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?