Dabchick

Or the Little Grebe, lovely small member of the grebes. The chicks are tiny black bundles and are simply charming.

Adult Spring Plumage.



Well grown youngster July.



Late September plumage.

Re: Dabchick

Good photos as ever Nom, but I've never seen one of these before, only the crested grebe. Are they rare?

Re: Dabchick

No Barry these are quite common but easily overlooked. Several thousand breeding pairs, and in Autumn and Winter the numbers swell as they migrate from the continent, ive even seen them on the sea.

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Lovely photos Nom, I'm off to Chew Valley Lake, I'll astound you with my duck photos later!
Love the expression on the last one's face! "Really?" it seems to be saying!

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BTW TessA Chew Valley Lake is mentioned as a good site for them. Enjoy your day.

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When I lived on the other side of town they were quite common, but never seen one on this side which is strange really because there is no real difference in habitat. Hitchin is positioned over quite a large aquifer and surrounded by springs feeding chalk streams. So much water is pumped out for domestic use unfortunately theses stream are a shadow of what they once were.

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Fab pictures Nom. Lovely colours

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Great photos Nom, I love their sweet little faces

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What a pretty little duck Nom.
I can't get too much idea of adult size from the pics, so how would they compare sizewise to say, a mallard?