Slavonian Grebes at Lymington

During the winter many grebes visit our coastal waters and some are a little rarer than others.
Great Crested Grebes are our most common, breeding on inland lakes in spring and summer and often seen offshore in winter.
Slavonian Grebes do breed in the UK but only a few sites in the Scottish Highlands, if you are lucky, you might find a handful around the coast at this time of year.
On the coast of the New Forest near Lymington they turn up most years and this year season is no exception. Three have been around since the end of 2023 and I was fortunate to see them fairly close to the shore recently.
I filmed some Great Crested and added them to the end of my film so you can see the difference between the two. Although when in winter plumage they can be harder to tell apart. Especially at a distance, but their size difference becomes apparent on closer inspection. Their red eyes are a good way to tell them apart unless you see a Black Necked Grebe which also inhabits our coastline in winter in small numbers. They have a slightly pointed crown however with a slightly upturned bill compared to that of the Slavonian. I was just so pleased to see them close to shore for once.
#slavoniangrebe #grebes