Mikepércs: Yellow Wagtail

Today I tried a new place in the meadow nearby, in the yellow wagtails' territory. Stonechats were common there as well.

With the sunrise this yellow wagtail appeared in front of me. The first sunbeams enlighted its beautiful yellow chest:

Yellow Wagtail (male)

Yellow Wagtail (male)

They were moving a lot nearby, just like the stonechats, which didn't land in front of me this time.

Mikepércs: At The Drying Pond

It's a long time I've been at the pond, as I've been waiting for calm weather. Having no wind today I paid a visit at it. As I expected, the water had shrunk in the pond allowing the dry pondbed to grow at the sides. So, the shorebirds appeared: wood- and common sandpipers, spotted redshanks, ruffs and little ringed plovers:

Little Ringed Plover

The young white- and yellow wagtails were there too of course:

Young Yellow Wagtail

Little Ringed Plover

Young green plants popped up from the drying soil:

Little Ringed Plover

Teals appeared too, but I couldn't take good shots of them, they were far from my hide.

Mikepércs: Instead Of Bee-eaters: Hoopoe

I planned a bee-eater photography for this afternoon. Unfortunately they didn't land in front of me. They used the trees nearby for perching. Instead the bee-eaters a young stonechat perched on the new landing branch:

Stonechat (female)

Then sparrows appeared in the grass hunting for insects. I hoped at least one of them would settle on the branch, but I had no luck with them either. I didn't trust in the hoopoes wich were quite active nearby, they were probing the sandy soil, many times quite close to my hide. I was about to pack and leave after such a long unsuccessful waiting when one of the hoopoes appeared suddebly on the landing branch:

Hoopoe

It made me very happy as this was the first useful photo of them. I could hardly believe it!

Mikepércs: The Little Stonechat

I counted especially on stonechats in the meadow this morning. While I was doing a quick preparation in front of the hide, for my greatest surprise 3 young stonechats took off from the thick grass. They seemed to spend the night right there. It's good if they like this place, but it's a pity I made them leave.
I didn't have to wait long for the appearence of the first bird, it was one of the youngs:

Young Stonechat

However after a few exposures it was gone. Later the female landed as well, but after a few moments it flew away too without being photographed. They are very cautious. After that nothing came, so I had to be satisfied with a single photo this time.

Mikepércs: Bee-eaters

I've managed today to take photos of the bee-eaters at last. Early in the afternoon, when I arrived, they were quite active and after I had got into the hide, the birds reappeared slowly, but didn't land on the branch in front of me for a long time. Then the first bird landed at last:

Bee-eater

Bee-eater

Bee-eater

Bee-eater

I managed to catch the landing moment as well a few times:

Bee-eater

Bee-eater

Bee-eater

Bee-eater

Bee-eater

Bee-eater

Bee-eater

Bee-eater

Bee-eater

Bee-eater

Bee-eater

Bee-eater

Bee-eater

I could catch a couple too, one of the birds gave a present to the other, ...:

Bee-eater

... and I hoped something would happen between them, but they turned away from each other (perhaps the present wasn't delicious enough):

Bee-eater

Bee-eater

Disposal of the stabbing insects:

Bee-eater

Bee-eater

Bee-eater

Bee-eater

Bee-eater

Meanwhile I could see hoopoes nearby, they landed on the hide and on the ground to search for food, but not on the landing branch I'm afraid. However this stonechat did it:

Stonechat (female)