Spring is in the air, and the great crested grebes know it. Our editor-in-chief, Mark, watched a couple of birds re-enacting ‘Splashy Come Dancing’ at the weekend.
I’ve yet to spot any, but this is a great time to keep an eye out for the bizarre courtship ritual of grebes on our ponds, lakes and reservoirs.
The springtime courtship displays of the great crested grebe are a must-see for March and April (Ben Andrew)
On chilly mornings or dusky evenings, listen out for the braying call of the male, answered by a female - it’s an invitation to dance, so grab yourself a ringside seat.
The male and female advance towards each other (sometimes underwater), then draw up face to face. One grebe will rear up and neck arched down: “would you care to dance?” and the other will show its willingness by opening her arms and frilling the cheeks. And so begins an elegant water ballet.
They’ll start by shaking their heads and preening their own backs, then things progress past first base: they’ll both dive down to the lake-bed then burst from the surface with a bill full of trailing weeds.
A lovers' gift of water weed or vegetation is all part of the display (Ben Andrew)
With these love tokens they embrace, breast-to-breast, rearing up out of the water and paddling wildly as they entwine their necks together. It’s a sight to behold.
See it yourself
Here are some good RSPB reserves to visit to look for dancers; aim for early morning or dusk, when things get particularly frisky out on the water.
RSPB Carsington Water near Matlock, Derbyshire. take a ringside seat around this reservoir to enjoy the grebes’ spring spectacle.
RSPB Fen Drayton Lakes between Cambridge and Huntingdon. This former gravel quarry is a good place to spot a weed dance.
RSPB Hodbarrow near Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria. This coastal lagoon is a courting-grebes magnet, and they nest on the island here.
RSPB Lochwinnoch, Paisley, Scotland. A verdant wetland nestling amid low hills; look for for the courtship ritual on open water.
RSPB Rockland Marshes, near Norwich, Norfolk. A wheelchair-friendly path runs along the shores of Rockland Broad, where you can watch the action.
RSPB Ouse Fen, Cambridgeshire Fens. An former gravel pit, still being redeveloped into a nature reserve, is already attracting these courting couples.
RSPB Portmore Lough, Co Antrim, Northern Ireland. This lowland lagoon, surrounded by arable land, is pretty much circular, so dancing grebes should be easy to spot!
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SHARE YOUR GREBES:
Have you witnessed this spectacle yet this spring? Tell us when and where, or send us your photos or video links!