Great crested grebe courtship display: sky-pointing Interlude with great crested grebe on a beautiful May morning. Calm and tranquil, no ruffled feathers until his mate emerged from the islet of reeds and they danced on the water. A choreographed bonding sequence designed to show off the long, sinuous neck of gleaming white, black cap and erectile crest of dark feathers, white face in a shock of tawny-black ruff and tippet. Breast to breast, riding high on the water in courtship, they shook out their head-plumes. 'He has a beard,' exclaimed Rosie. Like a judge in full court regalia.
I should have anticipated the next move but it took me by surprise because I'd never seen the sequence unfold before my eyes. And real time is different because what will happen is never entirely predictable. He dived and came up with a swag of weed in his beak and shook it in her face until her long neck recoiled, then she accepted it. ' Wedding weed,' I said to Rosie as I went to video ' 'Wedding weed!' she laughed. Then the pair swam behind the reeds and out of sight. ' Too much excitement for one morning,' said Rosie. There was courtship sky-pointing, beak raised high. A crest of dark feathers , an orange to black ruff about the face and black ear tippets. All shaken vigorously with tippet, ruff and hood flying out until the shot goes out of focus and a sky-pointing beak is lost in a spiky crest of feathers. Mantle feathers raised too. In strong sunlight their red eyes gleam. For years I've hoped to see the great crested grebe courtship display and when it happened it came out of the blue.
I'm puzzled to know whether this breeding pair already have a nest and young and are affirming their bond in this courtship ritual. We had seen the male bird, serene and seemingly alone but keeping close to the islet of reeds out in the water. I suspected he was close to his nest when his mate appeared and they danced. Now I 'd like to see their chicks riding high on a parent's back.
I'm puzzled to know whether this breeding pair already have a nest and young and are affirming their bond in this courtship ritual. We had seen the male bird, serene and seemingly alone but keeping close to the islet of reeds out in the water. I suspected he was close to his nest when his mate appeared and they danced. Now I 'd like to see their chicks riding high on a parent's back.
A glorious May morning. Willows thick with catkins cocooned in silken filaments which broke free and floated in the sunlight. Petals of May blossom caught in spiders' webs. Jill found a male orange tip butterfly on a flower of herb Robert. We glimpsed the marsh harrier in flight but for me all was eclipsed by the great crested grebe courtship display.
In this final sequence I hoped to show the tranquility of the scene, the great crested grebe close to the reeds where they may be nesting. Then the breeding plumage displayed during their courtship ritual. The central image shows a bird sky-pointing. The final one focuses on the erectile feathers of the black crest and the tawny-black of ruff and tippets.
When one of the pair emerged from behind the islet of reeds plumage was slicked down, no sign of ruff and tippets.
When one of the pair emerged from behind the islet of reeds plumage was slicked down, no sign of ruff and tippets.
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