The Great Crested Grebe would have to be one of the most unusual looking birds found in the Hunter Valley.
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They are the largest of the three Australian Grebes and have a long neck and a distinctive black double crest.
They favour deep open bodies of water such as dams and lakes and feed on fish caught by diving.
Grebes breed between August and February and pairs are monogamous and maintain the pair-bond all year round.
They build their nest very close to the shoreline on a floating bed of dead water plants attached to reeds. The large white eggs are often clearly visible and therefore a great temptation to predators.
These birds are threatened by reduction in their habitat as well as predation by foxes and cats.
An article posted this year on the Birding-Aus website by Kurtis Lindsay, graphically illustrates the result of the introduction of foxes in the Brigalow Belt of Northern and Central NSW. In the last 100 years, once common bird species such as Bustard, Bush Stone-curlew and Squatter Pigeon are either endangered or locally extinct. Foxes were found in high abundance in all areas where the birds have declined.
The Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) was introduced to Australia for sport in the 1870’s and has now spread over 75 per cent of Australia, the exception being the far north.
Foxes are mostly nocturnal and are known to overkill and cache their prey by burying for later use.
They have been frequently observed as a major cause of egg and chick loss in shore nesting birds, such as Pied Oystercatchers and Terns.
They do not reserve their predation to wildlife.
This was brought home to me a few years ago when foxes killed my pet ducks by neatly removing their heads and leaving the bodies to be found by my five year old grandson the following morning.
It’s not what you would expect to find in suburban Lorn.
You can imagine my horror then when recently, I saw a fox in broad daylight at Walka Water Works Recreational Reserve and Wildlife Park.
Fortunately the nesting period for the Great Crested Grebes was all but finished with only a few dependant chicks remaining.
Nonetheless, it’s a worrying situation.
One of the most delightful sights in the birding year is watching the newly hatched grebes being carried around on the backs of their swimming parent.
We are very lucky to have them living and breeding at Walka Water Works and Grahamstown Dam.
