Film Project with the BBC Natural History Unit at Lake Hodges CA - Western Grebes

December 18, 2024: Worldwide Premier - The Grebes go live today, dancing away in episode #8. All episodes of the show are available and ready to watch on Apple TV. You can get a 7 day free trial. Search for "The Secret lives of Animals" and look for me and the Grebes in Episode #8. You can watch in order or just jump to episode #8, which starts out with the Grebes and at the end there is a "Making of" where you will see me in action. Also happy to see my name in the credits as "Field Assistant". Oh this was such an amazing project.

The piece on the Grebes is in Episode #8 with a behind the scenes part on the end of the show, and yes, I am in there! Enjoy :-). 

Filming the Grebes with the BBC Natural History Unit - I truly enjoyed working on this project in January 2023 with the BBC - watch the trailer HERE. A little background: In January 2024 I spent 3 weeks with a film crew of 7 from the BBC Natural History unit on Lake Hodges CA filming the Western Grebes and their elaborate courtship behaviors. I was honored to be a part of the crew as their Grebe Expert & Grebe Whisperer :-).

From Apple.com news release November 11 2024: The 10 series documentary titled “The Secret Lives of Animals” narrated by SAG Award winner Hugh Bonneville (“Paddington,” “Downton Abbey”) highlights 77 unique species in 24 countries over three years, revealing stunning, never-before-seen animal behaviors and highlighting the remarkable intelligence of the natural world. Hailing from the acclaimed BBC Studios Natural History Unit, the series will debut globally on December 18 on Apple TV+.” (from News Release by Apple on Nov 11).

The Grebes will be a part of this documentary – so excited to see them and all other amazing animals! There will also be a behind the scenes piece after each show….oh yes, you may see me in there. KSNaturePhotography.com/news

More from the news release by Apple: ““The Secret Lives of Animals” series both inspires and delights viewers with its vibrant exploration of extraordinary animal behaviors, many captured on film for the first time. Each episode delves into pivotal moments in the life cycles of various animals — from birth and leaving home to raising a family, and from finding food to growing old — showcasing their striking intelligence and adaptability.”

National Audubon 2024 Photography Awards - TOP 100!

My sweet Grebes win again! The TOP 100 for the National Audubon Society's 2024 Photography Awards were announced a few days ago and I am thrilled and honored to have my photo of this Western Grebe parent and 3 super cute chicks on this year's winners list. Big thanks to the judges and and you can view all the amazing shots here.

Cuteness Overload - Grebe Chicks in San Diego February 2024 & May 2024

Here in California chicks can arrive any time. For the Grebes nesting depends on environment and water levels. So when we get a lot of rain and water levels move up, lakes like Otay will have great areas for nesting (reeds) and the Grebes will take advantage of it. Otay Lakes in San Diego welcomed Grebe chicks in January and February and I was really hoping Lake Hodges has a chance too. 

Lake Hodges waterlevels are currently restricted due to the dam repairs, however with some good rainy days the water came up just enough to flood some areas where green vegetation grew. I knew the Grebes will take advantage of this, even if it is just a small area so starting April I kept an eye on them, monitoring the situation. By early May we had about 70 nests and YES, they made it!!! Cute chicks arrive later in May. So exciting! Enjoy and if you have any questions on where to go and when to go, please feel free to contact me.

Bird Photographer of the Year Awards 2023 - top 1% and in the BOOK!

October 25, 2022 - WE DID IT!! 

Super thrilled to receive first place in category: Photography: serious subject at the San Diego Press Club's Excellence in Journalism Awards for my Grebe photos accompanying the article "The Grebes of Lake Hodges and their complicated quest to nest". I was honored to be able to contribute my Grebe expertise and photos to the article and a huge thanks to the talented LaTeresa Pearson for her brilliant writing. Oh and we also took first place in Wildlife/Nature category. A great win for the Grebes, the San Diego Audubon Society, and my Grebe conservation project at Lake Hodges, CA. 

READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE. 

Photographing the Spirit of Birds - NAT Talk

In case you missed my talk at the San Diego Natural History Museum....

it is online now.  Click here to watch the video :-). Enjoy!

If you would like me to come and speak at one of your event, camera clubs, please feel free to call me or email me. 949-357-5747 or info@ksnaturephotography.com

A few reviews from the audience, collected by the Museum:

" Outstanding presenter – lively, engaging speaking style. Unbelievable photos – had the audience gasping in delight. Brought a group with me and we all loved it!”

“Excellent presentation that inspired me to get out with my camera more often. The Q&A session was especially helpful to me – she explained how she gets such good results.”

“Speaker had a great presence and exceeded expectations for first Nat Talk event I’ve attended.”

“So inspired I ran to the zoo today to photograph the birds!”