You might already know that I really like birds of prey very much but also some birds that live by the water are very exciting to watch and one of these species is the great crested grebe. I have to admit that I like the great crested grebe because I think it is a really beautiful bird and I also like it's mating behavior when the male and the female shake their heads. It is always funny to watch. The next positive thing about this bird is that it isn't very shy and if you wait at the shore you could easily get some close up pictures of them when they swim by. They are pretty common birds here and on bigger open water surfaces you can find them regularly.
I have met them at the Inn River at the Traun River at the "Weikerlsee" and some other spots here in Austria but for taking some pictures of the mating, the "Weikerlsee" in Linz is probably the best spot since they are already used to all the people that are walking by the shore and therefore are often very close to the shore that makes taking pictures of them a lot easier than on other spots.
Great crested grebe spreading its wings. Picture: Florian Glechner.
| Camera used | Nikon D500 |
|---|---|
| Lens used | Sigma 150-600mm lens |
| Filter used | none |
| Exposure Time | 1/2000 Seconds |
| Aperture used | F6.3 |
| Focal Length | 600 mm |
| Time | 09:42 am |
| ISO | 100 |
Usually I like to go there in the morning since there are not so many people there during the morning and this makes it easier for me to sit and wait by the lake. So during the morning me and also the birds are not so much disturbed by other people also visiting the lake since they often get there a little later during the weekends. But during the noon time usually a lot of people visit this place and it gets nearly impossible to get a closeup picture from the birds since most of them flee in the middle of the lake or to another more hidden spot.
Female already preparing for mating. Picture: Florian Glechner.
| Camera used | Nikon D500 |
|---|---|
| Lens used | Sigma 150-600mm lens |
| Filter used | none |
| Exposure Time | 1/1000 Seconds |
| Aperture used | F6.3 |
| Focal Length | 600 mm |
| Time | 09:46 am |
| ISO | 100 |
Great crested grebe closeup. Picture: Florian Glechner.
| Camera used | Nikon D500 |
|---|---|
| Lens used | Sigma 150-600mm lens |
| Filter used | none |
| Exposure Time | 1/500 Seconds |
| Aperture used | F6.3 |
| Focal Length | 600 mm |
| Time | 09:48 am |
| ISO | 100 |
I think it is a beautiful bird because of the nice crest. Picture: Florian Glechner.
| Camera used | Nikon D500 |
|---|---|
| Lens used | Sigma 150-600mm lens |
| Filter used | none |
| Exposure Time | 1/1000 Seconds |
| Aperture used | F6.3 |
| Focal Length | 600 mm |
| Time | 09:42 am |
| ISO | 100 |
A couple looking for a mating spot. Picture: Florian Glechner.
| Camera used | Nikon D500 |
|---|---|
| Lens used | Sigma 150-600mm lens |
| Filter used | none |
| Exposure Time | 1/1000 Seconds |
| Aperture used | F6.3 |
| Focal Length | 600 mm |
| Time | 09:42 am |
| ISO | 100 |
Great crested grebe swimmin on the lake. Picture: Florian Glechner.
| Camera used | Nikon D500 |
|---|---|
| Lens used | Sigma 150-600mm lens |
| Filter used | none |
| Exposure Time | 1/2000 Seconds |
| Aperture used | F6.3 |
| Focal Length | 600 mm |
| Time | 09:49 am |
| ISO | 100 |