How I Captured Western Grebes Walking on Water

I have to admit that every once in a while, I just get lucky. The photograph you see here — a pair of western grebes dancing across the water — is one of those rare moments where preparation meets pure chance.

I was photographing waterfowl on a small lake in northern Idaho from my floating blind, slowly working the shoreline and scanning the water for interesting behaviour. Off in the distance, I noticed a single grebe. Since I didn’t have many strong images of this species, I decided to begin a careful, deliberate approach, slowly easing the blind forward to avoid drawing attention.

Photographing A Western Grebe Mating Call

As I closed the distance, the grebe began calling. Concerned that I might be causing stress, I immediately stopped moving and simply observed through the peephole in my blind. That pause turned out to be critical. Moments later, a second grebe emerged from behind a stand of reeds, quietly swimming into view. The two birds slowly oriented toward one another, their movements calm and deliberate.

Then, without any warning or preamble, everything changed.

The pair suddenly rose upright and began rushing across the surface of the water in their spectacular courtship display — running side by side, chests lifted, feet slapping the surface in perfect synchrony.

Purely on reflex, I dove behind my camera, swinging both the floating blind and lens toward the action. At the same time, I quickly opened my aperture to f/4, knowing I’d need every bit of shutter speed I could get to freeze the movement.

A Courtship Dance on Water

As soon as the birds filled the frame, I held the shutter down and let the motor drive fire at eight frames per second, tracking them as they raced across the lake. The entire sequence lasted maybe five seconds from start to finish and then it was over, just as suddenly as it began.

I couldn’t believe what I had just witnessed. I had always hoped to see this courtship dance in person, but experiencing it from my floating blind, at eye level with the birds, was something truly special. My hands were shaking with adrenaline as I cautiously checked the back of the camera, hoping that at least one frame had come together.

Seeing that I had captured several usable images was an incredible relief and an unforgettable reminder of why patience, preparation, and simply being present in the field matter so much in wildlife photography.

Good Luck and Good Light!
Steve & Nicole