Mikepércs: At The Drying Pond

I spent the morning at the pond again. Water was only here and there. I trusted to the appearence of the rails, crakes and moorhens. And it was like this: the spotted crake and the little crake appeared early in the morning but a bit far from me, so I didn't make good photos of them.

A snipe also appeared and it was within shooting distance:

Common Snipe

Common Snipe

A young white wagtail was looking for insects in front of me too:

Young White Wagtail

Later the moorhens appeared as well, but the lights were too strong by then for taking good shots.
Maybe next time ...

Mikepércs: Moorhens

I was expecting the rail family again today. I haven't got a decent photo of the moorhens, which I came for to this place, because they haven't got close enough so far. But they did today!

The most early birds were the wagtails again and this little ringed plover:

Young Little Ringed Plover

Yellow Wagtail (female)

Young White Wagtail

Young White Wagtail

The little ringed plover was walking to and fro around my hide, so I was able to make a lot of photos of it, but they are very similar. These birds hunt in a special manner: unlike the sandpipers, which probe the soil or the shallow water while walking continously, these birds make a few steps, pick something, then stand there unmoving for many seconds, if they would think where to make the next probe into the mud.

Young Little Ringed Plover

Young Little Ringed Plover

Then a snipe appeared as well looking for some food in the hole I made nearby which still contained some water. Then it preened itself a bit:

Common Snipe

Common Snipe

The little ringed plover reappeared:

Young Little Ringed Plover

Young Little Ringed Plover

Then the snipe thought it was time for having a rest, so it decided to settle in a hole near my hide, dig it's long beak under the wings and took a good nap. In it's camouflaged plumage it was nearly unnoticable:

Common Snipe

As the Sun got higher and higher the moorhens began to come forward. First the youngs ...:

Young Moorhen

... then an adult one too:

Moorhen

Moorhen

Sometimes they must have seen something suspicious as at such occasions they ran into the shore vegetation quickly but they soon reappeared on the "tangle pasture":

Young Moorhen

Young Moorhen

Young Moorhen

Young Moorhen

Young Moorhen

Young Moorhen

And finally another picture of the little ringed plover:

Young Little Ringed Plover

Mikepércs: The Adult Water Rail

At sunrise I was in the hide again at the pond, hunting for rails. I was able to photograph the first birds getting in front of me by good lights:

Young White Wagtail

Common Snipe

Common Snipe

Common Snipe

  
Meanwhile I was peeking continously at the shore vegetation looking for the rails and the crakes. Sometimes I could catch sight of some of them lurking between the reed-mace. I saw not only the water rails and the spotted crake but I noticed a young little crake as well. As soon as it had got close to the spotted crake, this one would drive it away at once. But the little crake would come back after a while, and the spotted crake would always make it run or fly away. All these scenes happened so quickly that I was unable to take photos of them.

Up to the present I've seen only the young water rails on this place. I wondered where the adults could be? And today one of the adults appeared walking ...:

Water Rail

... or running in front of me:

Water Rail

Water Rail

Water Rail

It was looking for it's breakfast among the wet water plants:

Water Rail

Sometimes it's head vanished in the vegetation:

Water Rail

Today the crakes didn't appear in front of me, but at least I could catch the adult water rail.

Mikepércs: Water Rails And Wagtails

Today I aimed at taking shots of the rails, hoping that the spotted crake would present itself again.
The young water rails came out in beautiful lights again:

Young Water Rail

Young Water Rail

Young Water Rail

Of course the young white wagtails ...:

White Wagtail

... and the young yellow wagtails appeared early as well:

Yellow Wagtail

Yellow Wagtail

Yellow Wagtail

Shaking feathers:

Yellow Wagtail

Sitting on the reed-mace:

Yellow Wagtail

Yellow Wagtail

White Wagtail

Eventually the crakes didn't come out from the vegetation, maybe next time.

Mikepércs: Spotted Crake

Today I was expecting especially the water rails again at the pond. They were lurking in the thick vegetation and didn't get out of there. However I noticed another bird at the margin of the reed-mace: a spotted crake, which is more rare than the water rail. What a pleasant surprise! Unfortunately it was a bit far, but soon came closer and was walking out from the vegetation:

Spotted Crake

Spotted Crake

After a few picks on the open place it rushed back into the thickness and never came forward again.
I have already met it near Debrecen a few years ago, but then I didn't manage to take a good shot of it.

Then came the wood sandpipers, having a short rest:

Wood Sandpiper

Wood Sandpiper

One of them was walking by quite close to me:

Wood Sandpiper

The young white wagtails were hunting nearby as usual:

Young White Wagtail

At last, one of the water rails came out of the reed-mace:

Young Water Rail

A common sandpiper appeared soon as well:

Common Sandpiper

A young bluethroat landed many times on the dried ground to catch a few insects:

Young Bluethroat

The white wagtails sometimes broke into a run with such a speed after a flying insect that it was impossible to follow them most of the time:

Young White Wagtail

Young White Wagtail

Young White Wagtail

Even a snipe landed nearby and started to probe the soil:

Common Snipe