Pied-Billed Grebe...

[Catmendo]

Small yes, but don't let size fool you. This would be good advice for other much larger birds who unknowingly wander into this little guys territory. They can be very aggrssive and will not hesitate in defending their turf. They've been known to launch an underwater diving assault. A another tactic it uses to ward off potential threats is to puff up its feathers (especially the head feathers) as much as possible. This gives the little guy a much larger appearence.

In this 2nd photo, the Pied-Bill is displaying the puffed up head feathers. I guess he was getting tired of my presence!

[Birdsong]

Cute little guy. It looks like you were in there puddling around with him. How did you get that angle without scaring him off?

[mmeyer]

That first shot is really great!

[Jim Uran]

Nice shots!!

[Catmendo]

Cute little guy. It looks like you were in there puddling around with him. How did you get that angle without scaring him off?

Thanks all for your comments!

As is the case in many circumstances, scaring off a potential subject can present problems. In this particular instance, I merely sat very quite and made no threatening motions towards this little one. At times it actually seemes to enjoy my presence, but if I'm honest I don't think that was actually the case.

Here's one more capture I grabbed on the same bird yesterday. The evening sun really helped to bring out a lot of detail, especially the reflection off the water!

[dockothebay]

Very nice images, that evening sun certainly adds a new dimension! But then, Stu, you seem to be a magician with lighting at any time of the day! Thanks for sharing -

[Catmendo]

Thanks Jackie, your kind comments are more than appreciated! Yes, lighting important under most circumstances...thanks again!

[ShawnZ]

Great image, super reflection, it's interesting to me how the exposure changes in the reflection in the back of the head and neck area of the grebe. Love how the reeds frame the bird, nicely done.

[finnbay]

Good series, Stu! I like the PO'd look he's giving you in that second one!