A Black-necked Grebe at Dernford Reservoir

24th September 2024

After a most successful morning with the Red-backed Shrike at Houghton Regis, time to pop over to Dernford Reservoir to see if the Black-necked Grebe is still around. On our arrival a Kestrel was putting on a great display just hanging in the wind over the bank of the reservoir, and for once the light and wind were both in the right direction.

The main objective was to find the lone Black-necked Grebe which is never easy when they continuously dive and spend a lot of time underwater. This was compounded by the fact there were also 50+ Little Grebes present which have similar habits. This one was feeding well on Sticklebacks.

We eventually tracked the grebe down and this is often the view you get when you find it just as it dives.

Initially it was out in the middle of the reserve but gradually drifted closer and with a little patience it was possible to get some shots. Mission completed.

But the bonus today was the dicovery of a cracking Whinchat that was commuting between the beet field and the red Dogwood bushes by the entrance to Dernford House. Whinchats used to be regular on migration but in my opinion have got scarcer, and this is the first I have seen this year.