![\"\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/clarks-grebe-0516-ron-dudley.jpg\" "\\"clarks-grebe-0516-ron-dudley\\"")
<\/p>\nMy imagination running wild?<\/p>\n
Yesterday morning Bear River MBR was almost swarming with Western and Clark’s Grebe chicks hitching a ride on the backs of their parents (back brooding). I took many photos documenting the endearing behavior and you’re likely to see more of them soon.<\/p>\n
But one of those photos grabbed me for reasons that border on the fanciful.<\/p>\n
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1\/5000, f\/6.3, ISO 500, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f\/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/p>\n These two chicks were riding on the back of their mother and eagerly anticipating being fed by their male parent who was approaching with a tiny fish from our right. The excitement of the chick on the right over the prospects of being fed was almost palpable.<\/p>\n But the first thing I noticed when I first looked at this photo was the adult’s dark feathers on her side that strongly resemble a pinwheel rotating clockwise. To me it almost looks like her feathery pinwheel is plucking new chicks out of her plumage and throwing them forward by its rotation. It’s a highly fanciful impression but once I saw it a couldn’t unsee it. I still can’t.<\/p>\n And that amuses me.<\/p>\n Ron<\/p>\n <\/p>\n PS – In case you’re wondering how the food exchange went.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n It went well for all involved except the photographer because just before the male arrived with the tiny fish, the female turned her back on me.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" My imagination running wild? (2 photos)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/clarks-grebe-0520-ron-dudley.jpg\" "\\"clarks-grebe-0520-ron-dudley\\"")
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