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Psilos Bird Photography |
Grebe Conflict Two pairs and a nest |
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It is mid February and the Great crested
grebes at the local lodge are gearing up for nesting. Pairs can be seen
doing their courtship displays and one pair are busy building up their
nest with sticks and weed. Mating has also taken place in the nest and
happy that everything is in order they go off to fish... |
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Meanwhile whilst they are away in comes
another pair of great crested grebes who also spend time building up
the nest and begin to mate and eventually they too slip away and go
fishing. This is now confusing. For the next hour I watch two pairs
slip in and out of the nest but to whom does the nest really belong?
Finally the two pairs come together and after plenty of growling and
aggressive displaying the inevitable fight begins over rightful ownership. |
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The use of their beaks was very viscious
and I am surprised that no birds were harmed. At one point I watched
one of the grebes held down by its neck under the water for so long
I feared that it might drown Mercifully, the other bird let it go
and it managed to get free. Whilst it was the two male birds that
fought the hardest and longest the females also put up a pretty
good battle. |
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The fight continues out into the middle
of the lake and out of sight around the edge of the inner island. After
about ten minutes one pair returned victorious. The other pair were
no where to be seen. For now the dispute over the nest had been settled
but I had a feeling that the other pair would be back.... |
