Fulmar

Fulmar

Fulmarus glacialis

During the breeding season, the stocky but brilliantly aerobatic fulmar is distributed through Iceland, Ireland, Great Britain, Brittany, Greenland, Novaya Zemlya in the Arctic Ocean and the western coast of Norway. At other times, it keeps to the high seas. Both dispersive as well as migratory, it arrives at its nesting grounds any time from December to April, assembling offshore in huge ‘rafts’. Not until the end of April (more often in May or early June) does it move ashore to cliffs or rocky islands. There it breeds in a colony sometimes numbering hundreds or even thousands of birds of birds. The nests are unlined, spaced between 1 and 5 meters apart, and places on rocky ledges. The female lays one egg (occasionally two), which the partners take turns incubating for about 52 days. The young are fed only once a day and during the first two weeks are kept warm by one or other of the parents. They leave the nest after 48 to 57 days already capable of flight, but do not attain maturity until the age of seven years. The fulmar feeds on pelagic mollusks, crustaceans and fish, generally gathered from the surface. Only rarely does it dive and then to a depth of 1 meter at the most.

Size of egg	67.0-81.43.2-54.8 mm
Length	47 cm. Male and female have similar plumage.
Voice	A horse, chuckling ‘ag-ag-ag-arrr’.

Little Grebe

Little Grebe

Podiceps ruficollis

The little grebe inhabits the whole of Europe except the north; inhabiting eastern Europe are migrant and the populations of central, western and southern Europe are resident. The species is found on lakes, ponds and slow moving water courses with overgrown banks. It will also be encountered on very small pools with banks thickly bordered by reeds. A remarkably shy bird, it remains concealed in thickets most of the time, venturing onto the open water only rarely. The birds arrive at the breeding grounds already paired, partners often remaining together throughout the winter. Courtship display begins shortly after arrival: the male puts his head back, ruffles his feathers, pecks at the water and often kicks up spray with his feet. He is very tenacious in defending his nesting territory. There is a first brood in April and second in June or July. The nest, consisting of a pile of rotting water plants, floats on the water it rests on the bottom and in deeper water is firmly anchored. As a rule, the female lays four to six eggs. Both partners share the duties of incubation for 20 to 21 days, and both tend the young for eight to ten weeks. The little grebe’s diet consists of insects and their larvae, small moluscs, worms, crustaceans, tadpoles, as well as small fish, which it hunts mostly underwater.

(Migratory or resident bird)

Size of egg	32.8-43.0X23.0-28.3 mm
Length	27 cm. Male and female have similar plumage.
Voice	A trilling ‘whit, whit’.

Black-necked Grebe

Black-necked Grebe

Podiceps nigricollis

The black-necked grebe was originally a native of southeastern Europe, but during the past 80 years has become widespread throughout western and central Europe, in Italy, England, Holland, eastern France and southern Spain. Eastern European populations are migratory. This species is partial to shallow but large ponds and lakes with extensive vegetation for cover. Pairs of birds return to the nesting grounds in March and April and begin their courtship display shortly after their arrival: partners swim rapidly towards each other; raise heads erect and shake them. This is a gregarious bird which stays in groups even when nesting, forming colonies with a great number of nests spaced several yards apart, though they may be more densely clustered. The nest, of rotting vegetation, is located on water among reeds, though it may float freely at the edge of a reed bed. It is the female who builds while the male brings material. The clutch, consisting of three, four or sometimes as many as six eggs, is laid from April to June and both partners share the duties of incubation for 19 to 23 days. The nestlings are carried about on their parent’s backs, being cared for by them for a number of weeks. Diet consists of insects and their larvae, Small mollusks and crustaceans as well as tadpoles and small fish. The black-necked grebe hunts under water, usually at depths of no more than two meters.

(Migratory or resident bird)

Size of egg	39.0-48.5X27.1-34.0  mm
Length	30 cm. Male and female have similar plumage.
Voice	Whistling notes that sound like ‘poo-eep’.

Great Crested Grebe

Great Crested Grebe

Podiceps cristatus

The great crested grebe is widespread throughout most of Europe except the north, inhabiting lakes or large ponds with large beds of reeds and rushes. In northern and eastern parts of the range, birds are migratory, elsewhere resident. They sometimes return to their breeding grounds as early as February, but more usually in March or April. An interesting courtship ceremonial takes place: the partners, separated by several yards, first greet one another by stretching their necks out along the water’s surface. Then they swim towards each other, spreading their crests, nodding their heads and finally embracing each other by rubbing necks. The birds call to each other throughout. Sometimes they dive, surfacing with a piece of greenery in their bills and treading water face to face with heads erect. The nest is made of various aquatic plants brought up from the depths. The female lays three to six eggs which are white at first, but then gradually acquire a brownish hue. Both partners take turns incubating for 25 to 27 days, though the female takes the major share. After the nestlings have dried, they climb onto their parent’s backs and partially conceal themselves under the wings, so to be carried about even through capable of swimming and diving by themselves. The parents feed the young small insects and molluscs; adult birds take mostly insect larvae and fish.

(Migratory, dispersive or resident bird)

Size of egg	46.5-62.7X33.0-39.7 mm
Length	48 cm. Male and female have similar plumage.
Voice	A deep ‘har-arr’ or ‘er-wick’, mainly during the courtship period.

Red-throated Diver

Red-throated Diver

Gavia stellata

Iceland, northern Scotland, Ireland, Scandinavia, the Hebrides, Orkney's, Shetlands and the Murmansk region are all home to the red-throated diver. It is also found in Greenland and in the arctic regions of North America, Breeding grounds are the edge of small but deep pools, coastal lagoons and lakes. The nest is made of mosses like sphagnum and of plant stems and is always placed near water. Paired birds often return to the female lays usually two eggs, which both partners take turns incubating for about 28 but sometimes as long as 36 days. Incubation starts as soon as the first egg appears. If the clutch is lost, the female lays again. Red-throated divers are migratory, although in the southern parts of their range they are dispersive. European populations winter on the Atlantic coast as far south as southern Spain, as well as on the North and Baltic, Mediterranean and Black Seas. On migration, the birds occur as vagrants on inland waters, where, however, they usually remain only a few days. The mainstay of the diet is sea fish, such as herring, sprats and cod, but the species does take amphibians, crustaceans, mollusks, aquatic insects and worms.

Size of egg	62.5-86.00x41.0-51.0 mm.
Length	53 to 61 cm. Male and female have similar plumage.
Voice	A repeated, quacking ‘kwuck’ also a high, thin wail

Black-throated Diver

Black-throated Diver

The black-throted diver inhabits northern Europe and northwestern Asia,but also breeds in Scotland and,in rare instances,in Pomerania,northern Germany and Poland.During the breeding season it is found on lakes,generally near the coast.The nest is placed on islets near deep water,and is simply a shallow depression in grass,usually without any lining,generally sited right on the water’s edge so that the birds can slip straight in.One,two,but sometimes three eggs are laid in April or May. The partners take turns incubating for 28 to 32 days.On hatching, the chicks take to the water with their parents,who supervise them for a further two month.When the young are fully grown,the divers form small groups.Birds from the extreme north leave their nesting grounds as early as mid August,often while the young are still unable to fly,swimming with them down the rivers to the sea and on along the coast.The main southerly migration is usually in November,the return journey taking place between early March and late April.Wintering grounds are the Baltic,North Sea,and Mediterranean,as well as northern parts of Black and Caspian Seas.During the migratory season,single individuals may be seen quite regularly inland on ice-free water.Black-throated divers feed mainly on fish,but crustaceans, mollusks and occasionally frogs,worms or aquatic insects also feature in the diet.

“Collected by The illustrated book of BIRDS.”