Jet Washer Grebe

Red-necked Grebe  -  04/05/2025

Update on the Red-necked Grebe that's been on tour around Lancashire / West Yorkshire areas, first seen in winter colours then eventually in almost summer plumage.

Noted on the inter web making an appearance on a reservoir in West Yorkshire at the end of 2024, I thought about a visit but ultimately didn't bother due to access, then, probably the same grebe relocating just over the boarder on another moorland reservoir about twenty miles west in Lancashire, which I eventually viewed several times.

The grebe finally departed locally a couple of weeks ago but today a RNG has been seen on the River Wharfe near Ilkely, which I would be very surprised if this wasn't the same grebe having moved back to West Yorkshire and only about thirty miles from the where I first noted at the end of 2024.

Below for interest is the timeline of the grebe's travels locally giving observers some great views over the last few months, safe journey to where ever.

Locations

Leeshaw Reservoir, Near Howarth, West Yorkshire...31/12/2024 - 26/02/2025
Clowbridge Reservoir, Near Burnley, Lancashire....01/03/2025 - 16/04/2025
River Wharfe, Near Ilkley, West Yorkshire....04/05/2025 - ?

The Jet Washers Ready !

Clowbridge Reservoir - 15.04.2025

Now some three weeks since the jet washer was taken into Balmer's the repairer, the good news it's now ready for collection….I wonder how that RN grebe is getting on ?...it's worth a look !

At Clowbridge I'm heading to where the grebe seems to favour fishing the shallow margins where I can also get quite low to the water, as long as it's not busy with walkers it's just a matter of picking your spot settling down and waiting for when the grebe starts fishing and comes closer.

Checking the usual location I easily pick out the grebe now in splendid summer plumage and a big change from three weeks earlier, it's quite close to the lake edge so I adopted the usual tactic of waiting until it dives and moving into position. The light isn't great with a load of white water but my grumblings soon abate when the grebe surfaces four meters in front of me.

Over the next hour or so with little disturbance from walkers the grebe is content to fish close in to the lake edge successfully taking about ten fish whilst I was there, one in particular being quite big as shown in the image below. As you would expect with the abundance of fish the grebe takes a rest and heads off to the middle of the lake tucking it's head down on it's back.

With a lull in the action and now quite busy with people enjoying the splendid countryside it's a good time to pack up, did I mention it was half term !!

Red-necked Grebe 

Off With The Jet Washer

Clowbridge Reservoir - 25.3.2025

As my jet washer ceased working it was off the the menders and surprisingly the approved repairer, Balmers is located right next to Clowbridge Reservoir. The weather looks ok, the RNG still present, so a trip to try and get some images was the only option for today.

Red-necked Grebes breed in Russia wintering in Western and Southern Europe with only a small number of up to 100 each winter making it to the UK, so when this individual arrived on a local reservoir it was quite unusual. Arriving a few weeks ago it was still in it's drab winter plumage, now twenty or so days later it's more like it’s summer plumage with red colour as it's name suggests on it's neck.

Parking up in the usual location I'm making my way to where I last saw the grebe a week ago, Curlews are back flying about, Meadow Pipits are all calling and a Buzzard circling overhead, Spring has arrived. At the far end of the reservoir near the boat club house the grebe is surprisingly close in to the shoreline but it’s soon disturbed by a dog walker moving back out into the middle of the reservoir, the last time it stayed bang in the middle of the reservoir not moving for the entire time of my visit, today being a weekday and little quieter I’m hopeful for something better.

Using the wall as cover and waiting until the grebe dives I move into a prime position, it surfaces right in front of me, it's aware of my presence but still happy to keep diving. As it works it's way along the shoreline surfacing no more than twenty meters away it dives and again I move to a new position, and that's how the action panned out for about fifty minuets until eventually decides it had enough heading back in to the middle of the reservoir tucking it's head under a wing.

With enough images on the card it's been quite a success, apart from the variable light my expectations have been exceeded considering it's quite a large reservoir, most images I've seen have been at distance so I'm please with my efforts getting so close, again shame about the light !

Red-necked Grebe