Dana,

Too bad the grebe chick died. Possibly there was something wrong with it from
the start. Swimming up to people isn't normal behavior, as far as I know.
Possibly the diet of earthworms didn't agree with it either. Here on Green
Lake in Seattle the young grebes do quite well on a diet of insect larvae,
fish and crayfish. But even then, some of them simply die. Disease or inborn
defects are a fact of life. Last year at the lake one chick was very adamant
about leaving the lake and joining the joggers on the path. I put it back in
the lake three times, near where there was a nest with same-age chicks, but
when I checked on it an hour later it had died.

You write you found another grebe chick at about the same time last year at
this location. Did you not see any adult grebes around then and now? I'm
wondering if instead of the chick having been deserted, the adults were hiding
out (they are known for skulking amidst lily-leaves with just nostril and eyes
protruding through the surface, when threatened). Possibly the young was sick
and like the one I mentioned before, was deliberately moving away from its
parents' territory. Sick or injured animals I've seen do tend to behave
abnormally.

Hatching in August is not all that late. Some years ago, I found one clutch
hatching the first week of October and all chicks survived. It was a mild
year.

Pied-bills can have multiple broods or may repeat nesting attempts when a
previous attempt fails. The chick you encountered could have been from a
second (or later) nesting attempt or brood.

Just on general principles though, I think I would have taken the chick to a
wildlife center where trained people can take care of the young. If you feel a
need to nurture young birds, possibly a nearby wildlife center can use you? At
least they will know (most of the time) what the chick should be fed.

Don't get me wrong, I am not against "interfering," I have been known to help
ducklings cross streets or prevent residential rooftop-raised Killdeer chicks
from jumping to their death on a concrete sidewalk. But in those cases the
adults continued their task after my intervention. If I were totally convinced
a chick was abandoned I would take it to a shelter. That's all. Thanks for
caring.

Sincerely,
Martin Muller, Seattle