Great Crested Grebes and chicks

I went to Battersea Park to try to find the Greater Crested Grebe and chick that I saw there recently - photos in one of my earlier posts.   To my joy, the first birds I saw when I reached the lake were the grebes. They were still far away in the centre of the lake but, causing me even greater joy, there were both parents and 2 chicks.

Great Crested Grebes with 2 chicks

I have to apologise for the quality of the pictures - the birds were really too far away to photograph properly and the light was bad.

Great Crested Grebes and chicks

The four grebes swam around together in the centre of the lake for a while, then they came a little nearer.  In the photo below, the chick looks bigger than the adult. 

Great Crested Grebe with chick

I love the chick's striped head and neck!

Great Crested Grebe chick with striped head

After a little while, the family swam off to the side of the lake and frolicked under the branches of a tree.

Great Crested Grebe drinking, plus Grebe chick

 

Great Crested Grebe and chick under a leafy branch

I then spent some time walking round the lake and, when I returned, one parent and chick were once again floating around in the centre of the lake.

Great Crested Grebe and chick

It was a cloudy day and late afternoon so there was not much light.  I am relatively new to photography and don't yet know how to use my camera properly, so have it on Auto and just point and shoot.  If anyone can give me any tips/advice or tell me where I can find an inexpensive photography course, I would be very grateful.  So apologies once again that the photos are not that great.