Great Crested Grebe

A common sight at Chard reservoir around the year. This reservoir is known as a stronghold for Somerset breeding Great Crested Grebe, but numbers of breeding pairs vary year to year from 0 to 9. They first colonized the reservoir around 1910. Most of the early records were submitted by Col. J.W. Gifford.

winter great crested grebe, baz stevens 00

1920 - 2 pairs

1923 - 5 pairs

No records or information received during 1924 & 1925

1926 - 'Many' pairs bred

1927 - Maximum count of 14 birds, some juveniles hatched this year

1928 - At least 5 pairs bred

23/05/28 - Maximum count of 22 birds

1930 - 6 pairs bred

1931 - No breeding due to reservoir being drained

20/03/32 - Pair present but gone by 03/05

1933 - Pair bred

1935 - Pair seen but no proof of breeding

26/04/38 - 4 pairs, but no birds after 05/05

1939 - 2 pairs bred

1940 - 5 pairs reported

21/04/41 - Maximum count of 18 birds. 2 or 3 pairs bred during 1941

1942 - 4 pairs bred

1943 - At least 2 pairs bred

No records between 1944 & 1956

Reservoir drained in 1947

19/04/57 - Nest with 2 eggs. 1st breeding record for at least 7 years, although sadly unsuccessful

1959 - Pair raised young. 1st successful breeding for 8 years

16/06/60 - 3 pairs bred. At least 4 young seen

1962 - 2 pairs bred successfully, up to 6 present at various dates

27/10/63 - Maximum count of 10 birds. 3 pairs bred this year

08/10/64 - Maximum count of 21 birds. At least 5 pairs bred this year & up to 10 young reared

24/08/65 - Maximum count of 30 birds. 5 or 6 pairs bred & up to 15 young seen

31/03/66 - Maximum count of 22 birds

27/07/66 - Bred with some 16 juveniles seen

1967 - At least 13 or 14 pairs with a record (since beaten) 21 juveniles seen

17/03/68 - 21 pairs seen by this date, with 7 nests but oil pollution resulted in a lower count of offspring than previous year

09/02/69 - Maximum count of 39 birds. Grebe numbers present throughout the year but no breeding due to pollution

19/03/70 - 11 breeding pairs by this date. Up to 14 juveniles seen

10/09/70 - Maximum count of 45 birds

14/03/71 - Maximum count of 27 birds. 6 juveniles seen this year

13/04/72 - Maximum count of 14 birds. Only 1 juvenile seen this year

18/02/73 - Maximum count of 32 birds. No breeding this year

1974 - Up to 15 birds by March & April but no breeding took place

??/01/75 - Maximum count of 8 birds. Did not breed this year

1976 - No information in local reports for this year but the severe drought spelt bad news for the Grebe

1977 - Single pair bred

23/08/78 - Maximum count of 36 birds. 5 pairs bresd successfully this year

16/09/79 - Maximum count of a staggering 63 birds. At least 6 pairs bred this year, with 17 young raised

19/10/80 - Maximum count of 26 birds. No breeding this year

1981 - 5 pairs in May & June but no breeding took place

1982 - 6 pairs remained throughout the summer months but no breeding took place

18/09/83 - Maximum count of 26 birds. Successful breeding this year with 7 young raised

1984 - Very successful breeding with 28 young raised

22/03/85 - Maximum count of 18 birds. No breeding this year (?)

05/08/86 - Maximum count of 34 birds. 9 young were raised this year

1987 - Pair in April

22/08/88 - Maximum count of 18 birds. No breeding this year (?)

03/09/89 - Maximum count of 20 birds. Breeding this year resulted in 2 young

15/02/92 - Pair on nest, but later flooded. 4 young were raised by 2 pairs this year

06/03/92 - maximum count of 23 birds

18/02/93 - Maximum count of 28 birds. A breeding pair raised a single young

28/12/94 - Maximum count of 17 birds. 3 pairs bred, raising 7 young

21/03/95 - Maximum count of 30 birds. 4 pairs bred, raising 10 young

15/11/96 - Maximum count of 46 birds. 4 pairs bred, raising at least 9 young

24/12/97 - Maximum count of 49 birds. 11 pairs bred but raised a disappointing 11 young

04/01/98 - Maximum count of 54 birds. 1 pair raised 1 young. Several nests were flooded in June

16/11/98 - 43 birds

09/12/98 - 49 birds

16/01/99 - 36 birds. No breeding recorded

27/10/99 - 36 birds

27/11/99 - 41 birds

05/12/99 - Maximum count of 48 birds

16/08/00 - 3 pairs with 7 chicks

02/12/00 - max count 48

16/07/01 - 8 young, probably 4 successful pairs

14/12/01 - Max count of 49 birds on 3 dates in December

18/02/02 - Max count 30 this year

09/06/02 - 5 pairs but no young seen this year

2003 - Probably 13 young hatched altogether but many disappeared at a young age

29/11/03 - max count of 52 birds and again on 06/12

01/01/04 - max count of 51 with high of 48 nearly a year later on 17/12/04

24/07/04 - 7 juveniles

08/01/05 - 55 birds rising to 60 on 30/01. Despite these big winter numbers and nearly 20 birds during the summer, no reports of nesting this year.

28/12/05 - 57 birds

07/01/06 - 50 birds reducing to about 20 over the summer

23/11/06 - 45 birds

16/07/07 - Chicks from the 9th pair this summer took to the water today

26/07/07 - 16 juveniles present

17/09/07 - 45 birds

2008 - maximum of 10 young seen, 8 believed to have survived from 5 breeding pairs

10/12/08 - 61 birds

23/07/09 - 7 chicks

14/11/09 - 55 birds

2010 - 46 birds on 23/11 and again on 27/11, max 4 young raised

2011 - 50 birds on 17/11, max 9 young at any one time in late August, probably 5 pairs bred

2012 - 58 on 18/11 55 on 06/11 and 52 on 12/11. Low numbers, max 15 in December with single figures in 2nd half of month when water levels were very high. Breeding attempted, but nests washed out at end of April.

2013 - very low numbers (2 or 3) in January, influx on 18/02 when 18, rising to 28 on 03/03 in very cold weather. 3 pairs over summer, one pair nested in July at south end, but were unsuccessful. 2 chicks seen 11/08 at north end and over the next 2 months. Max count 44 on 20/11

2014 - Winter maximums of 50 on 24/11 and 06/12. A very good breeding year with 28 chicks believed to have hatched. 21 young were counted on 20/07 with 26 believed hatched altogether at that point while 2 nests were still occupied. The first chick was seen on 06/05 and the last hatched in the first week of August

2015 - Winter maximum of 63 on 09/02 in very cold weather equalling the record number of 1979. 3 pairs believed to have bred with probably 7 young raised

2016 - Winter maximum of 72 on 13/11, also 66 on 22/11 and 64 on 19/11, all breaking previous records. 4 young hatched in one brood, 3 known nesting attempts

2017 - Winter maximum of 52 in both winter periods on 14/01 and 09/12. Max of 6 young seen together over the summer from several nests.

2018 - Winter maximum of 51 on 21/11. There were 10 known nests producing 18 hatched young, though at least 3 of these were lost at a very young age. Broods were a maximum size of 2

2019 - Winter maximum of 46 on 13/01 and 18/01. Maximum of 6 young seen at one time, but 7 believed to have hatched

2020 - Winter maximum of 53 on 14/11. Up to 7 young from 4 nests seen during July

2021 - Winter maximums of 37 on 20/01 and 34 on 09/12 and 20/12 for the second winter period. There was an exceptional flash flood in Chard on 29th June which would have destroyed any nests this year

2022 - Winter maximums of 26 on several dates through January and February and 36 on 06/12 for the second winter period. 2 nests known to be successful, raising 5 chicks between them. First young seen on 06/05

2023 - Winter maximum of 27 on 05/12. Mating was seen on 25/06 and the first chick on 08/07. 6 chicks were raised from 3 broods