home     galleries     new     equipment     links     about    contact


Great grebe; Chilean name Huala        Images © Mark A. Chappell

The great grebe is a large freshwater grebe from southern South America.   It will remind birders from North America of a combination of western/Clark's grebes (large size) and red-necked grebes (coloration); in addition, they have a moderate 'Mowhawk' crest -- not visible in these pictures -- that can be erected when the bird is annoyed or excited.   We found great grebes to be common, but widely dispersed, on lakes in Parque Nacional Torres del Paine in south Chile.   They tended to be a bit wary.   The strikingly aqua water color on some of these images comes from the glacial meltwater that forms Lago Pehoe, where the images were taken.

  • Canon 1D3 or 40D, 500 mm f4 IS lens plus 1.4X or 2X converter, many with fill-in flash (2009)