Thursday 23 June 2016

Day 22: the grebes have hatched!


Day 22 brought the most exciting moments of 30 Days Wild so far: we have baby grebes! I'd gone to check on progress as usual and met Charlie and his owner on the way - I only know the dog's names but never the owner! Have I heard the news? The grebes have hatched!!!


I didn't know that the little grebelings ride on their mum's back for a few weeks. So cute! As you can see, she's a proud mamma of three stripey beauties.



Dad is pretty proud too and very attentive.


We've watched in delight as he searches for fish to feed them. When he finds one, he calls to the mother and motors across the pond to the sound of the chicks cheeping.


Mamma looks for fish too but it's a bit precarious for her brood! A couple of times she reared up to stretch and ruffle her feathers and they all fell off! Cue a mad scramble to climb back aboard.


I was out at 6.30 this morning to look at them again before I had to go to work. Needless to say you're probably going to be seeing a lot more of this new family :)

4 comments:

  1. OH, OH, OH!!! How exciting! Those dear little striped creatures, I would be so thrilled to see this sight! They are all so beautiful! How fascinating that the little ones ride on the mother's back! I am GLEBE-smacked! (HA, ha, sounds like gobsmacked!_

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yay! What a gorgeous bunch. I guess they need to learn quickly to get used to the water, but being chucked off mum's back isn't kind!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Brilliant! They're so cute when they're small :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. They are/Were soooooo sweet!x

    ReplyDelete