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Least Grebe
Tachybaptus dominicus
The Least Grebe (Tachybaptus dominicus) occurs in the United States only in Texas, but it ranges southward to Argentina. The species is readily recognized by its bright yellow eye, which seems to glare at the observer. The species dives under the water and is a great swimmer as it searches for its prey. The first three shots here were taken in June, 2000, in Kenedy Co., Texas with a Canon EOS 1N & EF 300mm F/2.8L lens with a 2X extender mounted on a Bogen tripod from a blind. The first shot shows a bird on its floating nest from which three chicks later hatched and fledged.
This is a September, 1995, shot of an immature Least Grebe with a dragonfly it has captured.
Next will be several shots of Least Grebes in winter plumage. These images were digital captures in Austin, Travis Co., Texas, in December, 2005, with a Canon EOS 1D Mark II & EF 600mm F/4 L IS lens and 1.4X extender.
In May, 2007, I was able to get some shots of an adult Least Grebe and 5 chicks at the Sabal Palm Grove in Cameron Co., Texas. The adult and the striped-faced youngsters stayed in a dark area under overhanging foliage and in very poor light, but some of the shots of the bird catching frogs and feeding the young are of interest. These images were taken with a Canon EOS 1D Mark II and EF 600mm F/4 L IS lens.
The winter plumaged Least Grebe shown here was in Austin, Travis Co., Texas, in December, 2008. This image was taken with a Canon EOS 1D Mark III and EF 800mm F/5.6 L IS lens and 1.4X extender.
The next 5 shots of winter plumaged Least Grebes were taken in Austin, Travis Co., Texas, in April, 2009, with a Canon EOS 1D Mark III and EF 800mm F/5.6 L IS lens and 1.4X extender.
The basic plumaged (winter) Least Grebe in this shot was in Edinburg, Hidalgo Co., Texas, in December, 2010. This image was taken with a Canon EOS 1D Mark IV and an EF 500mm F/4 L IS lens.