I always look forward to photographing Horned Grebes in breeding plumage. In April, the grebes on my local waterfront in Edmonds, Washington, make a dramatic transformation. They change from a drab gray and white coloring to having rusty-cinnamon sides and neck and beautiful yellow tufts behind their stunning red eyes.

This year I had several opportunities to photograph the grebes after their spring transformation. Here’s a few of the photos of the birds from those sessions.

It’s fun to photograph these active little birds at any time of the year. But it’s especially great in the spring when their colors pop just like the spring flowers.