Demure Looking Western Grebe

Last week, I photographed this demure looking Western Grebe on one of the water units from the auto tour loop at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge.

Demure looking Western Grebe at Bear River MBR – Nikon D500, f8, 1/1250, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light

This is a simple image of the striking black and white waterbird with cherry red eyes, and I like it for its simplicity.

The demure look, or perhaps even a coy look, of the grebe is just me anthropomorphizing.

Western Grebes and their close relatives, Clark’s Grebes, are primarily Western birds. So, during the spring of this year and early summer, I didn’t get to see them because I was in Virginia, Texas, Arkansas, and Oklahoma. I wasn’t in the parts of Oklahoma or Texas where they would typically be seen.

I was happy to see both Clark’s and Western Grebes on my last trip up to the refuge. I also spotted Pied-billed Grebes, including their babies, and kept an eye out for Horned and Eared Grebes, which pass through northern Utah on migration.

Most of the Clark’s and Western Grebes I saw last week were either too far away or in poor lighting for me to photograph, but I managed to find this one in lovely light. The grebe also gave me several different poses while I had it in my viewfinder. The golden reflection on the water from marsh vegetation was an added bonus.

Western and Clark’s Grebes will stick around for a bit longer than some of the migratory birds in northern Utah. I have photographed both of these grebe species as late as November, and I’ve even seen Western Grebes in December.

Before they migrate, I am looking forward to having these beautiful grebes in my viewfinder again.

Life is good.

Mia

Click here to see more of my Western Grebe photos plus facts and information about this species.