ON THE WILD SIDE Ducking and diving
HERONS should be starting to construct their haphazard nests in colonies called “heronries” around the country. In some places you can see dozens of huge messy nests in trees.
THE little grebe is a common but shy resident of the UK.
With around 15,000 living here, they may not be very rare but they can sometimes be incredibly difficult to get a good look at.
You could easily mistake one for the young of another species, which is hinted at in their nickname “dabchick”.
At just 29cm from beak tip to bum, a little grebe is smaller than a standard school ruler, so it’s hardly surprising to find out that they are the smallest grebe
WHERE’S that duckling gone? Oh there it is…hang on, it’s gone again! That’s the sort of thing you hear at my local park pond where a curious little visitor has taken up residence. Much less tame than the usual ducks and swans, it hides in the thick reeds and seems to vanish without a trace. Let me introduce the, appropriately named, little grebe. in Europe. Their Latin name means “red-necked fast sinker”. The rednecked bit is fairly obvious as in the breeding season the bird has a rich chestnutty flare on its neck and cheeks.
But fast sinker? Well grebes, despite their size, are diving birds and good hunters. Their feet are at the back of their bodies, making them strong, torpedo-like swimmers.
Unfortunately, it also makes them ungainly on land, so they usually only leave the water to nest. They like still freshwater locations with plenty of vegetation to hide in. If a threat looms they are far more likely to dive to get away than fly as they have short stubby wings that aren’t much good at it.
I recently watched my local park grebe being harassed by a gull. It simply floated above him, waiting for him to surface after every dive.
Harmless in this case, but being so tiny means little grebes are a meal for everything – herons have even been seen swallowing them whole.