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Western Grebe Photos

Photography by Terry Sohl

My Favorite: Such a fun species to watch in late April and early May, when Western Grebes arrive and start pairing off. Lake Whitewood is a location that always has many dozens of breeding pairs. On the day of this photo (July 12th, 2020), there were probably 200+ grebes visible on the big lake, many close the highway that runs along the south edge of the lake.  I thought it was probably too late to get photos of the young grebes still riding their parent's back, and indeed, most chicks were larger and moving around on their own. But there were a few grebe families that must have nested a little later.  Here we have a "backseat driver" giving mom advice on how to swim.

Note that the vast majority of photos below are from Lake Whitewood. I don't quite understand the specific habitat requirements of Western Grebes. I bird around Lake Thompson a lot, the biggest natural water body in the state, and one that's full of fish. And yet...I don't see very many (if any) Western Grebes on Lake Thompson. Lake Whitewood is just a few miles away, is smaller (although still a very large water body), and it always has tons of breeding birds. 

Western Grebe - Aechmophorus occidentalis

Western Grebe 1 - Aechmophorus occidentalis  Western Grebe 2 - Aechmophorus occidentalis  Western Grebe 3 - Aechmophorus occidentalis Western Grebe 4 - Aechmophorus occidentalis

Western Grebe 1

July 12th, 2020

Lake Whitewood, South Dakota

Western Grebe 2

July 12th, 2020

Lake Whitewood, South Dakota

Western Grebe 3

May 14th, 2010

Lake Whitewood, South Dakota

Western Grebe 4

April 19th, 2007

Point Reyes National Seashore, California

Western Grebe 5 - Aechmophorus occidentalis

Western Grebe 6 - Aechmophorus occidentalis 

Western Grebe 7 - Aechmophorus occidentalis 

Western Grebe 8 - Aechmophorus occidentalis 

Western Grebe 5

April 19th, 2007

Point Reyes National Seashore, California

Western Grebe 6

July 12th, 2020

Lake Whitewood, South Dakota

Western Grebe 7

July 12th, 2020

Lake Whitewood, South Dakota

Western Grebe 8

July 12th, 2020

Lake Whitewood, South Dakota

Western Grebe 9 - Aechmophorus occidentalis 

Western Grebe 10 - Aechmophorus occidentalis 

Western Grebe 11 - Aechmophorus occidentalis 

Western Grebe 12 - Aechmophorus occidentalis

Western Grebe 9

July 12th, 2020

Lake Whitewood, South Dakota

Western Grebe 10

July 12th, 2020

Lake Whitewood, South Dakota

Western Grebe 11

July 12th, 2020

Lake Whitewood, South Dakota

Western Grebe 12

May 14th, 2010

Lake Whitewood, South Dakota

Western Grebe 13 - Aechmophorus occidentalis 

Western Grebe 14 - Aechmophorus occidentalis 

Western Grebe 15 - Aechmophorus occidentalis 

Western Grebe 16 - Aechmophorus occidentalis

Western Grebe 13

July 12th, 2020

Lake Whitewood, South Dakota

Western Grebe 14

July 12th, 2020

Lake Whitewood, South Dakota

Western Grebe 15

April 26th, 2015

Lake Whitewood, South Dakota

Western Grebe 16

April 26th, 2015

Lake Whitewood, South Dakota

Western Grebe 17 - Aechmophorus occidentalis  Western Grebe 18 - Aechmophorus occidentalis  Western Grebe 19 - Aechmophorus occidentalis  Western Grebe 20 - Aechmophorus occidentalis 

Western Grebe 17

April 23rd, 2020

Lake Whitewood, South Dakota

Western Grebe 18

April 23rd, 2020

Lake Whitewood, South Dakota

Western Grebe 19

April 23rd, 2020

Lake Whitewood, South Dakota

Western Grebe 20

July 12th, 2020

Lake Whitewood, South Dakota

Western Grebe 21 - Aechmophorus occidentalis  Western Grebe 22 - Aechmophorus occidentalis  Western Grebe 23 - Aechmophorus occidentalis  Western Grebe 24 - Aechmophorus occidentalis 

Western Grebe 21

July 12th, 2020

Lake Whitewood, South Dakota

Western Grebe 22

July 12th, 2020

Lake Whitewood, South Dakota

Western Grebe 23

July 12th, 2020

Lake Whitewood, South Dakota

Western Grebe 24

July 12th, 2020

Lake Whitewood, South Dakota

Western Grebe 25 - Aechmophorus occidentalis  Western Grebe 26 - Aechmophorus occidentalis  Western Grebe 27 - Aechmophorus occidentalis  Western Grebe 28 - Aechmophorus occidentalis 

Western Grebe 25

July 12th, 2020

Lake Whitewood, South Dakota

Western Grebe 26

July 12th, 2020

Lake Whitewood, South Dakota

Western Grebe 27

July 12th, 2020

Lake Whitewood, South Dakota

Western Grebe 28

May 11th, 2019

Western Minnehaha County, South Dakota

Western Grebe 29 - Aechmophorus occidentalis       

Western Grebe 29

May 11th, 2019

Western Minnehaha County, South Dakota

     

Click here for the species description page for the Western Grebe.

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