Courting Grebes and Fighting Coots

This last week has seen an improvement in the weather with less extremes of wind and rain and a trend towards milder conditions.Nature has responded,and snowdrops and crocuses are in full bloom and the birdlife is also responding to the better weather.I like to observe great crested grebes in early spring as they begin their courting rituals and provide some nice photographic opportunities. So it was this week that I paid a couple of visits to a local nature reserve where great crested grebes are usually present.

A pair of grebes was present and they were preparing a nest site in a corner of the lake.I did manage a few shots of the grebes as they fished and then later as they mated on the platform of vegetation they had begun to construct.There were also a good number of coots present at the far end of the lake and there was much fighting and squabbling going on.The birds were too far away for decent shots but I have included a couple of record shots above.

I will of course return to photograph the grebes at frequent intervals as hopefully they will have a successful breeding season,that is if the weather settles down.Hope you enjoy my efforts above and I will soon return to document the progress of these delightful birds. Thanks for looking in and enjoy the weekend.