Andrew Whitehouse said:* Puts head above parapet *
Must admit, my initial impression and one that I can't see any reason to change is that this is a moulting Slavonian Grebe. The shape, particularly the small bill, seems much better for this than the larger species. Slavonian can look remarkably 'Red-necked-like' at this time of year.
Darrell Clegg said:I'd say Slav grebe. There are plenty at Dawlish and I would've thought a Red-necked would have shown some yellow on the bill - even at that distance.
Darrell
Darrell Clegg said:I'd say Slav grebe. There are plenty at Dawlish and I would've thought a Red-necked would have shown some yellow on the bill - even at that distance.
Darrell
J Moss said:Doh!
Got to say though that it was the thin neck that made me think Red Necked Grebe. I didn't think the smaller grebes necks were that long or thin. Also, I figured the cheeks were too dark for Slav. But what do I know, lol.
Just to help me out, could someone give me some pointers on IDing the less common grebes. I've always had problems with them, especially as they tend to be miles away, out to sea. Is body and neck shape not the best feature to look for?
Thanks, and sorry if this detracts from the original thread!
Jason