![\"\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/pied-billed-grebe-2336-ron-dudley.jpg\" "\\"pied-billed-grebe-2336-ron-dudley\\"")
<\/p>\nAnd a personal milestone.<\/p>\n
Blog followers are aware that for years my bad back has prevented me from walking to birding locations while carrying my photo gear, including tripod. And for some strange reason, just standing in front of my tripod for any amount of time has bothered my back, hips and legs more than walking while carrying that heavy and awkward load. So I just haven’t done it, which has prevented me from taking advantage of several locations that are especially ‘birdy’ during winter.<\/p>\n
But over two years after my third back surgery my symptoms have finally improved enough that two days ago I decided to attempt to walk to a pond that has been off limits to me for a very long time. When I got there, the only birds on the water of any interest (other than Mallards) were five Pied-billed Grebes and two of them were feeling feisty.<\/p>\n
I’m only including the first two photos below to show the kind of behavior that precipitated the action we see in photo #3.<\/p>\n
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Here we see typical aggressive behavior between two of the grebes. The bird at left is slowly but steadily pursuing the other grebe while both birds have their white throat patches distended. The grebe at right knows what’s coming. ‘He’s’ watching carefully, prepared to explode into evasive action when the other grebe begins chasing him, which is almost inevitable.<\/p>\n
When I saw this behavior I fired off a short burst. Less than 1\/10th of a second after this photo was taken…<\/p>\n
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![\"\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/pied-billed-grebe-2337-ron-dudley.jpg\" "\\"pied-billed-grebe-2337-ron-dudley\\"")
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this happened.<\/p>\n
It happens so fast the photographer usually has no time to react to it. You have to anticipate it and get lucky. This photo isn’t very sharp but it documents the explosive action of both birds.<\/p>\n
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![\"\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/pied-billed-grebe-2354-ron-dudley.jpg\" "\\"pied-billed-grebe-2354-ron-dudley\\"")
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1\/4000, f\/5.6, ISO 1000, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f\/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/p>\n This is the best shot I got of one of the grebes during a chase. It isn’t tack sharp but it isn’t bad.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n A nearly full frame (uncropped) version of the same photo includes the entire water splash. The water directly behind the tallest splash is calm, indicating that that spot on the water is where the grebe was when it exploded out of the water.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I didn’t get any great shots that morning, partly because there were few birds and partly because temps were in the mid-30’s with a bone-chilling breeze, so I didn’t stay long. But it was still a triumphant morning for me because the walk to and from the pond while carrying my gear, and standing in front of my tripod for about 40 minutes, didn’t bother my back or legs in the least. Typically I pay for an escapade like that for 2-3 days, but this time – nada.<\/p>\n I’m definitely encouraged.<\/p>\n Ron<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" And a personal milestone. (4 photos)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/pied-billed-grebe-2354-nearly-full-frame-ron-dudley.jpg\" "\\"pied-billed-grebe-2354-nearly-full-frame-ron-dudley\\"")
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