This little guy is a very young (less than 7 days hatched) Great Crested Grebe. For the first two weeks after hatching the young are normally carried on an adults back leaving the other adult free to hunt for very small fish to feed them. They are periodically dumped in the water so that the adults can change over duties but very quickly climb up onto the replacement adults back. I have been doing a long term study (12 years) into breeding Grebes on the nature reserve where I act as a volunteer warden. One day whilst motoring around silently in a boat fitted with an electric outboard I disturbed a grebe who's young were in the water. Two climbed up on the adults back but a third was left behind. I very optimistically put my hand over the side and came up with this guy. I was able to handle my then camera of choice (an Olympus E10) one handed and obtained this photograph of what will be a once in a lifetime event, there can be few ornithologists in the world who have handled one of these. Two quick photographs and it was returned to the water near where the adult had taken shelter in the reed fringe. The youngster made 2 quick dives of a few seconds each calling when it surfaced, the adult answered and emerged from the reeds and took the youngster on board. Long term observation showed all 3 young fledged. Does your avatar have a story attached to it?, why not share it with the group. Barrie Amin Didn't see your comment about BBW bringing you up to date, never mind, perhaps there will be some interesting stories arising from this thread so I'll leave it up. B
Barrie, although BB told me it was a grebe and I felt dumb for not making the connection to your name, that is an amazing story and photograph. Thank you! I hope some others will chime in on this thread as well.
Barrie, Thanks...that's a very moving story and you expressed it in a very touching way.... Old Softie...Shooter
Me an old softie, what gives you that idea :smile: , I'll go with the old though, no problem with that Barrie
Barrie...sorry about that but I meant me as the old softie.... so it seems we're in the same boat......
Well my one is a reference to quite a rude phrase, and I used to smoke - I've used this, the gurner or a animated tiger gif for a very long time on the Internet now and find it hard to change There is also a hypnodemondog somewhere in my avatar folder
My avatar is self explanatory. I've been very involved in The Issue since I was in Nam in 1970. I'll never let it go..... shooter (Vice President and Chairman Of The Board...Friends Of The Forgotten)
Mine is simple. This was shot with my girlfriends Canon while I was taking a picture in Pensecola Beach, FL
Keckatar Awww... that little grebe is so cute! FWIW, my avatar was a snap taken on top of Hawaii's Mona Kea during a tour of the Keck Observatory. It was snowing when we arrived. It became a blizzard about the time we left the observatory. Fortunately, we had a Jeep. I believe we were the last to make it down, with the remaining visitors stranded until the next day. That's my life - vacation on Hawaii and get caught in a blizzard.
Wow, I never realised that they could get snow in Hawaii. I know the observatory is pretty high (15,000 feet?) but I would have been somewhat upset to be caught in a blizzard on a tropical island. I would have assumed that your photograph was taken in the southern Alps. Barrie
Mine's from the dunes where I spent a lot of time as a kid. Taken many years ago during a sentimental journey with a Leica Digilux 1.
Notice I was dressed warmly. Some years prior I visited the observatory on Mt. Haleakala while vacationing on Maui. I was dressed for the tropics and it may have been about the coldest I've ever been in my life.
