great crested grebe

Cutest shot ever, Delia? Yesterday's was cute, I agree. But I think "Back-seat driver" is even cuter, and I think this one is the cutest of all, even if the technical quality is maybe better on Back-seat driver. I just can't resist this pose with the chick cuddling up to the parent's...

Now you see the passenger. |=)| Loads more shots of this parent and passenger I may post later, some with the chick visible, some not. The day before I saw another parent with two on board and the mate feeding them, but they were further away. Might post one or two of those shots as well. Not...

Same Great Crested as yesterday, but here he's off the nest with the one hatched chick on board. A Black-headed Gull had just tried dive-bombing him, presumably to grab the chick from behind, but the Crested was quick to canopy his wings over the chick and lean his head back, covering the chick...

I've got eyes in the back of my head! I stopped only briefly for some head shots and a bit of birder conversation when I first passed this grebe, defending chick and nest. We're not supposed to take shots on the nest, after all. Coming back on my return route, the parent in charge at the nest...

Watching for the next gull attack.

There were several GCG pairs at stensj Lake, most with chicks on board and some with a few eggs still to hatch. One pair had built their nest very near the footpath, in a narrow channel between the footpath and an island packed with nesting Black-headed Gulls. That pair was a major birder...

Three in a bed - Great crested grebe with chicks

Well Peeps, I hope y'all have a great bank holiday weekend.

Baby feet - These are the sweet things the swan was trying to kill.

Seen at Sevenoaks Reserve.

Great Crested Grebe - Gift dance

Great crested grebe - master fisher... I have just returned from a marvelous day on the Somerset Levels. I have seen great white egrets collecting nest material, watched grebe, pike and cormorants fishing and heard bitterns booming all day and the Sun came out. What more could one ask for.

LETS DANCE

Well Peeps, Its an early post and run from me today...We are on the road again this morning. We are going back to Lakenheath for a family funeral, so I will catch up with y'all later.

This Grebe was stretching its legs, one after the other, here the right leg, a normal action in the preening sequence, I suppose. Anyway, a nice action to witness and capture!

An angry Grebe - the thing was there was nothing around him.

A pair of Great Crested Grebes displaying, bringing weed and head turning.

Neat flippers - Not the best of photo's but this guy has both feet out of the water and that is a neat pair of flippers he has attached.