This blog introduces the breeding and child-rearing struggles of little grebes in Inokashira Park in 2017.
A chick repairing the nest
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Both of the chicks on Nanai Bridge have grown steadily, and their range of action has expanded considerably.
Previously, the nest was submerged and the parent bird had to remake it in a hurry. ("Little Grebe Observation Diary" 15, Nest sunk by rain)
Hina seems to have been watching the whole story.
One of the chicks imitated such a parent bird, collected leaves and pieces of plastic bags that could be used as nesting materials near the nest, and placed them on the nest many times to repair the nest.
It has a familiar hand (beak) just like a parent bird.
If this chick is raised safely, it will be a good parent bird to repair its nest diligently.
The brothers have different personalities, and the other chick doesn't know about it without repairing the nest.
Will this chick become a parent bird that does not nest well like the Little Grebe of Bentenbashi? (See "Little Grebe Observation Diary" 4, 7,)
The chicks gradually learn various behaviors while imitating what their parents do.
It's up to the chicks to imitate or not, and even though they are young, everything is at their own risk.
Parent birds do not get angry with children who do not learn, nor do they praise children who learn well.
I've been away from the nest and spending more time in the boat pond
I rarely return to the nest and spend most of my time swimming in the pond.
The chicks follow the parent bird all the time.
Perhaps they started training to catch food, the parent birds sometimes do not feed the chicks for a while.
The chicks are hungry because they are well aware of it.
When the parent bird comes out of the water, the chicks approach when they receive food, but when the chicks approach, the parent bird dives again and disappears somewhere.
Both chicks are now able to dive well, but the food is still dependable.
The belly of the chicks is pecopeco.
Little by little, the chicks are chasing the diving parent birds into the water.
This is also the aim of the parent bird.
The parent bird may be teaching the chicks how to catch fish in the water.
This is probably mother and child
Both chicks always follow their parents during the day, but recently, near nightfall, each chick takes care of each chick separately.
Father and child and mother and child are acting separately.
The manager thinks that the slightly larger chick who first learned to dive is the father and son.
This is always a long way out and hard to come back.
The other does not go too far and swims together on the surface of the water. Mom and the smaller chick.
In the bush of cattail
At sunset, the couple reunites with the chicks who were spending time separately and share a roost.
After all it is a family.
The chicks seem to be able to spend the night on the water, and recently they are roosting the bushes of cattails.
The day ended safely today.
I'm starting to feel the coolness of the evening breeze, and I hope the chicks will grow up safely in the fall.
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to be continued
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"Little Grebe Parenting 2017" Part 16, Hina who became able to dive
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"Little Grebe Parenting 2017" Part 18, 2 chicks
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