While driving home in the fog last night I came across a western grebe in the road, under a street light. I floundered around as if it had broken a leg. Another driver and I managed to get it into a cardboard box, and I trucked it home and called the local wildlife rescue, where I learned that the bird can't walk on land. They can get confused by the shiny wet pavement, and land on what they think is a body of water. She directed me to find some water and let it go. Certainly in the way it was thrashing around in the box it was none too happy or too hurt. I took it to the marina in Driftwood Key. I would rather have walked out to the beach, but was afraid of tripping over a log in the dark - no third hand to hold a flashlight. I tipped the box sideways in the water and she came out and sat there a moment, getting her bearings. Suddenly she wheeled around and lunged at me, reading me the riot act in grebese over the indignity of having been toted around in a cardboard box. I stepped back from that VERY pointy beak coming at me, then realized she couldn't come out of the water to "get" me. She then slowly paddled off by the lights of the marina. Pretty cool.

Pam Parrish
Hansville, WA
twbpoulsbo at hotmail.com