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Grebes (presumably great crested) (1 Viewer)

Carless

Well-known member
A question about Grebes. while I don't have a huge amount of bird watching experience, I have never, ever, seen a Grebe that wasn't on, or under, water. Surely they come out onto land occasionally, and they must fly. Have I just been unobservant or unlucky, or do Grebes spend 99.9% of their time on the water?

As an aside, I know of a small lake with four Grebes on it at most times. It's also the same lake where my triathlon club trains. I have been disappointed not to have had any close encounters with them while swimming yet. I think they seem to know about bi-weekly human invasions of their territory and stay clear.
 
The old country name for the great crested grebe is 'arse-foot' (and if I've got it right, that's effectively what the 'Podiceps' part of the scientific name equates to as well). Having its feet that far back is very good for swimming and diving, but very awkward out of water, so it's really only at nesting time that they venture out of it much.
Different grebes in different places have different behaviour. Some places near home, you can't get within miles of them, others will come right up to you. I don't know about them recognising timescales on a weekly level 9birds aren't too bad on a daily level), but possibly the vibration of many people runningtogether can be felt through the water and taken as a sign to clear off quick.
Any help?
 
I seem to remember reading somewhere that their legs are so far back that they can't actually walk, and more or less drag themselves along. I've not actually seen them doing this, though.

Adrian
 
The above posts are correct re the positioning of grebes' feet.

The same is true of divers/loons, who scarcely ever leave water and can hardly "walk", having feet more or less on their backs.*

(*slight embellishment)
 
Whoa! The photo really drives home the point about the feet. "arse-feet" indeed. I can see why a bird built like that would stay in the water.

I know someone who swims in rivers who was surprised when a Heron came in to land, missing his head by inches. I was thinking that it would be interesting to have some wildlife close encounters. However I've just had a sobering thought. Given that I'm not yet as fit as others in the club, I have to stop and rest. So that makes me a medium-large shaped object floating in a lake in a park with lots of Cormorants. It couldn't happen, could it? And if it did, surely those feet could hurt...
 
Whoa! The photo really drives home the point about the feet. "arse-feet" indeed. I can see why a bird built like that would stay in the water.

I know someone who swims in rivers who was surprised when a Heron came in to land, missing his head by inches. I was thinking that it would be interesting to have some wildlife close encounters. However I've just had a sobering thought. Given that I'm not yet as fit as others in the club, I have to stop and rest. So that makes me a medium-large shaped object floating in a lake in a park with lots of Cormorants. It couldn't happen, could it? And if it did, surely those feet could hurt...

All perching birds have very sharp claws!.

But the Pike or introduced Snapping Turtles would get you first:cool: .
 
Interesting observation,Carless.We have several pairs of Grt Grested Grebes here on our reserve,and yes,I have never seen them out of the water,so thankyou for the explanations given,very interesting.
 
No answer to your question but thought You might appreciate this photo.
I posted a thread earlier about a Coot taking over a Grebes nest-bearing in mind the last time I saw it 4 weeks ago thre were 4 eggs. (see thread above). Is this normal??
 

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No answer to your question but thought You might appreciate this photo.
I posted a thread earlier about a Coot taking over a Grebes nest-bearing in mind the last time I saw it 4 weeks ago thre were 4 eggs. (see thread above). Is this normal??

Yup. Normal!:cool:

GC Grebes nested on a small floating platform on my local lake. Hatched 2 chicks a week or so ago. The platform now supports a Coots nest four times the size of, and on top of, the Grebes old nest.
 
In one of a number of events from the last few days relevant to birdforum posts I've made, I sort of saw a grebe out of the water. "Sort of" because I was cyclling to my swimming session, and sort of saw a bird shape out of the corner of my eye, behind trees. I just got a flash of it, but it was something on some floating reeds out in the middle of a lake. The trees then thickened but I thought "I've seen that shape before". Even just a few seconds later when I could see through the trees again, there was a Grebe in the water next to the reeds. So I "sort of" saw a fraction of a second flash of standing Grebe. If I'd been a few seconds earlier I'd have seen a lot more.

And as for the Grebes in the lake where we swim, I got to observe the lake for a while before everyone got there. Due to "everyone" deciding to turn up half an hour earlier to get more swimming in, but only I actually did it. No Grebes in sight. Didn't see any until later when there were a whole lot of people in the lake. I think given the size of the lake and the small number of Grebes (4?), it's probably just random sampling effects that made it look like the clear off when we arrive.
 
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