Australasian Grebe

On our recent visit to the Mt Annan Botanic Gardens in Sydney we went on a drive along one of the roads through the gardens. At one point we passed a small lake or dam and as we drove along I saw a few birds on the water. I stopped, backed up a little and walked across to near the bank, despite the light drizzle.

The Australasian Grebe shown in today’s photos came swimming towards me, obviously not at all concerned about my presence. I guess that with so many visitors to the area every day, they are used to humans being around quite close. Normally this species is quite timid, diving under water at any approach to the water.

Interestingly, this individual bird is in full breeding plumage, but I was unable to locate a nest.

Australasian Grebe

Australasian Grebe

Australasian Grebe