03-26-2015, 12:09 AM
Over my many years of fishing Lake Lowell, I have seen many nesting grebes. Usually, they nest like this:
![[Image: 2011-5.24-Grebe4pb_zpsijh9r7oa.jpg]](http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k526/PCW77/Lake%20Lowell/2011-5.24-Grebe4pb_zpsijh9r7oa.jpg)
or like this:
![[Image: 2011-5.24-Grebe1pb_zpsmngznafm.jpg]](http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k526/PCW77/Lake%20Lowell/2011-5.24-Grebe1pb_zpsmngznafm.jpg)
Note that these grebes are nesting on pads of bull rushes and dead smartweed stems. Also note that the smartweed is just starting to emerge in these photos. I have yet to see my first grebe nest in the smartweed beds - but I will concede that they do nest there.
I don't believe in boats disturbing the grebes, or me as a wading fisherman, but I don't really believe that wakes create a problem for nesting grebes. If that were so, they'd never nest in the smartweed beds. Lake Lowell was a mass of 1-2' whitecaps yesterday due to the wind. The wind creates far greater waves on Lake Lowell than boaters. I also believe the birds have learned this and do not nest where the nests will be destroyed by high waves. Back in the trees the wakes do not impact the nesting grebes or coots. I see lots of coot nests also, but they don't dance across the water as nice as the grebes, so we won't worry about them.
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or like this:
Note that these grebes are nesting on pads of bull rushes and dead smartweed stems. Also note that the smartweed is just starting to emerge in these photos. I have yet to see my first grebe nest in the smartweed beds - but I will concede that they do nest there.
I don't believe in boats disturbing the grebes, or me as a wading fisherman, but I don't really believe that wakes create a problem for nesting grebes. If that were so, they'd never nest in the smartweed beds. Lake Lowell was a mass of 1-2' whitecaps yesterday due to the wind. The wind creates far greater waves on Lake Lowell than boaters. I also believe the birds have learned this and do not nest where the nests will be destroyed by high waves. Back in the trees the wakes do not impact the nesting grebes or coots. I see lots of coot nests also, but they don't dance across the water as nice as the grebes, so we won't worry about them.
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