As hard and as often as I’ve tried over the years I’ve only been able to photograph grebes while they’re rushing, and do it well, two or three times.
1/2500, f/7.1, ISO 500, Canon 7D, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
One of them was on June 12, 2012 at Bear River MBR. And this time I was lucky enough to get quite a few nice photos as the mated pair ran across the water in their distinctive postures and highly choreographed dance.
Both birds are sharp enough, they’re well separated from each other and I even have a couple of clumps of pleasing emergent vegetation with the leading grebe well placed between them. And I really like the reflections in the water at the top of the frame.
But in the eight years since I took this photo I’ve never posted it. Ol’ Murph saw to that.
In one of the very few times I’ve been able to photograph rushing grebes well a black-hearted blackbird photobombed my image and essentially ruined it. In the first version of this photo I cloned the blackbird out.
The offender appears to be a juvenile or female Yellow-headed Blackbird – they’re common at the refuge in early summer. Whatever it was I didn’t notice it through my viewfinder so I didn’t know it had intruded into my photo until I looked at my images on the big screen at home.
I realize that Murphy sits on every bird photographer’s shoulder at times but I swear he has a special affinity for mine.
Ron
Notes and miscellanea:
- Murphy’s Law: “Anything that can go wrong will go wrong.”
- The Eurasian Collared Doves that attempted to nest in the tree outside my window never returned after their single egg fell out of their nest.
- Northern Utah is still rockin’ and rollin’. In the first 8 days after our initial 5.7 earthquake on March 18 we had 560 aftershocks, 32 of them exceeding magnitude 3, and they’re still ongoing as of April 17 (today). We had a 4.2 aftershock a few days ago and another 4.2 at 7:40 yesterday morning. The bigger ones really get your attention. I can often hear them coming and when they arrive my entire house shakes and creaks. I’ll say one thing about them – they’re highly effective boredom relievers during the Covid-19 shutdown.
My real name is Beth Ann Murphy’s Law Doerring! I think its amazing that you got the blackbird bomb in the picture. Bet you couldn’t do that if you tried. When I lived in Colorado Springs, I would drive up to there to bird and to mammal. I don’t know much of the history but the refuge is a great place to see and photograph birds! Thanks for your awesome photos!
Rushing grebes are a magnificent sight to see. The rumbles of the earth I could do without.
…”black-hearted blackbird”…
I like that line.
Not sure the blackbird really deserves it except from a certain quarter.
I’m sure the blackbird didn’t deserve it, Dave but it somehow seemed appropriate at the moment. If not appropriate, cathartic…
I can only imagine seeing a pair of grebes rushing like this. Your shot is quite something; seeing it in person must bring goosebumps.
And I think that when ol’ Mr. Murph leaves your shoulder he must come sit on mine.
Thank you, Marty. Sometimes I think he never leaves it… 🙂
I guarantee he’s paid a visit my way in the last 10 days. 😤🤬
Only a visit? You’re a lightweight. I just paid taxes and claimed him as a dependent.
Obviously you and Marty are both suffering from the same delusion…that there is only ONE Murphy…Folks, there is a MULTITUDE OF MURPHIES I’m sirry to say…one LIVES with me! Love the photoshopped shot!!!
This is a ballet I would LOVE to see. Even with the intruder.
I am sorry to hear that the world continues to wobble in your corner
I know that I am powerless, but sometimes Nature feels an obligation to remind me. Anyone would think that she had classified our species as slow learners and dullards.
Stay safe, and my usual huge thanks.
We ARE slow learners and dullards much of the time! 😀
True. Embarrassingly slow.
AMEN…and WOMEN…
It’s a ballet I haven’t seen very often, EC. Especially up close. Thank you.
“Slow learners and dullards” Yep, that’s us!
Eye catches in both. You nailed it. Gazillions of photos of rushing Grebes, but I haven’t seen any this good.
Cloning out photobombing birds was the reason the technology was invented. (Hey, it could be true.)
“Rushing” seems such an unimaginative term for this behavior. Water-dancing, water-walking, water-waltzing, water-tango. Replace water with Grebe in any of those. Rushing must have been thought up by someone in the midst of an earthquake, during a pandemic, on a visit to Ol’ Murph, while being irritated by an unwanted black bird of some sort. And in a hurry. Or rush.
Lyle, your last two words, in context, made me smile. The smile was appreciated after a frustrating morning in the field.
The photo is lovely even with the photo-bomber. I would love to capture a rushing photo of grebes, they are usually too far away for me with my lens. Maybe this year with the pond full I can try again.
I could do without the “highly effective boredom relievers”.
I hope you have a successful day today, the day looks nice despite the thin hazy cloud to the east this morning.
April, I got out this morning and it was lovely out there but there were very few birds where I was out west. Didn’t get much, if anything useable at all I’m afraid.
I can’t imagine how long one would have to wait to capture this image, blackbird be damned! Seriously, it’s all about being in the right place at the right time with the right equipment, the ability to use it and the luck/skill to bring all those elements together at the same time! That’s a whole lot harder than it looks. LOL!!
Once again from the comparative safety/sanity of my dotage, I’m amazed at the antics we (various species) perform to get the mating thing done. It’s often seriously crazy, but in this particular instance, crazy beautiful.
Murphy was an optimist!
Still thankful that the Earth remains stable under MY feet!
Laura, “right place at the right time” is a huge part of the equation. The other significant player is being able to recognize the behaviors that lead up to rushing so you can anticipate it. Not many things more frustrating than to see them rushing when you don’t have your lens on them.
Wonderful image, and I could not tell that you altered it.
Thanks, Stephanie.
My very first impression as I open this post was that their heads were upside down. We have very few Western Grebes here and I have never seen this rushing/dancing action. Next time I see one or two I will have to spend some time with them in hopes of seeing this. A question Ron, for you and your followers. I have always pronounce Grebe with a short sounding e like eb, but earlier this year I was out with a couple friends who pronounced the name as if two ee’s like Greebe. What is correct?
Everett, now that you mention it I see what you mean about their heads appearing to be upside down.
Grebe is pronounced with a long E sound.
Thanks Ron – appreciate the correction
Me ,too…I am convinced that they ARE upside down…tricky photoshop work by Ron…It’s NOT April 1st anymore, Ron!
Oh my! I have never witnessed this. I didn’t fully read your title so I wasn’t sure what the birds were at first…what a joy to watch! That photo is special…I really like everything about it…all the things you mentioned just add to it. thank you for posting this event for us. Those little water droplets really adds to it.
I’m glad you like it, Kathy. Thank you.
Yes, gorgeous! Having the birds come toward you, instead of viewing them from the side, makes their red eyes stand out, as well as revealing the lovely shape of their bodies. I’ve seen a number of dancing grebes, but never from this perfect angle.
I remember when the Rocky Mountain Arsenal was greasing the fault under itself by pushing extremely toxic chemicals into the ground. Denver rocked and rolled then. It did keep life from being boring. I’m not sure we had shocks as strong as you’ve had recently. Eventually our government had to admit the die-off of plants in the neighborhoods surrounding the Arsenal was because the chemicals were emerging and poisoning the surface. Since this poisoning was a major contributing factor to the decision to turn the Arsenal into an approximately 20 square mile national wildlife refuge after the cleanup, it was a mix of blessing and curse. I was lucky enough to get permission to photograph in the Arsenal back in the ’70s. It was on one of the lakes there that I first saw dancing western grebes.
Nancy, I’ve heard a lot about the Arsenal over the years, good and bad, but I’ve never been there.
Gorgeous photo! Always “something” trying to ruin it BUT! 🙂 POOF! Blackbird be gone! 🙂 Always amazing the choreography that nature can produce! 🙂 The “rockin’ and rollin’ certainly would get ones attention! Define “powerless” for one in a heart beat (or 2 or 3). 🙁
Powerless indeed, Judy. At the mercy of the whims of nature with virtually nothing you can do about it. It’s a humbling feeling.