{"id":34904,"date":"2015-10-27T05:55:02","date_gmt":"2015-10-27T11:55:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.featheredphotography.com\/blog\/?p=34904"},"modified":"2015-10-27T05:55:02","modified_gmt":"2015-10-27T11:55:02","slug":"another-look-at-a-gradual-sinking-grebe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/2015\/10\/27\/another-look-at-a-gradual-sinking-grebe\/","title":{"rendered":"Another Look At A “Gradual Sinking” Grebe"},"content":{"rendered":"

This post may seem a little redundant to regular viewers because just 5\u00a0days ago I covered this\u00a0same subject. But as luck would have it, yesterday at Farmington\u00a0I photographed another\u00a0Pied-billed Grebe as it used this interesting “diving” technique and these images have better light and detail and a different angle on the bird so I decided to run with it once again.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"pied-billed<\/p>\n

1\/3200, f\/6.3, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II,<\/em> Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in<\/strong><\/p>\n

By the time I was able to acquire focus on the bird it had already begun to sink. When they do this they’re usually spooked by something and at first I didn’t know what it was but…<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"pied-billed<\/p>\n

1\/3200, f\/6.3, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II,<\/em> Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in<\/strong><\/p>\n

it soon became apparent that it’s attention was focused on my pickup so I believe it was me that made it nervous.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"pied-billed<\/p>\n

1\/3200, f\/6.3, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II,<\/em> Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in<\/strong><\/p>\n

It held that vertical position for a moment as it watched me but soon…<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"pied-billed<\/p>\n

1\/2500, f\/6.3, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II,<\/em> Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in<\/strong><\/p>\n

it once again began to sink. From the water turbulence on the sides of the bird we can see that it’s now using its incredibly flexible legs and feet to propel itself straight down.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"pied-billed<\/p>\n

1\/2500, f\/6.3, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II,<\/em> Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in<\/strong><\/p>\n

In my experience they always turn their heads forward again just before their head goes under the surface (a minor observation but it’s something I’ve noticed).<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"pied-billed<\/p>\n

1\/2500, f\/6.3, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II,<\/em> Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in<\/strong><\/p>\n

Close observation of the water ripples around the head show that there is absolutely no forward momentum during this process. The bird is sinking straight down.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"pied-billed<\/p>\n

1\/2500, f\/6.3, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II,<\/em> Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in<\/strong><\/p>\n

As always the last body part to disappear is the tail…<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"pied-billed<\/p>\n

1\/2500, f\/6.3, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II,<\/em> Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in<\/strong><\/p>\n

leaving behind only turbulence at the surface.<\/p>\n

This diving technique is called “gradual sinking”, one of several used by Pied-billed Grebes. I’ve never seen Western or Clark’s Grebes use the technique and I’m unaware whether\u00a0or not other grebe species use it.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

On another unrelated note some of my recent posts have been partially about the relatively large size of fish that some of these grebes tackle.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"pied-billed<\/p>\n

1\/2500, f\/6.3, ISO 640, Canon 7D Mark II,<\/em> Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in<\/strong><\/p>\n

Shortly before this diving series was photographed I also found this grebe lugging around a huge fish (for the size of the bird). I was pretty excited about the opportunity to photograph the struggle as this small grebe tried to swallow such large prey but after about 3 seconds with the bird another\u00a0photographer drove by and spooked the bird so it dove with the fish and I never saw it again that I know of.<\/p>\n

Damned photographers! \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n

Ron<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

These are better images than those in my recent post on the same subject.<\/p>\n

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