Mating Ritual of Clark’s Grebe Wins the Photo of the Month Award in January
Clark’s Grebe
Lens: 500 mm | Exposure: 1/2500 sec | Aperture: f / 4.0 | ISO: 800
The first step of the mating ritual is when a male leaves the group and goes off on his own.
First-time presenter Holly Hauser won the Eastside Audubon Photo of the Month Award in January for a series of shots that capture the mating ritual of Clark’s Grebe. The photos were shot from a small fishing boat near Escondido, California.
“I went out at dawn and spent about 6 hours photographing to get the majority of the images,” Holly says. “Their mating ritual is elaborate, multi-stepped, and quite incredible.”
She took up bird photography in 2020.
For more examples of Holly's work, visit her Cheepseat or Instagram pages.
Details of all Photos
All photos were shot using a Canon R5 with a 600 mm lens.
Clark’s Grebe Calling
Lens: 600 mm | Exposure: 1/400 sec | Aperture: f / 4.0 | ISO: 320
The male, separated from the group and starts to call out to attract a partner. The majority of the time a female responds, but occasionally another male will respond to interfere with the first male’s efforts to reproduce.
The Response
Lens: 600 mm | Exposure: 1/400 sec | Aperture: f / 4.0 | ISO: 400
When another grebe responds, the two begin a synchronized call-and-response ritual. The event is noisy and involves a lot of mirrored head movements, water flicking, splashing, and more. It’s very exciting to see!
The Rush
Lens: 600 mm | Exposure: 1/2500 sec | Aperture: f / 4.0 | ISO: 160
To successfully pair, these grebes really do have to walk on water. If the mirroring is successful, the birds rise out of the water in synch and rush across the lake for several seconds.
After the Rush
Lens: 600 mm | Exposure: 1/4000 sec | Aperture: f / 4.0 | ISO: 320
After a successful rush, the synchronized head movements continue, this time with the birds’ bodies almost fully out of the water.
Paired
Lens: 600 mm | Exposure: 1/2500 sec | Aperture: f / 4.0 | ISO: 1600
The elaborate courtship continues after a rush, culminating in a pairing that typically lasts one season. Even after pairing, Clark’s Grebes continue with beautiful displays such as the Weed Ceremony, and the pair raises their young together.
About the Eastside Audubon Photograph of the Month Award
The Photo of the Month award was instituted to recognize the work of the Photo Group Members. The group members meet monthly to show their latest photos and videos as well as share their knowledge of photography and wildlife. To attend the meetings, please join the group’s announcement list.