For Amin, does you Avatar have a story behind it

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

 

Me an old softie, what gives you that idea :smile: , I'll go with the old though, no problem with that

Barrie

 

Oh well perhaps we're both old softie's together then, no problem.

Barrie

 

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