![\"eared](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/eared-grebe-8049-ron-dudley.jpg\")
<\/p>\nOccasionally I like to post older images and these Eared Grebe photos go back almost to the beginning of my bird photography “career”.<\/p>\n
Eared Grebes are by far the most abundant grebe species on the planet and we have gazillions of them here in northern Utah. Immediately after the breeding season most of the entire North American population moves\u00a0to the Great Salt Lake (or to Mono Lake in California) to take advantage of the superabundant brine shrimp and brine flies in those locations but I’ve always had difficulty getting close to them.<\/p>\n
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1\/1600, f\/8, ISO 400, Canon 40D,<\/em> Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in<\/strong><\/p>\n But way back in April of 2008 (I was still learning how to use my relatively new 500mm lens) there was an insect hatch on the surface of Glover Pond (near Farmington Bay) and I was able to spend a couple of mornings with some of the grebes as they skittered across the water chasing “bugs”. Most of the floating insects were close to shore so that brought the birds in close to me. It was a great technique-learning experience for me because\u00a0the grebes were twisting and turning and changing directions as they sped across the water after insects – it was almost like trying to lock and keep focus on birds in flight.<\/p>\n Here one of the grebes is just about to snatch\u00a0an insect\u00a0(a mosquito I believe) off the surface of the water.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 1\/400, f\/9, ISO 500, Canon 40D,<\/em> Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in<\/strong><\/p>\n I think Eared Grebes are pretty spectacular in breeding plumage with their blacks, cinnamon-browns, bright golden ear tufts and scarlet eyes. This bird had been diving for prey and every time it came up it would give me a quick glance before diving again.<\/p>\n In the 8+ years since these images were taken I’ve never been this close to Eared Grebes again – this image is full frame (uncropped).<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n On one of those mornings the water was as smooth as glass and some of the birds were resting after their feeding session so I was able to get some nice shots that included a full reflection. I was shooting from shore with my tripod (rare for me, usually I shoot from my pickup) so I was able to get a low angle which nearly always makes an image more intimate and\u00a0appealing.<\/p>\n I often see hundreds of thousands (literally)\u00a0of Eared Grebes out on the\u00a0Great Salt Lake but most of them are so far away they just look like dots on the water\u00a0if I can see them at all. Some are close to shore but they move further out if I try to approach. So for me it was a unique experience to be allowed this close to these colorful little grebes.<\/p>\n Ron<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Eared Grebes are by far the most abundant grebe species on the planet and we have gazillions of them here in northern Utah. But they sure can be difficult to approach.<\/p>\n![\"eared](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/eared-grebe-9352-ron-dudley.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"eared](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/eared-grebe-9432b-ron-dudley.jpg\")
1\/800, f\/7.1, ISO 500, Canon 40D,<\/em> Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in<\/strong><\/p>\n