Filming the Great-crested grebe weed dance display

[@HampshireHog63]

That opening tale was the best thing I’ve ever heard on a wildlife photography video!

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@roberthenno]

One of your best films of the year !

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

Thank you Robert.

[@jonathanashton4758]

Outstanding Mike, informative and most enjoyable.

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

Thank you kindly!

[@sbphotography3751]

Love the anecdote at the start - priceless :). Another great vid, thank you!

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

My pleasure!

[@sabyasachibanerjee124]

If distance was not a factor, I would gladly share the hide with You. There is always so much to learn from what You say. The behavioral bits in particular. The captures were phenomenal. Always a pleasure watching your videos.

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

Thanks.

[@DerekB931]

Exceptionally entertaining and instructive as well - thanks Mike

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@DavidJonesImages]

Glad to see an episode on filming. Thanks

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

Welcome

[@highpeakbirds6685]

Another great video, thanks 👍, look forward to the fox one 👍

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

Coming soon!

[@brucegraner5901]

Excellent images and narration.

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@cliftonwhittaker260]

Another good one, Mike. What a great place to shoot from the bank.

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

Yes it is a very narrow lake.

[@chrispitman1169]

Brilliant video 👍👍

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

Thanks for the visit

[@davidosborn3356]

Excellent! Top notch work.

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@wildcat1065]

Wonderful footage Mike

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

Thank you.

[@louisswaim7024]

Splendid video!

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@mikesphotography7185]

great footage love the foxs 👍

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

Thanks for the visit

[@pdel7007]

I learnt about the reed dance from one of your earlier videos and very soon afterwards caught on film some Grebes doing it ! I was thrilled but haven't seen it since ( beginner's luck).Two weeks ago I photographed a Heron and a moorhen having a fight . Only afterwards did I realise I'd got pics of the heron stealing a chick. Up until then I thought Herons just ate fish and frogs. I'd gone out to try see a kingfisher- the surprises and delights of this hobby

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

Great job!

[@stevevickers2844]

Cracking video Mike you put in an enormous amount of time - thanks for sharing.

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

Many thanks!

[@johnmoffvideos]

awesome video

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@CamillaI]

I always love the weed dance and mating display very good entertainment value from the Great Crested Grebe . Awesome footage Mike 😍

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

Thank you.

[@rogerhance5883]

Nice footage Mike. Looking forward to next weeks Fox and cubs images.

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

Thanks 👍

[@brianslade1046]

Exceptional!!! In my opinion, the best wildlife photography channel on youtube...Keep up the good work Mike.

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

Thanks, will do!

[@sue.Hoo123]

Lovely footage, my local area is usually very good to spot Grebes and their little Humbugs, but I’ve only seen two Humbugs this year and another nest I saw being built seems to have failed ☹️. Looking forward to the foxes in the cemetery next week. Thank you for sharing.

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

Thanks for sharing

[@MJSPhotographyUK]

Hi Mike, I've only seen the weed dance once in the twenty or so years I've been bird watching, great to see. Thanks for sharing a great video.

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

Not a common sight.

[@relicthominoid]

Bit of an odd video to comment this under but, I'm glad I took your advice and bought a buteo hide, I've had it for a week out now and birds are even landing on it how comfortable they are around it. Thanks for the fantastic videos!

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

Great to hear!

[@Twothenines]

What hilariously cool birds!

[@bellasvistas3463]

Great Video Mike: Such wonderful colors and amazing Bird Dance. I have never seen anything like these. Great information on the birds too. Really looking forward to some wonderful Fox Shots.

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@rozan438]

Great video as always Mike. I always enjoy your work which is both informative and rich in wildlife photography tips and tricks. Great anecdote at the start too.

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

My pleasure!

[@johnkirkelionis7490]

Excellent video, and a very informative commentary on the behaviour. I learn alot from your posts. Thank you for all the time and effort that goes into making your excellent videos.

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

Thanks for watching!

[@malcolmriley6897]

That was wonderful. A great story to start with, excellent footage as always, and so much interesting information.

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

Thanks

[@JamesPetts]

That reluctant male grebe reminds me of the "Freda and Barry" song by Victoria Wood.

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

Will have to listen

[@micktoulmin4616]

Superb bird behaviour video Mike learn so much from you was in France last week and managed to get some Grebe's with their babies keep up the great work 👍

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

Sounds great!

[@tapere7277]

This is great. Not only the excellent footage but also your calm, informative commentary on the behaviour. Attenborough-esque!

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@martineldridge1319]

Another great video production Mike. You have a very natural composed manner when doing your narating. After watching your VLOGS, I'm very tempted to buy the OM-1 and 300mm f4 as a light wieght alternative to my Canon R6 mk2. The weight of the equivilant setup is getting to much for me to lug around. Probably the Olympus 40-150mm f2.8 for a nice zoom to go with it. I'm off to Csta Rica in January and need a lighter setup for the Internal Flight baggage allowance.

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

The lightness does help. I find it very user friendly too.

[@skakdosmer]

A few weeks ago as I was driving home from work (which mostly happens after midnight), I met a baby fox running about on the road. It was very cute and much too busy having fun to pay any attention to my car. Sometimes I see badgers too, but in the middle of the night I can't get good pictures. I've tried, but without any success, so I no longer bother.

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

Good time to be out

[@doug11127]

What a story, assume you managed to recover his images ? What a great video, really appreciate all the pointers on getting the shots. I have 3 or 4 pairs in my local park but it’s a big lake and they are always in the middle 🙁 thanks again for all the tips Mike, all the best

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@blutey]

Great video. I've only ever seen the head shaking bit before, when I've tried to film them. Not the weed presentation.

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

It is not that common to see it.

[@przybylskipawel]

So cute foxies. I missed mating of grebes at my place. I wonder when this is happening. But I got a lot of footage of egg management and chicks.

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

Even cuter next week.

[@TatraScrambler]

Great video, Mike, as usual. Am I missing it or there's never been a cloacal kiss when they mated?

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

It is not always easy to tell.

[@michelesiniscalchi8695]

Hi Mike, do you still use the Gh6 sometimes to make videos? Did the new Om-1 firmware version 1.5 solve the AF problems with active recognition and tracking during video?

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

Yes I still use the GH6 for video. I have not tried the firmware update 1.5, but I would not expect it to solve anything. It may improve AF in video mode, but I have not come across any camera that will AF in video mode as good as stills mode.

[@michelesiniscalchi8695]

I'd be curious to see if somehow these firmwares are useful or are they just smoke and mirrors. I've already seen your video on the previous version of the firmware 1.3 or 1.4, I don't remember exactly, in which by doing some tests you found that there hadn't been any improvement compared to before, and there was always some out of focus image in the middle to the gust, exactly as before. Thank you!

[@markchambers8826]

Great video. I have been watching a nest for the last 35 days and it has clearly failed to hatch the 3 eggs. Thought that it might be due to a insubstantial nest but it was certainly more robust than your nest.

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

They have still not hatched, but the nest is now much larger.

[@tarjei99]

You can collect some of last year's reeds and throw them into the water. The birds will collect them for the nest.

[@zapted]

Mike, I don't believe the male has figured out the cloacal kiss. To me it looks like he is off the mark by at least two inches. It even appears he unloaded on her back. Kinky stuff. Great video nonetheless. I always enjoy you work.