water-witch

Meanings

1. A grebe
2. A grebe:
3. In particular, the pied-billed grebe.
4. The storm petrel.
5. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: a witch who lives in, controls, is able to dowse or find, or is otherwise connected with, water.

Etymology

Grebes are so called due to their ability to evade hunters and predators by disappearing underwater. Storm petrels are so called due to the folk belief that their arrival foretells approaching storms. Both birds also sometimes walk on water.