Wings of the Week – Red-necked Grebe

Another lifer for me this week along with the Firecrest, a Red-necked Grebe (Podiceps grisegena) at RSPB Fen Drayton. This one was quite close to the bank of the Ferry Lagoon and showing well in the anything but bleak mid-winter Sun.

A birder, who was digiscoping, told me that this species is only ever a winter visitor to the UK and usually stays coastal. As European winters become less freezingly fierce because of global warming, bird species such as this are not heading to our shores for the winter warmth as often as they once did.

You’ll notice the bird in my photo is definitely a grebe, but does not have a red neck. The adults revert to drab, grey plumage outside the breeding season. However, given the extent of yellow on this one’s bill, it’s probably a juvenile rather than an adult bird.