Coots and Little Grebe

Coots and Little Grebe
Coots and Little Grebe

I set out with an aim today, I have noticed recently that the Coot are getting aggressive to one another and I wanted to try and capture the fighting, it is quite a spectacle to see two placid looking birds suddenly go at it hammer and tongs, feathers flying as the try to kick each other out of the lake with their enormous green feet. But as they say “The best laid plans of mice and men often go stray” today the coot were back to their placid state even though the sun was shining and it felt more like spring than winter. 

Coots and Little Grebe

So without fighting coot to focus on I decided to see what I could photograph coot doing, and I’ll be honest I got some lovely shots today, the first (above) is just a really nice coot showing it’s details really well, but they images became more artistic as I went on – as an aside my photography of birds has progressed from trying to capture a true image of a bird to far more artistic, in fact often the bird isn’t the highlight of the image. Anyway I will just show you now the coot pics I got, and continue with my day after:

Symmetry
Symmetry

 

Reflections
Reflections

 

Eyes right
Eyes right

 

Sunlit coot
Sunlit

Plans

Anyway, I’ve talked about my plans and how they didn’t pan out but the real aim I guess was just to get out in the sunshine and see what was about, I wasn’t planning a long one (to be quite honest I’m knackered, on my night shifts I’ve been cleaning my mums house in preparation for sale), first bird when leaving the house was a Lesser Black-Backed gull (actually 7) seems they are increasing as I saw a few more later on as well.

I headed to the duck feeding platform (which is where I started photographing the Coots) and as well as the a fore mentioned Eurasian Coot, there were the regular Mallard, Canada Goose, Black Headed Gull, and Moorhen as well as three swimming Cormorant. It was alos here that I found a rather confiding Dunnock.

Dunnock

 

Confiding Dunnock.

Little Grebes

From here I continued round without seeing much until I reached the small link lake between the two main lakes, this is often a nice spot to stop and I was rewarded by Kingfisher and 3 Little Grebes that dived in amongst the over hanging bushes, tantalizing me with their presence without really coming out into the open (see photos below).

Hiding Little Grebe (in near summer plumage)
Hiding Little Grebe (in near summer plumage
More winter plumage Little Grebe
More winter plumage Little Grebe
hiding in the bushes - little grebe
hiding in the bushes

Great Crested Grebe

After a frustrating half an hour they moved off (still hidden) and dispersed to the main lake (I did see them later but the usual distance away rather than nice and close like above), I continued around still not seeing much when a flock of Herring Gulls alerted me to their presence by calling loudly above me (it always reminds me of the sea that call!), a quick stop by the fishermans island didn’t reveal the water rail I was hoping for but allowed me some nice photos of displaying Great Crested Grebes.

The Dance Begins - Great crested grebe dance
The Dance Begins

 

beak snapping - Great crested grebe dance
beak snapping
A quick check of the fields for still no Pheasant and I headed into the hills and hollows area for an explore, there wasn’t much apart from Great Tit, Blue Tit, Long-tailed tit, a lone Bullfinch, some chaffinches, a nice perched female Sparrowhawk and some loudly calling Jay but it was nice to visit (well until I slipped down a hill and got a bit muddy).
A quick check back at the lake and I headed home.
Regal sunlit mute swan
Regal sunlit mute swan

Today’s full list of species:

 

Great
Crested grebe
Little
Grebe
Cormorant
Mute
Swan
Canada
Goose
Mallard
Sparrowhawk
Coot
Moorhen
Black
Headed Gull
Herring
Gull
Lesser
Black-Backed Gull
Wood
Pigeon
Collard
Dove
Stock
Dove
Kingfisher
Green
Woodpecker
Great
Spotted Woodpecker
Pied
Wagtail
Dunnock
European
Robin
Redwing
Song
Thrush
Blackbird
Great
Tit
Blue Tit
Long-tailed
tit
Magpie
Jay
Jackdaw
Carrion
Crow
Starling
House
Sparrow
Chaffinch
Goldfinch
Greenfinch
Bullfinch
Reed
Bunting

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2 Comments

  • Bo Beolens

    Brilliant coot pictures… especially the top one. Dunnocks are so underrated but your picture shows the subtle colours and patterns.

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