Grebe ducks do not have Mandarines breath-taking picturesque outlook, but they are awesome too. They have a long flexible neck and funny 'shaggy wig' on their head, these elements especially impress when are observed 'in action'. 

Why 'take two'? Back in 2019 I found their nest hidden in the reeds in my local park, and had a small photo-session. I had a 150mm macro lens with me, it was almost evening, i.e. lighting was not that great, the reeds around have grown and were hiding the nest pretty well; so, my results were not fascinating at all. This is how it looked like:

![IMG_0818w.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/qwerrie/1m3XkhB6-IMG_0818w.jpg)

This year they came back to make the nest at the same spot -- and it happened much earlier, as the winter was nor cold, either snowy. By the end of April my friends confirmed the Grebe's nest already there. I grabbed my camera and in the 1st week of May my 'take 2' happened. This time I borrowed my 70-300mm lens, and choosed a sunny day, so I had a full lighting. And, happily, the reeds did not grow yet to hide the place all over, so it became an easy game. 

![wchmg0003.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/qwerrie/o7Y1Ee3G-wchmg0003.jpg)

As you can see on the 1st pictures, the nest is located very close to the shore -- so I could come up pretty close, and at this 1,5m distance my 300mm tele worked like it was a 500mm at some long range. Nice!

Some good-hearted folks have marked the spot with two noticeable police-do-not-cross-the-line barriers, to protect the area from massive crowd-stomping. But I did an exception for myself. Otherwise, I could be getting a landscape pictures only, like this:

[![wchmg0002.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/qwerrie/bmnEcW3k-wchmg0002.jpg)](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/qwerrie/bmnEcW3k-wchmg0002.jpg)

[![wchmg0001.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/qwerrie/t2naFsn8-wchmg0001.jpg)](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/qwerrie/t2naFsn8-wchmg0001.jpg)

But enough of the prologue. Lets go straight to the pictures!

[![wchmg0004w.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/qwerrie/6N10TLHe-wchmg0004w.jpg)](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/qwerrie/6N10TLHe-wchmg0004w.jpg)

[![wchmg0018w.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/qwerrie/rjBy2P5w-wchmg0018w.jpg)](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/qwerrie/rjBy2P5w-wchmg0018w.jpg)

Note her red eye! She's a real terminator in the pictures.
Oh, she had also a funny voice... I would compare it to a quiet train whistle, muffled, toy children's model. 

[![wchmg0020w.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/qwerrie/Qw2ltGlL-wchmg0020w.jpg)](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/qwerrie/Qw2ltGlL-wchmg0020w.jpg)

When I came closer I shoot the duck sitting on the nest, after short period of time she decided to show me the eggs and did a little walk off and walk-around, and I had a chance to shoot the eggs and both of the parents floating around. When she lifted off her body from the nest, it looked like all of her body is a very big egg. Ofc it was only a appearances, but again, very funny one!

[![wchmg0023w.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/qwerrie/0mldN5r4-wchmg0023w.jpg)](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/qwerrie/0mldN5r4-wchmg0023w.jpg)

[![wchmg0025w.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/qwerrie/GH4hNRAC-wchmg0025w.jpg)](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/qwerrie/GH4hNRAC-wchmg0025w.jpg)

After 3-4 mins she returned to the eggs and presented me some really splendid captures of water dews sinking off her breast... and the captures of her long curvy neck - simply amazing! During this moments I wished my camera could do the video, too. But I dont have that option.

[![wchmg0046cr.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/qwerrie/erUE8Q0v-wchmg0046cr.jpg)](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/qwerrie/erUE8Q0v-wchmg0046cr.jpg)

What may seem a damage or crack of the egg, in fact, is just a sticky blade of grass, litter - the eggs are in perfect order! I give a cropped image for you to be sure. And I didnt come any closer for this capture.

[![wchmg0026w.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/qwerrie/lFxRQvPr-wchmg0026w.jpg)](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/qwerrie/lFxRQvPr-wchmg0026w.jpg)

[![wchmg0030w.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/qwerrie/35fpGotb-wchmg0030w.jpg)](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/qwerrie/35fpGotb-wchmg0030w.jpg)

She showed me her tongue!

[![wchmg0032w.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/qwerrie/9LB15RvB-wchmg0032w.jpg)](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/qwerrie/9LB15RvB-wchmg0032w.jpg)

[![wchmg0047w.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/qwerrie/KACghA5z-wchmg0047w.jpg)](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/qwerrie/KACghA5z-wchmg0047w.jpg)

[![wchmg0068cr.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/qwerrie/VPqhrdYi-wchmg0068cr.jpg)](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/qwerrie/VPqhrdYi-wchmg0068cr.jpg)

[![wchmg0068w.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/qwerrie/lDeCBpdo-wchmg0068w.jpg)](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/qwerrie/lDeCBpdo-wchmg0068w.jpg)

<table class="wp-block-table"><tbody><tr>
<td>location:</td>
<td>St.Petersburg, Russia</td>
<td>date: may 2020</td>
<td>---</td></tr>
<tr>
<td>camera/lens:</td>
<td>Canon 5D</td>
<td>+70-300mm</td>
<td>raw-conv</td></tr>
<tr>
<td>f6.3</td>
<td>t 1/800</td>
<td>ISO 400</td>
<td>--</td></tr>
</tbody></table> 

All of the images copyright by me. hi-res files available for purchase.
I captured about 140 frames, so, part 2 will follow!

Now the last, but not the least: this certain specie is named Great Crested Grebe duck. They are very pleasurable to look at, and except of the outlook, they have an amazing marriage dance. (Maybe I will be lucky to shoot it one day). When motherduck is sitting on the nest, she constantly turns her head left and right, like a pendulum of a grandfather clock - she is in a nonstop control of perimeter; such a memorable sight! Their wide back was a great spot for the dews to drop down, but also it is known as a place where the motherduck transport its little ducklings (I hope to capture it later, as well). Too many amazing things to admire here. Thats why I nominate my post for AmazingNature challenge by @adalger.

.
<center>[![fflogo.png](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/qwerrie/Z50EXNpx-ff-logo-1.png)](https://peakd.com/c/hive-106444/created)</center>