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Red-necked Grebe

Farmoor, Oxon, UK. 7 April 2015
EOS 7D mkII & 400mmf4DO + x1.4TC. 1/2500 sec f5.6 ISO 800

A splendid Red-necked Grebe, which is normally a very rare visitor to Oxon, had visited Farmoor in the spring of 2014 but despite various attempts I didn't get any very notable shots. It, or another bird, turn up again in the autumn but by then its plumage was much duller. When it turned up again in spring 2015, I was hoping for some good shots but this was difficult initially with significant numbers of other photographers always around!

With a good spell of weather mid-week I tried some after work visits but on this one I found my route blocked by a road closure which required a major diversion. So there wasn't much daylight left when I finally arrived at the reservoir. However shortly after arrival, as the sun was getting low in the sky, I was fortunate to get the bird briefly close in, right in front of me.  This shot benefits from a low camera angle and nice lighting, as well as being close enough to be quite sharp.