World Birds, Watery Wednesday & Nature Notes - Little Grebe

The Little or Australasian Grebes, Tachybaptus novaehollandiae,

returned this year to nest in our farm dam again. They remembered

after two years when there was not enough water or the dam was

a cracked and barren dry dust bowl. This year they luckily nested

before the dam had filled to the top and overflowed thus having

still the cover of the dry reeds as a hide. Luckily the water level

rose after they were hatched and the parents carried their two

chicks on their back for quite some time to keep them dry and warm.

Although it was a very rainy winter and spring and the nest was

swamped, both chicks survived. Like Princess Mary's, they were

a mixed pair, a cheeky little boy above, and a shy little girl below.

Sorry, she stayed way out in the middle of the dam and I had

no tripod, while he came towards me quite inshore to check me

out.

Here is the family photo of both of them. Apparently young

Charley was too close to me and dad came rushing over to

shoo him to deeper water.

A month ago the stepping stones were a good foot under water

and although the weather has not been very hot or windy, the

evaporation rate has been high.

Here they are again yesterday, high and dry.

NB Although the water level is well above the height of the old

reedbed, the nest the grebes built, has become a raft to which the

young grebes retreat to preen and sleep safe from marauding

foxes and cats.

All photos conveniently enlarge for the interested.

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