A Red-necked Grebe at Freiston Shore

13th October 2024

We were in the area and saw a report of a Red-necked Grebe at Freiston Shore so called in for a look round. When you look out of a hide on the Lincolnshire coast you don't expect to see two Black Swans, more likely popped in from a local wildfowl collection than Australia.

Although hundreds of Brent Geese are back for the winter there was only one on the scrape with the Wigeon.

Also plenty of male Shovelers which are now coming out of their eclipse plumage, hence the rather blotchy white breast.

The Wigeon are also looking resplendent in their fine new plumage.

Pintails tend to enter their eclipse plumage later in the year and therefore still have a long way to go before looking smart again. These are two separate males which probably won't attain their full plumage until December.

But now on to the star of the show, the juvenile Red-necked Grebe When we arrived we had been told it was near the far island with some Wigeon. However, by the time we had walked round there it was feeding quite close in, which with the diffuse sun allowed some decent shots.

What beautiful markings.

The mere must have a large Three-spined Stickleback population because it was catching one on every dive.

Well it makes a nice change for the target species to come closer when we arrive rather than going further away or disappearing altogether!!!!