Little grebe  (Tachybaptus ruficollis)

The little grebe can be found across most of Britain and Ireland with the exception of Shetland and parts of the West Country. Its European range extends from southern Scandinavia across to the Baltic States, and south to the Mediterranean, Turkey and Israel. The birds also occur in Africa, on the islands of the Mediterranean and across Asia to Japan and Papua New Guinea.

Any lake or reasonably large pond in the lowlands with plenty of vegetation is likely to have at least one pair of little grebes in residence. They can often be seen on park ponds, flooded gravel pits and reservoirs, and have also turned up on coastal bays and estuaries.