I just love a glamorous bird like the black-necked grebe

At a BirdLife Malta nature reserve last week, I watched three black-necked grebes swimming and diving in glorious Mediterranean sunshine.

The species once had a special relationship with Ireland; a County Roscommon turlough held Europe’s largest breeding colony of these birds until the march of progress, in the newly created Irish Free State, destroyed it.

What a tragedy the famous colony is gone; the black-necked grebe was one of our most glamorous birds.