THE GREAT GREBE WEED DANCE

February is never dull if you’re a great crested grebe. It is the month when the bird’s thoughts turn to courtship and, through an intricate dance on the water’s surface, a pair of grebes forges a powerful bond that will enable them to successfully rear a brood of youngsters. The two birds weave and bob, dancing and diving together and bringing a balletic brilliance to the dreariest of winter reservoirs. The performance culminates with the grebes holding waterweed in their bills and paddling furiously in an upright position parallel to one another, in almost perfect unison. It’s a 10 from Len.