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Little Grebe with a little


Little Grebe with a little
Photo Information
Copyright: Pekka Valo (pekkavalo1) Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 307 W: 21 N: 1202] (3793)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2008-07-24
Categories: Birds
Camera: Canon EOS 1D Mark III, Canon EF 400mm f4.0 DO IS USM, RAW ISO 400, Canon EF 1.4x Extender II
Exposure: f/5.6, 1/125 seconds
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): CeltickRanger's favorite Bird photos [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2008-07-25 0:25
Viewed: 336
Points: 24
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
A Little Grebe adult with a chick at RSPB Elmley Marshes nature reserve.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

The Little Grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis, formerly known as Dabchick) is 23 to 29 cm in length. It is the smallest European member of the grebe family of water birds and is commonly found in open bodies of water across most of its range.

Description

Little Grebe is a small water bird with a pointed bill. The adult is unmistakable in summer, predominantly dark above with its rich, rufous colour neck, cheeks and flanks, and bright yellow gape. The rufous is replaced by a dirty brownish grey in non-breeding and juvenile birds.

Juvenile birds have a yellow bill with a small black tip, and black and white streaks on the cheeks and sides of the neck as seen below. This yellow bill darkens as the juveniles age, eventually turning black once in adulthood

In winter, its size, buff plumage, with a darker back and cap, and “powder puff” rear end enable easy identification of this species. The Little Grebe's breeding call, given singly or in duet, is a trilled repeated weet-weet-weet or wee-wee-wee which sounds like a horse whinnying.

Taxonomy
There are nine currently-recognized subspecies of Little Grebe, separated principally by size and colouration.

T. r. ruficollis is found from Europe and western Russia south to North Africa.
T. r. iraquensis is found in southeastern Iraq and southwestern Iran.
T. r. capensis is found in Sub-Saharan Africa, Madagascar, Sri Lanka, and the Indian subcontinent, extending east to Burma.
T. r. poggei
T. r. philippensis
T. r. cotobato
T. r. tricolor
T. r. volcanorum
T. r. collaris

Distribution
This bird breeds in small colonies in heavily vegetated areas of freshwater lakes across Europe, much of Asia down to New Guinea, and most of Africa. Most birds move to more open or coastal waters in winter, but it is only migratory in those parts of its range where the waters freeze.

Behaviour
Little Grebe is an excellent swimmer and diver, and pursues its fish and aquatic invertebrate prey s underwater. It uses the vegetation skilfully as a hiding place.

Like all grebes, it nests on the water's edge, since its legs are set very far back and it cannot walk well. Usually four to seven eggs are laid, and the striped young are sometimes carried on the adult's back.

It does not normally interbreed with the larger grebes in the Old World, but a bird in Cornwall mated with a vagrant North American Pied-billed Grebe, producing hybrid young
rousettus, haraprasan, Argus, parthasarathi, jaycee, Royaldevon, uleko, siggi, CeltickRanger has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • siggi Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 289 W: 3 N: 788] (2822)
  • [2008-07-25 0:45]

Hello Pekka
A nice capture of these two Grebes. They have a beautiful colour pattern. Nice detail, composition and frame.
TFS Siggi

  • Great 
  • uleko Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2468 W: 168 N: 7464] (23588)
  • [2008-07-25 2:52]

Hej Pekka,
Lovely view of this mother and chick, all wet after diving! Very well timed and the light and colours are beautiful. Nice reflection in the water too. Well done!
TFS and cheers, Ulla

Hi Pekka

Exellent shot of adult grebe with its young one
Good sharpness
Excellent POV
Great composition
Good background

Chris

hello Pekka,

It is so nice to see these family bondings!
They look to be playing follow-my-leader with exactly the same surprised expressions on their faces!
Fine details of their plummage and their habitat. The refections are a real bonus!

Kind regards,
Bev :-)

  • Great 
  • jaycee Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1788 W: 8 N: 4639] (15001)
  • [2008-07-25 10:23]

Hi Pekka,

Beautiful shot of parent and child who look as though they have been very active. The wet feathers are just wonderful. Faces, eyes and beaks are superb. Excellent lighting and colors and fantastic reflections.

Jane

Hi Pekka, lovely family composition with fantastic reflections, very well done, have a good week end, ciao Silvio

Nice. I never got chance to capture their photographs so nicely.

  • Great 
  • Argus Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2613 W: 133 N: 7504] (23403)
  • [2008-07-25 22:42]

Hello Pekka,
A great capture of an adult Little Grebe with its young taken from a great POV with excellent sharpness and lighting to show their wet plumage very well. I find this species difficult to get close to: perhaps you were in a hide.
TFS this beauty,
Have a good weekend,
Ivan

Hi Pekka,
A lovely capture of these beautiful Grebes. Superb details and a lovely composition. Thanks a lot for sharing.

  • Great 
  • EOSF1 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1330 W: 107 N: 4816] (21378)
  • [2008-07-27 15:38]

Very sharp shot Pekka! A well composed image with a perfect exposure and interresting subjects. I really like the details in the water, thanks!

Mario

hello Pekka
what a nice capture for very lovely Little Grebes. Great focus and composition. POV and coloration superb as like eyes contact. TFS, best wishes
Ahmet

hello Pekka

WOW ! very beautiful image with the Grebe's plumage
colours and details, fine POV, DOF and framing,
i love their pose, beautiful reflection on water of the adult's head,
i love the pose of the little one, because of these 2 last things
your image it goes automatically on one of my favorite themes,

TFS

Asbed

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