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22nd Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Natural World
Red-necked grebe laying egg

One day in mid-June, in a park on the shores of Lake Ontario in Toronto, a pair of red-necked grebes hatched four chicks. I've been watching them in the morning hoping for a miracle to happen. One of them was raising chicks in the nest and hatching the remaining two eggs, while the other left the nest to catch fish to feed the babies. Suddenly, another red-necked grebe flew over to the nest, despite their best efforts, it laid an egg in their nest. It could be that the egg-laying bird's nest was damaged or poorly built. It has no place to lay its eggs, so it must force its way in. Luckily, I captured a rare moment of how a grebe lays its eggs.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 06.2024
Date Uploaded: 11.2024
Photo Location: Toronto, Canada
Camera: ILCE-1
Copyright: © Yan Zhang