GREAT CRESTED GREBES AT LAKENHEATH

   Today at RSPB Lakenheath I was once again in pursuit of Hobbies but as I made my way down to the end of the reserve I couldn't help but notice the amount of varied wildlife on display. Reed Buntings were everywhere along with several species of warbler, the skies were filled with Swifts and Cuckoos could be heard calling constantly all over the reserve. Dragonflies were on the wing and Marsh Harriers were quartering the reed beds in the distance; in fact the only things missing were the Hobbies. I passed several pools that contained families of Coots and the occasional Swan but what caught my attention was a Great Crested Grebe swimming around with a chick on its back with its distinctive zebra stripe markings on its head. These two swam around for a while, the chick seemingly quite content to stay dry on its parents back until the other parent bird emerged with a fish that it passed to the chick who then spent the next few minutes trying to swallow. The fish that looked like a Roach or Rudd was very big and the chick struggled to eat it in fact it was dropped on more than one occasion but each time the parents retrieved it and returned it to the chick who eventually managed to swallow it.
   These are not the best pictures as focusing was difficult through the reeds but I couldn't resist sharing them with you.