Are ye dancin’?

This Spring is the first time I’ve seen the elaborate courtship dance of Great Crested Grebes. It’s quite a remarkable sight involving puffed up crests, bodies drawn up together out of the water, head shaking from side to side and beaks offering pondweed.

When not courting a Great Crested Grebe looks like this:

When trying to attract a mate however, it looks like it’s having a bad hair day!

This one looks rather regal with a ruff around its neck.

Here they come together and if you look closely you’ll see the one on the right is offering up some pondweed.

Then the heads get tossed from side to side.

During this display a rival appeared on the scene and was chased off.

After all that dancing and cavorting, time for a rest ….

It’s not just the grebes that are courting and displaying. Look carefully at other ducks on lochs and ponds and you might see them making exhibitions of themselves too. Two of the male Goldeneye ducks are extending their necks out forwards and then right back towards their tails, hoping to impress with their moves.

It’s all happening on the lochs and ponds, keep an eye out for these dance moves!