Lake Hāwea’s happy family of Southern Crested Grebes has expanded with a second clutch of eggs producing three new chicks confirmed last Saturday (February 27).

The new chicks will join their three older siblings which hatched last December and who were still staying close to mum and dad’s nesting platform. 

Jane Forsyth is one of the Guardians of Lake Hāwea volunteers keeping an eye on the grebe family and said she was very excited to report the three new chicks when she checked on the nest last weekend with resident grebe expert John Darby.

The first successful nesting produced four eggs and three live chicks and the second clutch also appears to have produced four eggs with three chicks as of last weekend.

“I clearly saw yet another egg on the nest, being rolled over and briefly sat on by one of the adults. So, two four-egg clutches in one season. They sure are productive,” Jane said. 

Hāwea’s grebe family (with new eggs unhatched at this point) spent Valentine’s Day together. PHOTO: Jane Forsyth

She added that one of the part-grown older chicks was keeping close to the nest. It’s “either being a helper or a hindrance, we're not sure which at the moment”. 

The young birds have grown their cheek frills and their black head-crest known in Māori as tikitiki (topknots worn by high ranking Māori men) are starting to develop.

The grebe parents made history in November last year as the first of the species to nest successfully on Lake Hāwea near the Hāwea dam.

There have been numerous additional sightings of grebes all over the lake but even though another nesting platform was built at The Neck it has remained unoccupied all breeding season.

The guardians, who have posted signs encouraging people and their dogs to stay clear of the breeding birds, ask for the community's continued cooperation in keeping these birds safe. 

“We've been very fortunate with people looking out for the birds and keeping us updated,” guardian Amie Capell said. 

“Please observe the birds from a safe distance and remember to keep dogs and watercraft away from the area. Also please let us know or have a gentle word to people that may not have seen the numerous signs.”