Great Crested Grebe - Fishing underwater

hobbit412 · #1 (**permalink**) 26-06-2011, 11:36 PM

Hi all,

New here, found it by googling another shot of what I'm posting. Looks like a very useful and friendly site.

I saw a Great Crested Grebe, fishing underwater. Normally when I see them down the local park they are really far out in the lake and I can't get a decent shot (and swim away when I get close) - but at Houghton Mill (Cambs) there is I think a female who seems to spend most of her time in the Mill Pond.

Today the sun was beautiful and she was ducking and diving - we could see how quickly she swam. It was quite a sight - they are one of my favourite birds but to see this was very cool!

Great Crested Grebe - Under the water! by hobbit412, on Flickr

aeshna5 · #2 (**permalink**) 27-06-2011, 04:10 AM

Welcome to WAB!

Nice shot of this beautiful bird!

RobinP · #3 (**permalink**) 27-06-2011, 06:43 AM

Cracking shot!

Welcome from me too

Robin

htcdude · #4 (**permalink**) 27-06-2011, 07:23 AM

Hi hobbit412 welcome to WAB

Very unusual pic well done!

Nige

KentYeti · #5 (**permalink**) 27-06-2011, 07:36 AM

Yes, really cracking shot.

Bryan

Bobby D · #6 (**permalink**) 27-06-2011, 11:26 AM

I would also like to welcome you to the WAB site and to congratulate you on the super photo. like you in the past I have only seen the great crested grebe far out in the middle of the the lake,whenever I tried to photograph one before I could get him/here in focus they would dive I would then spend the next few minutes trying to guess where the birds would resurface of course they never surfaced in the spot you would expect

2dogs2000 · #7 (**permalink**) 27-06-2011, 08:12 PM

Welcome to WAB. I have only ever seen this once and I was unable to get a photo so well done. I was standing on a bridge and the adult swam underwater followed by a juvenile.

hobbit412 · #8 (**permalink**) 27-06-2011, 10:14 PM

Thanks for the warm welcome on this very warm and muggy day (well it is where I am!).

Considering how fast this little guy was swimming I can now totally understand how they manage to escape me and resurface a long way away.

I didn't really get into wildlife and nature until I got a decent camera for my 30th a couple of months ago, but this was a great thing to watch. I saw a Kingfisher, and a Common Tern catch a pretty hefty fish today too!

RobinP · #9 (**permalink**) 27-06-2011, 10:36 PM

That photo is worth entering into a competition - Countryfile are doing one, give it a go, you never know!

Robin

hobbit412 · #10 (**permalink**) 27-06-2011, 10:41 PM

Heh. My fianceé has been on at me for 2 years about the Countryfile competition. I really do like this shot so it's definitely a contender.

Apologies also for linking to flickr - I only noticed the rules that I should add it to my Gallery on here just now - I will do in future.