Black-necked Grebe!
Unexpected and only the second record for the reserve, a Black-necked Grebe was found by visiting birders on the Mere early afternoon. A big thanks to them for reporting the sighting to the in focus shop allowing many people on the reserve to see the bird.
The bird was in juvenile plumage, similar to Little Grebe which breed on the reserve, although the Black-necked juvenile shows a dark bill, no buff around the neck, a squarer peak head apperance and a reddish eye.
Not rare as such, Black-necked Grebes breed in the North West and annually turn up on reservoirs in the region.
