Little grebe

I've seen a little grebe on Blackford Pond most weeks this summer, and once saw two, but no signs of nesting. Anyway, this was about the closest I'd seen it, so decided it was time for a blip.

No sign of any tufted ducks this time, including the mother with four ducklings. We wondered if they could have moved on somewhere else, but we doubted whether the young could fly. It's a hard life on Blackford Pond. We saw only one coot today, whereas there have been four throughout the winter as well as spring. Not many mallards this week either, although there were two moorhens. The bird life seem to fluctuate quite a bit - I wonder where they go when they aren't on Blackford Pond.

I've included the swan family as an extra photo as I haven't blipped them for a while. The cygnets aren't yet looking like swans - they are bowing  their heads, whereas their parents are holding theirs up, and looking regal.