Dabchick, Dab Hand At Diving

After a quick visit to John Lewis I headed for for the hide at Tewinbury. When I arrived there was nothing doing at all. I did notice that works have been carried out which have revealed a nice osier perch and a sweet little corrugated iron shed. I enjoyed watching a pair of magpies collecting nesting material. 

As I was about to leave a swan and a Canada goose flew in. Even though I say it myself, I got good shots of them arriving. Then I noticed movement in the vegetation right in front of the hide. It was a little grebe, I know them as dabchicks. In my day they were Podiceps ruficollis but are now Tachybaptus ruficollis. These dumpy little birds have fluffy rear ends. Hard to believe that those feathers have just been underwater. Their legs are set far back on the body for better swimming and diving. They find it difficult to walk on land as a result. They carry their young on their backs and their call sounds like a whinnying horse. I think this is as close an image as I have ever got of this dear little bird. Note the yellow gape.