01/10/2024 Crosby Marina Lake, Sefton, Merseyside

Black-necked Grebe: Present for over a week now, this BNG has been favouring the smaller boating lake that sits beside the massive marina lake. I arrived after work in late afternoon while the bird was busily feeding on the far side of the lake being watched by local photographer Vicky Outen, and after a catch up we decided to approach the bird on the otherside where it showed really well. 

These small grebes closely resembles the Slavonian grebe but in all plumages it has a small and characteristically up-turned bill, a steep forehead and peaked crown. This small grebe is unmistakeable when in summer plumage - it has golden tufts of feathers on its face, contrasting with its black head and neck. 

During winter they are predominately white with a poorly defined black cap, which distinguishes it from the crisper-looking Slavonian Grebe.

26/03/2024 Undisclosed Location

Black-necked Grebe: Locally they are listed to breeding at Woolston Eyes NR in Warrington. But with with an abundant wintering numbers after a successful couple of breeding seasons there might be new birds prospecting for new breeding territories, hence the undisclosed location. 

There has been records of adults with young at Moore Nature Reserve. Typically BNG colonies are associated with nesting black-headed gulls, which must give some measure of protection from aerial predators.

There are just 55 breeding pairs in Britain, with around 120  individuals here in the winter months. Whilst numbers here in Britain are limited, the black-necked grebe is the most abundant grebe in the world, with many of these residing in North America. 

BNG favoured habitat is shallow, eutrophic waters, usually with extensive vegetation along the fringes and often floating aquatic plants, and a site preferably sheltered from strong winds. This flash appears suitable albeit without any nesting gulls. 

 

29/07/2022 Pennington Flash, Leigh

Black Tern: Work has been mental recently with tons of breeding bird and barn owl surveys keeping me busy. Thankfully I no longer do any more bat surveys so Im more awake in the afternoons.

With my new found energy I've been able to nip out and catch up with some good local birds, often found by Colin Davies. 

Last week two black terns turned up with a dozen or so common tern, they were feeding off the boating club. Luckily a really nice fella who was working on the boats let me win to photograph them.

Black-necked Grebe: Today Colin found a nice juvenile black-naked grebe, by the time I arrived the birds was far out in the middle of the lake, viewed from the car park. 

The to resident Egyptian geese were also still present, feeding amongst the growing numbers of Canada geese feeding on the small patch of grass opposite the car park. 

Eventually the grebe came a little closer, this juvenile likely came from the nearby Woolston Eyes nature reserve, the premier place for black-ncekd grebes in the North West. 

14/04/2022 St Aidan's RSPB

Black-necked Grebe: I wouldn't usually post pictures of such a rare breeding bird  but these ones at St Aidan's RSPB nature reserve are world famous, accessible and  a very well known site for them, they are definitely Yorkshire's 'worts' kept secret. 

Recent reports suggest that there are upto 10 breeding pairs with less than 40 breeding pairs across the whole of the UK. 

With their bright crests of yellow flames bursting from their fire red eyes they are truly a special little bird. I counted 4 pairs during my short visit and also had my fisrt yellow wag of the year which was a nice bonus. 

Found towards the western reedbeds, most pairs were either elusive, keping to the reeds or out in the middle of the lakes and pools. 

But today, I got lucky and had a pair foraging in front of me for a brief period along a small canal which was easily viewable from the pathway.  

I really like St Aidan's, it's wonderful place and in spring is full songs and calls from booming bittern to squawking black-headed gulls and the song of willow warblers. 
 

17/03/2021 Undisclosed Site

Black-necked Grebe: Today I found myself working on a waste services plant carrying out a preliminary ecological appraisal, but it wasn't all that bad as I got the chance to see these beautiful birds on a local lake.  

Their favoured habitat is shallow, eutrophic waters, usually with extensive fringing vegetation and often floating aquatic plants, and a site preferably sheltered from strong winds.

If I had to pick a favorite grebe species I think I would choose black-necked grebes, they are not only charismatic, stunning birds but they in a way an embolism of the north west as they breed by at Woolston Eyes NR

Some of my earliest memories birding as a kid are birding the inland lakes of Moore NR and Runcorn searching for these grebes, hoping find one that's on its way to Woolston to breed. 

There were three birds on this particular lake, it had appeared that two had already paired up while the single bird was frantically calling. They won't be breeding here and will soon be off to their regular breeding site. 

12/03/2015 Silver Lane Pools

Black-necked Grebe: My first visit to these pools, I never really took the time to find out were they where.

I'm glad I did the place looks like it could be a place I would want to visit regularly. 

I had pair Snipe and three Grey Partridge along with the visiting BN Grebes.

Note to self, next time I go make sure to wear my wellies not walking boots!