Meanwhile.....

back at the secret lake, we found our pair of grebes drifting disconsolately at the opposite end  from where a pair of coots had carpetbagged their nest, and not looking as if they were going to budge anytime soon. We are hoping that when the hormones rise again they will breed again, and try building a second nest in a more secure location. And as we left a goldfinch chirruped us on our way.