Tuesday 16 August 2011

Gailey - Red-necked Grebe

Year listing is a great motivator for getting out and about and getting to see birds whilst ticking them for the year! Other than lifers, I was having a fairly quiet year on the UK front but not actually getting much bird photography done! Sooooooo, I got home from work, had my tea and thought - there's a Summer plumaged Red-necked Grebe just across the border in Staffs - 35 minutes away..... Last few years I'd have been there like a shot and then I thought, what's wrong with right now!

I was off..........

Very few images had come out as it's a lot of water for said Grebe to remain distant on. Nevertheless, it was tucked in the South West corner with sailing boats acting as bit of a defense against the disappearing act

The boat activity caused a little bit of nervousness



Chance for distant flight shot!



Red-necked Grebes are not the most elegant birds when landing - a sort of 'water ski then splatttt..




No shortage of 'other Grebes' here and this Little Grebe got quite curious about the intruder...



Eventually,after sitting quiet near the reed bed, I got a reasonably close encounter, just a shame that the light had now gonebut I'm not complaining (much!) .....







Who switched out the lights?