Mikepércs: Common Snipes

Early in the morning I'm lying on my belly in the hide and waiting for the beautiful morning lights, as a sunny day is to be expected.

The first bird that I can photograph before sunrise is a common snipe, however the lights are still weak. Later a black-winged stilt starts searching nearby by better lights:

Black-winged Stilt

Then two ruffs land and start displaying facing at each other, ...:

Ruff (female)

Ruff (male)

... but they calm down quickly.

After a few minutes I can hear the voices of a few black-headed gulls, and indeed, they land just in front of me by beautiful lights:

Black-headed Gull

Black-headed Gull

Black-headed Gull

Meanwhile a coot is flapping with its wings after bathing:

Coot

The gulls leave, but a ruff is searching continously nearby, ...:

Ruff (male)

... just like two common snipes:

Common Snipe

Common Snipe

The bird of the year is landing:

Black-winged Stilt

One of the common snipes starts preening:

Common Snipe

Common Snipe

Common Snipe

The other one is rushing towards the vegetation:

Common Snipe

Scrathing:

Common Snipe

I can hear some known sounds again: lapwings are approaching and how nice, they are landing in front of me too:

Lapwing

One of them is having a bath, ...:

Lapwing

Lapwing

... then it does some preening:

Lapwing

I'm paying attention on the common snipes as well:

Common Snipe

Lapwing

Lapwing

Lapwing

Lapwing

Lapwing

The wind starts to blow and instead of the yellow colour of the reed the blue sky begins to reflect on the waving water:

Common Snipe

Common Snipe

I discover two black-tailed godwits near the opposite bank! That's a good reason to bring my hide there.

Mikepércs: Early Spring At The Pond

I placed the hide a week ago at the pond. The water reached only up to my ankles, which means that if there's no abundant rain then the water will disappear from almost the whole pond within weeks. On the other hand it's good because the shore birds will come. So, I have to take advantage of this little water.
Today I give it a try for the first time. Small ruff flocks are arriving, but there are redshanks among them too.
I can hear closing avocets' voices. A couple arrive, one of them walks on the right place:

Avocet

There's no wind, so the reflections can be seen well when the birds don't move:

Redshank

The avocets leave soon, when black-winged stilts arrive, however they don't stay either.
Meanwhile a coot stretches:

Coot

A few male garganeys and a female are coming, one of them starts bathing:

Garganey (male)

A coot is preening:

Coot

Before take-off:

Redshank

There are many coots, so they begin chasing each other:

Coot

A male ruff:

Ruff (male)

Ruff (male)

Stillness:

Garganey (female)

The garganeys are resting and preening at an ideal distance:

Garganey (male)

Garganey (male)

Garganey (male)

Garganey (male)

Sometimes I wonder what can these shorebirds find under the water, this time I managed to catch one of them with a tiny creature in its beak:

Ruff (male)

Then I hear something strange. I catch sight of the source of the sound on top of an elder bush, but by the time I push the button one of the birds is already flying away. I presume that I've been witnessed a buzzard mating:

Buzzard

Sometimes the food comes itself:

Garganey (female)

Garganey (female)

Garganey (female)