Psilos Bird Journal
Sunday October 22nd 2006
     
"Feeeeeed me! "
 
Well this morning the weather has surprised me and instead of the heavy rain forecast there are lovely clear blue skies so I head for the lodge and those fearless grebes once again. Today it is very busy with noisy people, children and dogs but it certainly doesnt seem to put these birds off their food. Today I was determined to get some better or at least different shots of the birds feeding.
 
The juveniles are becoming much more skilled at catching fish and with the constant mobbing from gulls they are also getting better at swollowing fish faster. It means I really have to be on my toes.

The chicks when they return to the family group are still very good at begging. The juvenile below was very good at telling the adult bird he was hungry though the adult was equally good at ignoring him.
 

 
Feeding a chick is always a delicate affair and the parent watches attentively until the fish is completely swallowed.

 
As well as feeding shots I was also trying to get shots of them preening or stretching their wings. Shots of either sadly failed as they either did this in the middle of the lake which was too far away or as happened a couple of times the chicks would do wonderful wing stretches just as a friendly swan would go swimming by agghhh!! The only different pose I did manage today was when the whole family looked up as a partiularly noist plane flew over. To me this is a pose that gives the bird alot of character.
 
 
This morning I had been lucky but by early afternoon the rain clouds were steadily building. The grebes had retreated back to the centre of the lake and I knew it was time to leave. As far as family shots are concerned time is running out and this family will not be together for very much longer. Indeed every day I watch them the juveniles spend more time on their own. One thing that interests me is the age at which the young grebes fledge and leave the lake altogether. At Doffcocker it is difficult to study this as the lake is too big and the juveniles could be hidden anyway but at Moses gate there are no hiding places so I can watch the progress of all three juveniles much more easily.