For a variety of reasons this might have been my most rewarding session ever with a family of Western Grebes and I actually had five of them to play with.
I photographed them in August of 2015 at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge. The bond between adults and chicks was adorable, the water colors and patterns were often pleasing, I was able to get reflections of the birds in the water that I liked and the grebes were close so I couldn’t ask for much more.
1/2500, f/8, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
This is the female with one of the three chicks on her back.
1/2500, f/8, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
But usually the larger male was carrying the heavier load. Adult Western Grebes can be challenging to sex but if you compare these first two photos you’ll notice the longer and thicker bill of the male.
1/2500, f/8, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
In this shot there’s a third youngster hoping to climb aboard but there wasn’t enough room at the inn. I like the bent-neck pose of the male as he investigates a floating stick.
1/500, f/18, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
I was both delighted and disappointed with this shot. It’s almost impossible to get eye contact from five birds in the same photo but it happened here and I even got a catch light in each one. I was also pretty excited about capturing the entire family in the same shot but was worried I wouldn’t have enough depth of field to get them all sharp. Going to f/18 solved that problem.
But my success in those areas was tempered by the busy reflections in the water and the fact that the bill of the female intersects the head of one of the chicks.
1/2000, f/8, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
Occasionally I can’t resist dinking around with my images just for the fun of it. This composition doesn’t work well but I still love the closeup look at the chick and its reflection (some readers may recognize this youngster, reflection and setting because this shot was taken only seconds after the one published by National Geographic last year).
Sometimes I’ll spend hours playing around with my photos like this just because I enjoy it. Apparently I’m easily entertained…
Ron
These photos made my heart very happy today. Thank you. Baby grebes with their parents is one of my very favorite things to see when I go birding. It never ceases to bring joy and wonder.
Glad to hear they made your day, Marya. Today could definitely use some improvement…
‘I can’t help feeling sorry for these poor parents’, to quote you. I completely agree. I wonder when these chicks learn to swim and ‘grow up’.
Ron, what a delightful series and thank you.
I always learn so much from you.
Congratulations on the National Geographic piece.
Thanks, Alice. They actually learn how to swim quite quickly (these guys have been swimming for quite a while) but the “growing up” part is another story altogether.
Oh boy! Back brooding Grebes! Woo hoo! 😀 The family portrait is fantastic — busy background, beak on the head, etc. included.
I’m glad you play around with the cropping/processing of your images. More cool stuff for me to look at! 🙂
I enjoy fooling around with my images like that, Marty. Usually it doesn’t yield anything unexpectedly wonderful but it’s been known to happen.
Wow! These are so beautiful. That close up of the chick is great!
Thank you, Joanne.
I love seeing family photos, or watching bird families. That’s one of the reasons I so enjoy Canada Geese – they have a great family life, from what I’ve seen. And I know from your photos that I would enjoy watching Grebe families.
I think you would too, Susan. Thanks.
Add me to the easily amused list. And indeed, if anyone isn’t amused, amazed, and delighted by this series they are seriously deficient in my eyes.
I’m glad you like it, EC. Thanks.
Wonderful photos of an adorable family. I missed seeing the families this year. BRMBR drained the pond for good viewing of grebes this last year. Poor timing in my view.
I agree about their poor timing, April. It was poor planning too. They changed their minds about the project they intended to work on (the reason for draining it) and didn’t do it at all. Lots of nesting habitat for grebes and other birds that needlessly wasn’t put to good use.
These images just ROCK! One of the things that just delights my soul is watching birds parent! Most of them are SO good at it, to the point that humans could learn a LOT from them!
As for the image of the whole family, I just LOVE it!! I particularly love all the reflections in the water, so THERE! I’m easily amused, too, you know!!
“I’m easily amused, too”
We’re two of a kind, Laura. Thanks.
Just exceptional images. We have the Western Grebes here on coastal Monterey Bay, but I’ve never spotted the chicks. Fantastic!
Dan, If they’re anywhere nearby they’re easy to locate because they make so much noise when they’re begging for food (which is most of the time…)
I love those grebe on grabe shots! The young birds look so cute,perky and safe riding on their parents’ backs…safe especially from threats lije snappers, which feed so heavily on ducklings…..
Thankfully we don’t have snapping turtles around here, Patty (though to be perfectly honest I sometimes wish we did…).
Love love these images .. I have kind of fallen away .. but when I open your site it motivates me to get out there and shoot!!!
Soooo…, get out there and shoot, Marina!
Ron, you deserve to “toot your own horn” about the National Geographic publication. I was not aware and thanks for sharing. That one “stands alone” but all shown today are great!
Frank
Thanks very much Frank.
Cool! Lovely photo’s and the whole family, even if busy is great. I always have to do a double take on the young with the red dot on their heads that looks like they got pecked! 🙂
I remember once thinking that red patch might be an injury too, Judy. Live and learn…
These look great, Ron! I especially like the third one. A late congrats on the National Geographics book. Very fitting that it is used for education because I always enjoy your natural observations, which are educational to me. I didn’t know about the patch of bare skin on the grebe baby’s head. I have a degree in wildlife biology, but I’m still learning all the time. Great stuff!
I’m also still getting to know the new 500mm f/4L and haven’t even tried it yet with the 1.4x. Too many cloudy days and very short evenings after work. I just haven’t had much opportunity to shoot it in light that would allow a smaller aperture. Hopefully that will change soon.
It tickled me that NG used that image to educate kids about nature, David.
That f/4 lens is pretty darned good (fast) in low light, especially without the tc. I’d suggest working with it, even in very low light conditions. I’m often surprised by the quality I get…
Now THAT’S the kind of “family values” I love to see……….thanks for the skill and dedication to illustrate them so beautifully !
“Now THAT’S the kind of “family values” I love to see”
That brought a smile, Kris. If only it were emulated in certain segments of our society…
Love, love, love this series! Such an intimate glimpse of the family- I almost forget how vocal the chicks can be when they’re hungry!
Vocal is right! These guys are incredibly noisy, it goes on for months on end and they’re extremely demanding for food. I’d even say they’re obnoxious at times. I love them but every time I’m around them I can’t help feeling sorry for those poor parents.
Beautiful
Thanks Shirley.
Love this series!
🙂
Adorable and fantastic!
Thank you Robert.
Marvelous!
Charlotte
Thanks Charlotte.