Great Crested Grebes Part II

Later in the month, shortly after the willow had come into leaf there was one afternoon when there was a frenzy of activity, where one pair of Grebes were repeatly being particularly aggressive to the other Grebes on the lake. The pair left their territory with extended necks heading and intercepting the other Grebes, be it a single Grebe or a pair. This is depicted in my composite pastil painting below.

On each occasion one could not either predict whether the assault on the other Grebe was going to result in a full blown vicious fight with on occasion both birds dissappearing under the water. Or the alternative on occasion was the courtship ritual, leaving the observer wondering if the loyalties of the birds had changed and who had actually become the looser.

Certainly for the observer on the bank it was as dramatic as any movie at the flicks!


By the following day the waters were a whole lot calmer both with improved weather conditions and without the assaults of the Grebes, read the next epic instalment coming soon, stay tuned!