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Aire Valley - Fairburn Ings and St Aidan's
Fairburn Ings
January 19th 2016 earliest grebe dance?
Fairburn Ings
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great crested grebe dance courtship kingfisher
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January 19th 2016 earliest grebe dance?
redwolf
20/01/2016 00:56
It was one of those days when you see more people than birds at Fairburn. At Charlie's many of the birds still haven't returned after being displaced by the huge floods today there was a grey heron and single make goosandar on the island in front of the hide but suddenly there was a shrill "peep peep" and a blur of metallic blue as the kingfisher flitted his way right across the front of the hide. They remind me of bumble bees the way they fly with such rapid wing beats. The real treat though occurred after 20 minutes or so of nothing happening of note. The resident pair of great crested grebes are changing into their breeding plumage and even though its January 19th these two thrilled me with the famous courtship display -heads turning and bobbing in sequence then they dived only for the male to reappear with weed in his bill and the bobbing and turning began all over again till the weed had been shaken away.Would they do the famous dance over the water surface?? Well sadly no -not today anyhow but then there is still plenty of time for me to drop lucky on that one, Fingers crossed!