Fighting Grebes

A pair of Great Crested Grebes swam outstretched and low to the water towards another Grebe that sat on a nest close by. The intimidating behaviour forced the Grebe to abandon its nest which revealed a clutch of 4 eggs. I watched for 90 minutes as the drama unfurled with the Grebe and its mate making repeated attempts to return to the nest but each time they were thwarted by this threatening behaviour. On one occasion one of the Grebe’s managed to return only to be forced off the nest again. Eventually two of the Grebes met each other face to face with beaks wide open and a vicious fight broke out. This involved a wrestling match where one Grebe bit down on the head or beak of the other. After a few minutes of frantic activity, which included attempts to drown one another, one of the Grebes emerged victorious and was able to return to its nest.