Little grebe / Zwergtaucher / Tachybaptus ruficollis

This bird has been evading me for quite a few weeks now, joined recently by a couple of muskrats. It was still a bit far away. In the summer, I can’t see it for all the leaves. Needless to say, it seems to spend more time underwater than above. (Winter plumage – Ruhekleid)

And here is another mysterious animal – the banana-carrying dog:

4 thoughts on “Little grebe / Zwergtaucher / Tachybaptus ruficollis

  1. Congrats. Those two (I only counted two so far) birds on the Pegnitz are my favourites – and whenever I think I can take a photo, I only hear a “blubb” – they just disappear for a rather long time. ;-)

    Andreas

    • Thanks, Andreas. You should be able to get a better photo with your SLR. This was too far away, although the 12X ultrazoom helps.
      I have only ever seen one, originally in summer, but a couple of weeks ago, later than usual, on a dismal day, I suddenly saw it on the town side of the river, near the theatre, right under my nose! I didn’t recognize the winter colouring at first. I really messed up what chances I had, and the ‘blubb’ was very quick to come. Since then I have seen it only by the opposite bank, which is more difficult to take photos from.
      I think the trick is to go out when the weather is bad so no-one else is out, before the leaves come. It surely must come to the other bank some time.

      • Either the little grebe are diving or at the opposite bank – they even seem to switch sides when I do. ;-) But going out early helps in my experience but I still need my longest lens – they are too small and too far away.

        • I went down at about 1:00 p.m. today in the bad weather and immediately, from the bridge, I spotted a little grebe in exactly the right place, but by the time I got close to it, it dived twice and vanished. Videos of them disappearing here:
          http://ibc.hbw.com/ibc/

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