Mikepércs: Trying With The Stonechats

This morning I'm making an attempt with the stonechats on the meadow nearby.

They are active but don't come close enough. Yet one of them is landing in front of me for a short time:

Stonechat (male)

Then I'm wating for them for a while, but without success.
On my way home I take a few shots of these shaggy manes (if I'm correct), they have been growing on the cows' dung:

Shaggy Mane

Mikepércs: The Gadwall Returns

Having met the moorhens last time I expected them again this morning.
What I didn't expect was 3 black-winged stilt eggs in a tidy nest just a few meters from my hide!
Shall I leave or shall I stay now? Being curious and having prepared for a good photography I decided to stay and got into the hide quickly.
The couple of stilts return soon they are searching in the shallow water. I'm a bit worried about the eggs being left so long there, however they don't seem to be troubled about that.
After some time one of them brings itself to get on the eggs, but after 10-15 minutes it leaves the nest to feed again.
Meanwhile the mallards arrive, two avocets appear on the water, a couple of little ringed plovers are picking on the shore then a common redshank is having a bath near the hide. One of the little ringed plovers starts preening shaking its plumage sometimes:

Little Ringed Plover

Little Ringed Plover

Little Ringed Plover

It flies further a bit, ...:

Little Ringed Plover

... then it stretches its wings:

Little Ringed Plover

Later one of the stilts returns to the nest, but doesn't stay long this time either.
Meantime one of the mallards is stretching:

Mallard (male)

Soon the gadwall lands, and I'm glad to see it!
It's preening a little, ...:

Gadwall (male)

Gadwall (male)

... then it's having a long rest.
Look! This avocets is dealing with a nest too!

Avocet

But it leaves the nest and runs away:

Avocet

This time the moorhens don't come forward, I can see only one of them running at about 20 meters from my hide.
One of the stilts is getting on the eggs again and this time remains there.
Later the clouds arrive and it starts raining:

Mallard (male)

The gadwall gets up and does some exercises, ...:

Gadwall (male)

Gadwall (male)

Gadwall (male)

Gadwall (male)

Gadwall (male)

... then it leaves soon.
The rain starts again after a short pause. I'm waiting for the rain to abate then I leave quicly. Unfortunately I make the brooding stilt leave, but I hope it will be back soon. Then I won't disturb them again. However I'm not sure they will brood successfully as I've seen already a few devastated nests nearby an foxes as well!

Mikepércs: The Surrounding Changes

After the recent unsuccessful photography I had to move on my hide if I wanted to get something. I didn't have too much expectations, but as the water is closer you never know...

The first theme today would be: mating pond turtles, if there was enough light. But there's not. Then an avocet is landing on the water, it's having a bath, it's preening but the setting isn't good in the direction of the water. So, I can't take any decent shots of the bathing little ringed plover, lapwing, redshank and wood sandpiper either.

Then mallards appear and after bathing walk to the shore to preen themselves:

Mallard (male)

A sort of neck-excercise:

Mallard (female)

Mallard (male)

Mallard (male)

Here and there moorhens appear but they are too far.
Then a nice surprise: a collard dove is landing nearby:

Collared Dove

Collared Dove

Collared Dove

After some search it flies away.
The ducks' long preening process is followed by a rest:

Mallards

For my greatest pleasure a gadwall arrives, and after preening it's having a rest too. Unfortunately it's a bit far.
A moorhen appears again, this time giving me the chance for taking photos of it. A big cry:

Moorhen

Moorhen

Moorhen

Later the mallards finish their rest, ...:

Mallard (female)

... start preening again, ...:

Mallard (male)

... and slowly leave one after the other.

Perhaps the gadwall will appear again next time settling down a bit closer and perhaps the moorhens will come closer as well, to be voracious.

Mikepércs: Curled Sandpiper

Yesterday I moved the hide to the place, where the ruffs had been more active.
Getting to the hide at dawn I can only discover a few stilts and sandpipers nearby. It's been raining recently, so the water area has increased a bit.
The sun hasn't rised yet, but a few wood sandpipers already appear around the hide.
A bit later the rising sun gives them a beautiful golden colour:

Wood Sandpiper

As time goes by more and more wood sandpipers come, but I can discover a common sandpiper too.
Then a dark-headed yellow wagtail appears, it's either searching on the ground  or landing on my hide.
The mud is very sticky, so the sandpipers can hardly walk in it. They often use their wings not to get stuck in the mud:

Wood Sandpiper

Wood Sandpiper

Wood Sandpiper

Then comes what I've been waiting for: a flock of ruffs. I can only see one male, the rest are females.
They are a bit far from me and they fly away soon. Later however they return and I observe a smaller and reddish bird among them. I know that I can see something new: a curlew sandpiper!
If only they came closer! As if they knew my wish, the ruffs are approaching slowly with the curlew sandpiper among them, which is walking now definitely towards my hide. That's it! I can take already good shots of him:

Curled Sandpiper (male)

He keeps approaching:

Curled Sandpiper (male)

Curled Sandpiper (male)

He's preening even a bit:

Curled Sandpiper (male)

Curled Sandpiper (male)

Curled Sandpiper (male)

Then he goes back to the ruffs, as if he had come close just to have a few photos taken of him.
The ruffs are suffering in the mud too:

Ruff (female)

Suddenly a beautiful black spotted redshank is landing in front of me:

Spotted Redshank

Spotted Redshank

Spotted Redshank

Spotted Redshank

After a short search it flies away. It seems that the place is not the best for it.

Then I manage to take an acceptable image of the yellow wagtail too:

Yellow Wagtail (male)

Next the wood sandpipers are playing the main role:

Wood Sandpiper

Leg cleaning:

Wood Sandpiper

Wood Sandpiper

A good stretch is missing sometimes:

Wood Sandpiper

Wood Sandpiper

The flock of ruffs return again, this time with two female curled sandpipers among them. Unfortunately they don't come close enough, but the ruffs do:

Ruff (female)

Ruff (female)

Later the ruffs leaves the place again, and I do so because of the strong lights.