Shoreham, West Sussex (in estuary bit by river). It's a small little dumpy bird. Female and male pretty similar but can be confusing because when breeding it is darker and has a bright chestnut throat. I suspect this may in fact be a juvenile. A key pointer is that they always have a pale gape patch as here.

Little Grebe / Dabchick (Tachybaptus ruficollis) (11/08/2006) Shoreham, West Sussex (in estuary bit by river). It's a small little dumpy bird. Female and male pretty similar but can be confusing because when breeding it is darker and has a bright chestnut throat. I suspect this may in fact be a juvenile. A key pointer is that they always have a pale gape patch as here.

Shoreham, West Sussex (in estuary bit by river). Looks like it has caught something! This is out of the breeding season so no sign of the dark head and bright reddy-brown throat.

Little Grebe / Dabchick (Tachybaptus ruficollis) (08/02/2006) Shoreham, West Sussex (in estuary bit by river). Looks like it has caught something! This is out of the breeding season so no sign of the dark head and bright reddy-brown throat.