Red-necked Grebes Are Back

It has now been close to eight weeks since the Red-necked Grebes returned to their summer home on the edge of Lake Ontario.  One of their favourite locations is at Colonel Samuel Smith Park in Toronto, Ontario. The Grebes may have returned, but today, on the first day of June, it feels like late winter.

Unlike some of us humans, cold weather is not a put-off for Red-necked Grebes.  Fortunately, they have dense, waterproof plumage that insulates them against the cold even in a snowstorm.  Earlier this spring, we had the chance to see scores of the returning Grebes.

We, of course, also wear our dense, somewhat waterproof “plumage” and manage to keep fairly comfortable. Our biggest problem, as most photographers would know, is working to keep both our camera bodies and lenses dry.  This is not always an easy undertaking in situations when the temperature drops below freezing in Canada.

But Red-necked Grebes know how to deal with cold weather. These birds have been known to seek out warmer pools of water in ponds and even flooded fields in early spring.  In fact, we have seen many species of birds in flooded farm fields across Ontario, Canada in the spring.

Red-necked Grebes are very attractive birds.

Hopefully the chillier temperatures we are experiencing this spring soon relent, and the chicks of these beautiful waterbirds will be able to bask in some sunshine and soft breezes.

Frame To Frame – Bob and Jean