic netting in its bill – Nikon D500, tripod mounted, f8, 1/1600, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
Yesterday morning, I was about to pack up and head home when I saw two Pied-billed Grebes at my local pond. Something green on the face of one of the grebes caught my eye, so I focused on it through my long lens.
Right away, I could see that the grebe didn’t have aquatic vegetation in its bill; instead, what I saw was green plastic netting.
I cringed.
Why?
Because I know that this grebe is in danger of starving to death. Any fish or crawdads the grebe catches can’t get past the plastic netting in its bill. The grebe can’t eat and without food, it will die.
Pied-billed Grebe and plastic netting entanglement – Nikon D500, tripod mounted, f8, 1/2000, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
Unlike most grebes, this grebe swam directly toward where I stood behind my tripod on the shore of the opposite side of the pond. As the grebe swam towards me, I kept taking photos. This small waterbird swam within 2 1/2 feet of the shore, where it was too close for me to take photos.
By that time, I had stepped out from behind my tripod, and if I had had a fishing net, I could have captured the grebe and cut off the netting. But I didn’t have a fishing net, just my camera gear.
Plastic netting and a Pied-billed Grebe – Nikon D500, tripod mounted, f8, 1/2000, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
This grebe can still swim; it can still fly, which means it will be difficult to catch. That is the heartbreaking thing about seeing birds entangled in plastic of any kind. I’ve been seeing plastic killing birds for decades now.
It doesn’t have to be this way if people would just dispose of plastic trash in a responsible manner.
I’m not going to sugar-coat this, people can be absolutely lazy about disposing of trash. Some people can be 15 feet away from a trash bin and still drop their garbage on the ground.
Plastic Kills
I know from personal experience that this kind of death by plastic is getting worse, not better. More plastics are being found in nature, even in the most remote locations, and it is killing wildlife of all kinds. Plastic is in their food, it is in the water, and it is in the air. All over the planet.
Eight Easy Ways to Reduce Your Plastic Waste – Audubon
My Plan
Yesterday, I talked to some men that I know who visit the pond and showed them a photo of the Pied-billed Grebe entangled in the plastic netting. I asked them to get in touch with me if they found the grebe listless by the shore, and that I would come right down to the pond to assist the bird. Several of these men have helped birds in the past when they have found them entangled in fishing line.
They are quiet heroes in my opinion.
One of the men even went home and brought back two fishing nets and gave them to me so I’d have them in the back of my Jeep for bird rescues. Thank you so much for the net! The nets will be terrific additions to the bird and wildlife rescue gear I already carry with me at all times in my vehicle.
I feel I should mention that I have been rescuing birds since the mid 1980’s. I know what to do. In the future I should write about bird rescue in a post by itself.
My bird and wildlife rescue gear. Boxes of many sizes, blankets, towels, wire cutters, knife, heavy gloves, ties, and more.
This morning I will be heading back to the pond to try to capture the grebe. The grebe will become weaker as it starves due to the plastic netting preventing it from getting the nourishment it needs to live. But as long as the grebe can swim and fly, it will be extremely hard to do.
My hope is that I, or someone else, can catch the grebe before it is too late. Before it becomes too weak to survive. I will keep trying. This grebe doesn’t deserve to starve to death. If it does, we humans are 100% at fault.
100%
Mia
Click here to see more of my Pied-billed Grebe photos plus facts and information about this species.
Yeah. Seeing that poor little guy with a beak full of plastic netting disgusts me too. It’s just so mind-numbing to see how careless and indifferent some people are. The exceptions are folks like you who actually give a damn and try to do something about it. Thanks Mia.
Thanks for spreading this important message!
It’s so sad to have wild life die due to human carelessness. It doesn’t need to be this way if we all take our trash, nets and fishing line with us when we leave nature
I am so often ashamed of our species.
I do hope that you, or someone else can capture and save this bird.
Thank you Mia for this story, so glad the other pond visitors are helping should the bird reappear.
Thank you for speaking truths Mia, and for caring enough not only to photograph & write about the fate of wildlife due to the carelessness of humans, but clearly also shining a light for all to see on the kindness in folks such as you & the quiet heroes.
Best of luck to you and the grebe.
Sad to see this. Without a boat it may be difficult to get close to the grebe. Good luck.
OMGosh, the poor thing! I hope you or someone else can catch it & remove the netting. Yes, we humans are 100% at fault.