Grebes still with babies on their backs
I made a quick trip to Lake Henry yesterday and was rewarded by the sight of a number of Clark's and Western Grebes still with chicks on their backs and some juvenile grebes learning to be independent. These pics are of a Clark's Grebes that was still "back-brooding" (brooding their young on their backs) its chick.
The downside of the trip was the many ski-doos and motorboats that were on the shore near the 40 recreational vehicles that were already camped there and there would likely be a number more arriving later yesterday and today with their motorboats and ski-doos. While I was there, I watched 2 ski-doos driving very fast across the lake causing grebes to dive for their lives.
The really sad thing is that parent grebes will avoid diving with young chicks on their backs until a real emergency as their offspring can drown. It's really unfortunate that recreationists consider their recreational participation more important than survival of birds and other wildlife--tis is true of other motorized recreationists (like those with ATV's) and even non-motorized recreationists (eg, climbers who disturb nesting raptors).
This includes birders who consider their observation and photographing of birds more important than the birds' welfare, especially when it comes to pursuing rare species or those that are listed as Threatened or Endangered. Indeed it's not just selfish ski-dooers that are a threat to birds but birders who should know better. SeEtta
The downside of the trip was the many ski-doos and motorboats that were on the shore near the 40 recreational vehicles that were already camped there and there would likely be a number more arriving later yesterday and today with their motorboats and ski-doos. While I was there, I watched 2 ski-doos driving very fast across the lake causing grebes to dive for their lives.
The really sad thing is that parent grebes will avoid diving with young chicks on their backs until a real emergency as their offspring can drown. It's really unfortunate that recreationists consider their recreational participation more important than survival of birds and other wildlife--tis is true of other motorized recreationists (like those with ATV's) and even non-motorized recreationists (eg, climbers who disturb nesting raptors).
This includes birders who consider their observation and photographing of birds more important than the birds' welfare, especially when it comes to pursuing rare species or those that are listed as Threatened or Endangered. Indeed it's not just selfish ski-dooers that are a threat to birds but birders who should know better. SeEtta
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