Great Crested Grebes

Here are a few images of Great Crested Grebes, taken back in March. It's often difficult to get right down to water level to get the shots that I like to achieve, but this site allowed me to do that. With the distant reedbed giving a lovely contrasting colour to the deep blue water, these shots are just what I wanted.

Great Crested Grebes

I have spent some time this spring photographing Great Crested Grebes. The shot that every bird photographer hopes to get of these showy birds is of the weed dance, which they perform during courtship. They pick up weed in their beaks and face each other in the water, they then turn their heads from side to side and usually finish off by lifting right up out of the water. It can be over in seconds and performed anywhere on the water, so getting photographs is tricky. I did manage some courtship shots this year but none of the weed dance. Here are some of the results up to now.

 

A Variety of Images

At this time of year I have many plans for photographic projects. The success of them is usually determined by the weather, which up to now, has been pretty poor. Hopefully spring will soon be here. This post is a small assortment of some of the photographs I have managed to take in the last month or so.

Blue Tit

Bullfinch

Goldfinch

Great Crested Grebe (courtship display)

Great Crested Grebe

Kestrel

Lesser Redpoll

A Change of Scenery

Having spent the majority of the last three months photographing woodland birds, I needed a change and headed into Lancashire. First stop would be Martin Mere Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust. It's always good fun photographing the Ducks and Swans there at this time of year, no two visits are ever the same and I was pleased to see plenty of Wigeon in front of the hide, this being a species I need more photos of. After a few hours I moved on to the first of several other sites, in search of displaying Great Crested Grebes. I did see three or four pairs performing their dance but not within photographic range, maybe next time. A consolation was being able to get some Tufted Ducks on lovely coloured water.

Wigeon

Shelduck

Teal

Tufted Duck

Great Crested Grebe