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Feature Stories - The Life Aquatic (113) More files...

Belgian photographer David Pattyn has been photographing waterbirds for years, with a particular attraction towards grebes.
As birds that rarely fly, and hardly ever step foot on land, photographing grebes means getting in the water with them. Pattyn’s rare and intimate photographs reveal their private world as they see it, at water level.

Download our full story PDF, including text, here.

Great Crested Grebe (Podiceps cristatus) with two young chicks on her back. La Dombes lake area, France, July.
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David Pattyn / Great Crested Grebe (Podiceps cristatus) with two young chicks on her back. La Dombes lake area, France, July.
Great Crested grebe (Podiceps cristatus) young stretching its wings, La Dombes area, France, June
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David Pattyn / Great Crested grebe (Podiceps cristatus) young stretching its wings, La Dombes area, France, June
Great crested grebe (Podiceps cristatus) adult running over the water surface during the courtship. The Netherlands. April 2014.Second place in the Species Story category of the Terre Sauvage Nature I...
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David Pattyn / Great crested grebe (Podiceps cristatus) adult running over the water surface during the courtship. The Netherlands. April 2014.Second place in the Species Story category of the Terre Sauvage Nature I...
Great crested grebe (Podiceps cristatus) close-up of an adult with two young chicks. The Netherlands. June 2014
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David Pattyn / Great crested grebe (Podiceps cristatus) close-up of an adult with two young chicks. The Netherlands. June 2014
Great Crested grebe (Podiceps cristatus) feeding young chicks on the back of other parent, La Dombes area, France, July
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David Pattyn / Great Crested grebe (Podiceps cristatus) feeding young chicks on the back of other parent, La Dombes area, France, July
Great Crested grebe (Podiceps cristatus) fleeing from a competitor, Trebon lake area, Czech Republic, May
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David Pattyn / Great Crested grebe (Podiceps cristatus) fleeing from a competitor, Trebon lake area, Czech Republic, May
Great Crested grebes (Podiceps cristatus) courtship dance in the mist, Trebon area, Czech Republic, May
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David Pattyn / Great Crested grebes (Podiceps cristatus) courtship dance in the mist, Trebon area, Czech Republic, May
Great crested grebe (Podiceps cristatus) male tries to look as beautiful and impressive as possible. he pumps up his head and holds the wings in a circle to look as good as possible, during mating sea...
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David Pattyn / Great crested grebe (Podiceps cristatus) male tries to look as beautiful and impressive as possible. he pumps up his head and holds the wings in a circle to look as good as possible, during mating sea...
Great crested grebe (Podiceps cristatus) pair swimming fast and mimicking each other's head shaking during the courtship dance. The Netherlands. April.
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David Pattyn / Great crested grebe (Podiceps cristatus) pair swimming fast and mimicking each other's head shaking during the courtship dance. The Netherlands. April.
Great crested grebe (Podiceps cristatus) in a threathening posture trying to intimidate another grebe in a territorial dispute. Head low over the water and crest erected. The Netherlands. March 2013
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David Pattyn / Great crested grebe (Podiceps cristatus) in a threathening posture trying to intimidate another grebe in a territorial dispute. Head low over the water and crest erected. The Netherlands. March 2013
Great crested grebe (Podiceps cristatus) in a threathening posture trying to intimidate another grebe in a territorial dispute. Head low over the water and crest erected. The Netherlands. April.
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David Pattyn / Great crested grebe (Podiceps cristatus) in a threathening posture trying to intimidate another grebe in a territorial dispute. Head low over the water and crest erected. The Netherlands. April.
Great crested grebe (Podiceps cristatus) in a threathening posture trying to intimidate another grebe in a territorial dispute. Head low over the water and crest erected. The Netherlands. April.
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David Pattyn / Great crested grebe (Podiceps cristatus) in a threathening posture trying to intimidate another grebe in a territorial dispute. Head low over the water and crest erected. The Netherlands. April.