The Grebes: Update

Great Crested Grebe + Chick (Podiceps cristatus)

This afternoon, I visited Kinghorn loch again to check on the grebes.
Nobody was at home - they had set out on a fishing expedition and were somewhere in the middle of the loch. Full zoom on the camera wasn't enough so had to resort to digital zoom on top of that - hence the poor quality, but I think it is worth posting as a Blip because of its interest value.

Mum has the chick(s) on her back so can't dive for fish herself so is still dependent upon her partner providing for them. Sure enough, he comes back with a fish - but he is clueless! Can't he judge size? Half a dozen times he tries to feed his chick with a fish that is at least as big as the chick. When he finally realises it isn't going to work, does he give it to mum? Does he 'eck - he swallows it himself.

Over an hour of watching, I repeatedly saw a stripy chick on mum's back, but never more than one so at the moment it looks like she has just the one.

Elsewhere on the loch, the pair at the west end have two rapidly growing chicks, and the pair by the road also have at least two. It is looking good for them - I hope they all survive.