Great Crested Grebe

Walking through the park today on our way to the gym, I saw a bird species that I have never seen before. This was the only shot that I was able to get, because there was only one bird and, already at quite a distance, he was swimming away.

After some research (thanks Wikipedia) I found that this diving bird is a Great Crested Grebe whose habitat is Europe and Asia. Apparently, the species had to be protected after it was hunted almost to extinction in the UK in the 19th century for its head plumes, which were used to decorate hats and ladies' undergarments. Undergarments??

I hope that these birds will nest in the park this spring so that I can see them again. The mating season is sometime between February and April and they put on quite a courtship display. The young are distinctive because their heads are "zebra-striped" black and white. Usually two eggs are laid. In a clutch of two or more hatchlings, male and female grebes will each identify their 'favourites', which they alone will care for and teach. Picking your favourite offspring?? Interesting. My kids sometimes tried to accuse me of having favourites, always falsely and usually when they wanted something that had just been denied...