19th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Natural World
Horned Grebe Male in Mating Plumage

This photo was taken on a dugout on my property where a pair of Horned Grebes nest each year. This was my first sighting of the current pair this year and they swam right over when they saw me. It seemed obvious they remembered me and it was such a joy to see them again. I have been photographing these nesting pairs for a number of years now. They lay five or six eggs on a floating nest attached to reeds in the water. I have never seen more than three chicks survive to the fledgling stage. Horned Grebes are considered an endangered species due mainly to the loss of wetlands habitat.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 05.2021
Date Uploaded: 10.2021
Photo Location: Alberta, Canada
Camera: NIKON D500
Copyright: © Heather Mellon