An Early Morning with the Black-necked Grebe.

The sun was just rising above the bank of cloud over the Humber and mist was drifting over the fields as I drove to the Fitties again this morning.  After yesterday's rain everywhere was sodden and the air damp and misty.  I wasn't the first to arrive despite the 6.00 am start, however, friend and fellow photographer was already there and had the grebe spotted.  Again it kept its distance despite using the car as a hide.  This was different behaviour in my experience, as black-necked grebes I have photographed before have been very confiding.  The light was also challenging again, despite the sun being out, as we were looking straight into it.  We did manage some shots though before it clouded over once again.  The lagoon is on the edge of Tetney Marshes RSPB reserve and it was a pleasure to be here this early in the day looking out over the mist shrouded reserve. Whitethroats were singing and displaying vociferously in the bushes along the sea bank so I also had an enjoyable time photographing these delightful birds.  I photographed one singing last year and thought that it had been in the wars and lost some feathers around its throat, exposing the skin, but one bird had the same feature this morning and I have come to the conclusion that it uses its throat so vigorously when singing that the skin becomes visible through the feathers.

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