The Grebes of Lake Hodges

● Two Species: Western & Clark's ● Cross-breeding

● Mating rituals ● Fighting

● Nesting ● Second Brood

● Ferrying and feeding young

Presentation and Photography by Robert Harrington

A word about the photography

All photos taken with a Nikon D300 digital SLR

Lens: 200-400mm AF-S Nikkor f/4 IF-ED VR with 1.4x teleconverter*

All photos were taken handheld with aid of Bushhawk shoulder mount*

Many photos taken from the footbridge

Others taken from Bernardo Bay and Piedras Pintadas Trails

*Scenery photo taken with Nikkor 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5 AF-S Lens at 18mm

Clark's Grebe – Note white envelops eye

Male and female look alike (but they can tell)

Western Grebe – Note black around eye

Western (l) and Clark's (r) Grebes

Mating Rituals

Clark's Grebes (and Western, I assume) mate for life

They renew their bonds by food exchange and

two types of rituals:

The Rushing Ceremony, and

The Weed Ceremony

Food exchange

The Rushing Ceremony

Rushing Ceremony - finish

Rushing Ceremony – miscue

In flight - almost

The Weed Ceremony where they pick up and hold weeds (Clark's) – Jan 12, 2010

The Weed Ceremony – Western GrebesMarch 2, 2011

Nesting – Nests are built on small islands

Ferrying and Feeding Young

Young ride on the backs of both parents

As many as four at a time

Parents catch fish to feed young

Sometimes fish are too large for young to swallow

Young grow to full size in a few weeks

They continue to beg even when full grown

Ferrying young

Ferrying young

Getting dumped

Both parents ferry young

Babies on back

Feeding

Feeding

Feeding young

Feeding young – hm, too big?

Feeding young – Clark's

Feeding young – even almost full grown

Feeding young and not-so-young

Cross breeding, Clark's and Western Grebes

Cross breeding, Clark's and Western Grebes

Clark's vs. Western Grebe Fight

7 slides

Grebe Fight – Clark's chasing

Grebe Fight - Face-off

Grebe Fight – Clark's lunges...

Grebe Fight – and misses

Grebe Fight – Chase resumes

Grebe Fight – Western turns

Grebe Fight – table turned

Second brood of 2011 – May 14, 2011

The End