Local Patch - March 2011. Pictures of mating great crested grebes

20 March 2011 Things have had that grey look through this winter with very little sunshine and lack of information to put onto the Blog about the Patch. But spring is almost here. Chiff chaffs arrived yesterday and lapwings, redshank and snipe are on the pond. I have only recorded snipe once before when one flew over a few years ago. Kingfishers are back on both the canal and the river. There is also a pair of kestrels. The linnets which were new visitors to the area just last year have stayed and there is now a flock of about 15 birds, this is good news! The pictures of the great crested grebes mating were taken a couple of weeks ago, early one morning in a light drizzle. There was no “dance” or weed collecting. The female just climbed onto this small bank of mud and created herself into an inverted U shape before stretching her neck out and laying her neck on the water. The male’s crest almost took off! He then climbed on top of her and then slid off over her head after they mated. More pictures of this ritual can be found on my Flickr. There seems to be good numbers of greenfinches as well and their nasal sounds can be heard right around the walk.