11 January 2006 - Edinburg Scenic Wetlands On our first afternoon, we visited the Edinburg Wetlands which offered excellent close views of many waterbirds. The Least Grebe is a Rio Grande Valley specialty and these wetlands offered excellent photo opportunities. For more information on birding the Edinburg Scenic Wetlands see: http://www.worldbirdingcenter.org/sites/ edinburg/index.phtml This is the only New World member of the genus Tachybaptus which includes the little grebes (dabchicks) of the Old World. This individual is in winter (basic) plumage which lacks the dark gray face and black throat of breeding plumage. Notice the fluffy body feathers. Grebes hold much air in their feathers and can finely adjust their specific gravity by inflating and deflating the air in their body feathers. We watched this one disappear like a perfect sinking submarine.