Great Crested Grebe by Welshpixels

Great Crested Grebe by Welshpixels
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Great Crested Grebe

A bird I've long wanted to see. I was delighted to get this picture of it and even more surprised to see that I'd caught two. A delightfully elegant waterbird with ornate head plumes which led to its being hunted for its feathers, almost leading to its extermination from the UK. They dive to feed and also to escape, preferring this to flying. On land they are clumsy because their feet are placed so far back on their bodies. They have an elaborate courtship display in which they rise out of the water and shake their heads. Very young grebes often ride on their parents' backs.

Gould - Great Crested Grebe - Podiceps cristatus by LisasLair

Gould - Great Crested Grebe - Podiceps cristatus by LisasLair
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Gould - Great Crested Grebe - Podiceps cristatus

 

Great Tit by Welshpixels

Great Tit by Welshpixels
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The largest UK tit - green and yellow with a striking glossy black head with white cheeks and a distinctive two-syllable song. It is a woodland bird which has readily adapted to man-made habitats to become a familiar garden visitor. It can be quite aggressive at a birdtable, fighting off smaller tits. In winter it joins with blue tits and others to form roaming flocks which scour gardens and countryside for food. 

Owl with Prey by RedneckHillbillies

Owl with Prey by RedneckHillbillies
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This Horned Owl was injured along a roadside and nursed back to health at a large bird rescue. Unable to be reintroduced into the wild, it is now captive and used for educational presentations by the local Zoo. Here it feeds on a young baby chick for lunch!