Western Grebe Fish Delivery
Temperatures are finally warming a bit here in northern Utah but the world is outside is still monotonously white. Yesterday morning I measured 22 1/2″ of snow on the north end of Antelope Island, indicating that our bleak and largely featureless landscape will remain the same for the foreseeable future. So this morning I needed a break and decided to post an image (taken this past June at Bear River MBR) that would remind me that spring is somewhere out there on the distant horizon. 1/3200, f/7.1, ISO 640, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc, natural light Western Grebes are devoted parents to their incessantly hungry and noisy chicks. The male and female take turns with their parental duties – one will back brood the youngsters while the other delivers fish and then they alternate responsibilities. Here the female (smaller than the male, with a shorter, thinner bill – thus sexual dimorphism) has caught a small fish and is delivering it to the male. Usually the parent receiving the fish will give it to the chick, as happened here. As I’m sure is obvious, I’m very much looking forward to watching and photographing springtime bird activities once again. It’s going to be a very long 2-3 months… Ron