The Pied-billed Grebe is a peculiar little bird with a peculiar name that my father called the “drowning duck”. You can sometimes see this duck like bird in the South Canal on the Tram Rides at Highlands Hammock. It is almost never seen walking on dry land because its legs are so very far back towards the tail, its ability to walk is very clumsy. The toes on the grebes feet are shaped like the end of a paddle and all of the species of grebe have this peculiarity. They are well adapted to diving and swimming underwater feeding on aquatic insects, crayfish and small fish. The bill of the adult Pied Billed Grebe has a vertical black strip during breeding season. Other wise it looks like a little brown duck with an odd shaped head and dives and doesn’t ever seem to come back up again.
This geocache is placed in Highlands Hammock State Park with the permission of park management. All locations must be approved by the Volunteer Geocache Coordinator Sarah Straub (DTISarah@gmail.com) and adhere to the guidelines set by the park for geocache placement.
Vehicles are not permitted to park on any roadway within the park boundary. All vehicles must park within designated parking areas. The park is open from 8:00AM until sundown, 365 days a year. The admission fees are as follows: $6.00 per vehicle. Limit 2-8 people per vehicle. $4.00 Single Occupant Vehicle. $2.00 Pedestrians, bicyclists, extra passengers, passengers in vehicle with holder of Annual Individual Entrance Pass. Camping is available in the park as well.
Highlands Hammock State Park's Website
For more information about accessing cache locations please visit the ranger station to view a copy of Essential Eligibility Criteria for Geocaching at Highlands Hammock State Park.
Please remember to cache responsibly and stay on designated trails.