Tag Archives: Great Crested Grebe

176/366 Breeding grebes

24 Wednesday Jun 2020

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Monday’s walk was a delight, my first of the new-fangled socially distanced walks with a friend. As well as each other’s good company, we enjoyed a lovely wander around part of Cardiff Bay, including the wetlands reserve. There is always an abundance of Great crested grebes in the waters around the reserve and this day we also spotted two pairs breeding.

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One pair was perhaps making a second attempt, as this is late in the season to begin their breeding cycle. While one bird brooded their single (so far) egg, the other was keeping itself busy gathering extra materials to add to the nest.

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We then noticed another pair of grebes that already had two chicks (birders commonly call them ‘humbugs’ because of their striped colouring) and, while the two little ones sheltered on one adult’s back, the other went fishing for sprats for its offspring. It was wonderful to watch them.

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38/366 A day of grebes

07 Friday Feb 2020

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Grebes were much in evidence today.

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As well as these two Great crested grebes, I saw several other pairs, some displaying and, once, a couple of males engaged in a noisy dispute, over a fine nesting spot perhaps.

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Making a lot of chattering noise as they swam, two Little grebes also seemed to be searching for potential nest sites amongst the reeds. We might be expecting a mighty storm in the next couple of days but the birds are thinking it’s Springtime.

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25/366 Grey, but a grebe

25 Saturday Jan 2020

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Today’s seven-mile walk was through thick grey drizzle-like mist and, except for the raucous gulls at the edge of Cosmeston’s east lake (where everyone feeds the birds), the land was hushed and still. Not wanting to get my gear wet, I only got my camera out of my backpack once, for a few shots of this handsome Great crested grebe.

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333/365 A Bay full of birds

29 Friday Nov 2019

Posted by in autumn, birds, nature

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What a wonderful long walk I had around Cardiff Bay today! Here are some of the birds I spotted along the way.

191129 1 goosander

There were nine Goosanders in total, four in the River Ely where it flows in to the Bay and another five further east, in the Bay proper.

191129 2 turnstone

My favourite little Turnstones, again four along the Ely embankment and more near Mermaid Quay.

191129 3 linnet

Linnets, a small flock of six flitting about the grassy slopes of the Barrage.

191129 4 pied wagtail

Pied wagtails – I lost count of these cheery little characters who appeared wherever I wandered.

191129 5 Great crested grebe

One of several Great crested grebes that live in the Bay, constantly diving for fish.

191129 6 black-headed gull

I was getting ‘the look’ from this Black-headed gull, in the pond at the wetlands reserve, for not supplying food!

191129 7 coot

This Coot was also hoping for food.

191129 8 chiffchaff

This Chiffchaff was a surprise – it’s either very late migrating or has decided to over-winter in Britain, as some now do. Interestingly, I saw a Chiffchaff yesterday too, in a different location.

191129 9 kingfisher

The best possible end to my walk – a Kingfisher peep-peep-peeped in to the pool near Hamadryad Park and perched on a branch over the water.

144/365 Humbugs

24 Friday May 2019

Posted by in 365DaysWildin2019, birds, nature

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Some days it’s only Nature that keeps me sane – today was one of those days and these gorgeous creatures played a big part in restoring my sanity and making me grin from ear to ear. In case you don’t know, this is a Great crested grebe and its two chicks, which are often referred to as Humbugs because of their resemblance to the black-and-white-striped sweet of that name.

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I think this is their Dad who’s carrying them – Mum, a smaller version of Dad, was nearby. The parents take turns protecting their chicks by carrying them on their backs. I’m not sure if that gaping beak is a yawn or a wish to be fed – I suspect the former.

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Dad was getting quite upset at this point because a fight between a Coot and a Mallard was coming a little too close for comfort.

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Calm restored. Snoozing bookends!

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Curiosity! Soon after this, the closest chick ventured out on to the water for a very brief moment before deciding it was much safer and more comfortable on Dad’s back.

43/365 Spring in the air

12 Tuesday Feb 2019

Posted by in 365DaysWildin2019, birds, nature, spring

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The scent of Spring was strong in the air today or, at least, all the birds I saw thought so. The Great crested grebes were being particularly amorous. First, though, this female fancied some lunch – just a little snack to keep her energy levels up.

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Then she climbed on to the minimal nest that she and her mate had created and got herself ready. The male seemed unsure – perhaps he was shy because I was watching.

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After a couple of minutes when nothing had happened, the female stood up, gave herself a little shake and directed some stern squeaks at the male.

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He had obviously got the message!

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The end made me laugh out loud as he slid unceremoniously over the female’s head in to the water. Let’s hope their efforts were not in vain. I’ll be keeping an eye on them, from a suitable distance.

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Fisher extraordinaire

12 Monday Nov 2018

Posted by in birds, fish, nature, winter

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It was a lovely late autumn day, with a bit of a nip in the air but gloriously blue skies overhead and still a little heat in the sun. It was the perfect day, in fact, to stand on the boardwalk at Cardiff Bay Wetlands Reserve and watch this Great crested grebe catching itself breakfast, morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner and supper, all in the space of just 6 minutes (I can tell from the times on my photographs).

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No wonder this successful little fisher-bird was grinning so broadly as it headed into the reeds for a snooze!

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Lunch … mmmmmm!

18 Saturday Aug 2018

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Raw fish might not be everyone’s idea of a tasty lunch but it’s the staple diet for this juvenile Great crested grebe.

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And here it comes now …

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‘Thanks, Mum.’

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‘It’s a slippery sucker.’

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‘It’s a bit big, Mum. I’m not sure how to eat this thing.’

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‘Ooops, almost dropped it.’

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Seeing the young one struggling to down its lunch, a Black-headed gull swoops in to try to steal the fish. Both grebes dive immediately.

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‘Where’d they go?’

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Seconds later, the gull flies off, Mum and junior both surface, and Mum’s come up with the second course.

This is one contented-looking Great crested grebe!

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Nests

09 Monday Apr 2018

Posted by in birds, nature, spring

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Just like their makers, nests come in all shapes and sizes, and they’re made of all sorts of materials: twigs and branches, feathers, moss, paper and plastic, mud. They can be seen high in trees and on buildings, hidden secretively away in hedges and behind reeds, or plonked in a hole in a concrete platoon, as I saw some Coots do recently in Cardiff. Some are messy and loosely constructed, others are cosy and snug, still others are miniature works of art.

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This is prime bird-nesting season so it’s quite likely you’ll see nests when you’re out walking. Please stay well away and do not disturb parents, eggs or babies. In Britain (and I’m sure in most countries) it is, in fact, an offence under The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 to ‘intentionally take, damage, destroy the nest of any wild bird while it is in use or being built’ and to ‘intentionally take or destroy  the egg of any wild bird’. (You can read more details here.) And, rest assured, my photos were all taken with a long lens, well away from the birds, so as not to disturb them.