This morning I’m sharing two nesting Western Grebe photos that were taken at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge in northern Utah.
Nesting Western Grebe in spring – Nikon D500, f10, 1/640, ISO 500, -0.7 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
I don’t know why I hadn’t shared these grebe on their nest photos. I’d tucked them into the folder where I keep images I want to share. This photo has waited ten years to be seen. I took it in June of 2015.
I didn’t find many nesting grebes at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, sometimes when I did they were too far from the auto tour loop to take high quality photos. It was always a thrill to find, point out, and photograph a grebe nest.
Nesting Western Grebe – Nikon D500, f9, 1/1250, ISO 500, -0.7 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
I found this nesting Western Grebe at the refuge in June of 2020 on the western side of the auto tour loop at the refuge. Everything was still so green that June.
Clark’s and Western Grebes both build large floating nests made of aquatic vegetation. They anchor them among reeds or rushes near the water’s edge in shallow, sheltered areas of lakes or marshes. The water under the nests is usually less than a foot deep.
Both parents help with nest building. The male usually brings in the big, sturdy plant material, and the female adds wet vegetation to bind everything together and shape the central spot where the eggs will rest.
The nests are often found in dense colonies, and they’re designed to rise and fall with changing water levels. That helps protect the eggs from flooding or being left high and dry.
After the female lays a clutch of two or three eggs, both adults take turns incubating them. That lasts for about 24 days.
The chicks hatch covered in down and waste no time. Within minutes, they climb onto their parents’ backs, where they’ll be carried and fed for the first few weeks of life.
Life is good.
Mia
Click here to see more of my Western Grebe photos plus facts and information about this species.
I love your pics where there are bird reflections in the water. These shots are wonderful. The Grebe’s red eyes always seem a bit other-worldly to me. Adds to the magic of the species. Thanks Mia..
Nice photos and find, they are not usually close by the refuge. There were a good number of grebes rushing this April and May, but my last trip June 6, I saw very few grebes and no back brooding chicks. Other than pelicans and ibis it was not very bird in general. I hope the grebes were nesting and just not out on the open water. I probably won’t be able to visit again until mid August to look for chicks on the backs of parents.
Beautiful work, Mia. I am going there in a couple of weeks. Perhaps I will see a few.