While I was chasing Short-eared Owl at Farlington on Tuesday there was a report of a Red-necked Grebe at the Weston Shore in Southampton. Red-necked Grebes are the rarest of the five grebes found in the UK and here in Hampshire. In fact it has been several years since I have seen one, so I wanted to see this one, not least because it would be my 200th bird for Hampshire this year.
The drive to the Weston Promenade was not easy, a closed road and two quite deep floods delayed me but I finally made it. Getting out of the car there were other watching the grebe distantly over the other side of the Southampton Water.
I was able to watch the grebe as it drifted in the tide, through the scope I could see the light yellow bill and the cap and dark neck. Slightly smaller than the Great Crested Grebe, it is also a little bigger than the Slavonian Grebe, of which there was one present as well.
These are the best shots I could get as it started to drift closer to the shore.
So 200 birds for the year and the first Red-necked Grebe for some years. With the report of this grebe there was then another seen off Black Point on Hayling Island. Hopefully this will stay as it appears to be a little easier to watch.
Other birds seen were a Great Northern Diver and several several Curlew crossing the water.
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