Mikepércs: Nesting Stilts

Last time I moved the hide closer to the bank, where some vegetation started to grow on the wet ground. I'm giving a try here today hoping to catch sight of the avocets' new generation.
The black-winged stilt is still sitting on its nest, while its mate is feeding or trying to bundle off the birds that appear in the territory. The little ringed plovers however are allowed to search nearby, but the landing lapwings and spotted redshanks can stay only for a few seconds. This proves to be enough for a few shots:

Lapwing

Lapwing

Three black-headed gulls are landing too, but they can't stay either, the defence is working well.
So, there aren't many themes, the avocets' nest is already empty, they are gone. Looking out a little backwards I discover another stilt nest with the bird sitting on its eggs. It's only a few meters from the hide:

Black-winged Stilt

Black-winged Stilt

Mikepércs: Fog Again

I hoped for some fog for this morning after having some rainy days. However when I got up the stars were shining brightly, only the western part of the sky was cloudy.

So, I had a rest in the hide resigning myself that there won't be any fog this morning. But when I'm looking up after half an hour, I can see quite a thick fog in front of me. Only the birds are yet to come. I don't have to wait long for them, as a couple of garganeys are landing and coming closer, where their legs reach the pond bed:

Garganey (male)

After a some time they leave:

Garganey (male)

Soon stilts and avocets appear. But a lapwing lands too.
As I notice, there are two couples of avocets in the area, they pass in front of the hide several times:

Avocet

Avocet

The redshank couple is in the area as well, one of them comes closer:

Redshank

Black-winged Stilt

Meanwhile I can hear black-headed gulls approaching, they land but can't be seen well because of the fog. And they don't stay long.
Soon a redshank is having a bath nearby, ...:

Redshank

Redshank

Redshank

... then it starts preening:

Redshank

Redshank

Redshank

Redshank

Redshank

Redshank

Redshank

Redshank

Redshank

Redshank

Black-winged Stilt

Meanwhile a few terns arrive.
The stilts stay nearby all time, and I notice that they have a nest in the rare vegetation, as one of them is sitting on it for a while.
Meanwhile a ruff turns up too:

Ruff (female)

Ruff (female)

The terns are flying above the water for quite a long time, ...:

Whiskered Tern

... and picking insects from the surface. I'm trying hard to catch them during this activity, however it's not simple:

Whiskered Tern

Whiskered Tern

I can see the stilts mating again, but this time they are close to the vegetation, so I can't take decent shots of them.

Black-winged Stilt

Black-winged Stilt

Black-winged Stilt

Black-winged Stilt

The lapwing lands again, this time accompanied by another one:

Lapwing

As the sun gets higher, the air is clearing, but the dewy cobwebs show how hazy the air was at dawn:

Black-winged Stilt

Mikepércs: Stilts In The Fog

It "rains a lot" nowadays, which means that the water level at the pond doesn't decrease, moreover it has increased a few centimeters from one week to another. I observe this today at dawn when I get to the hide. The bird activity however is slowly decreasing. But the stilts are sticking to the place.
The first bird that walks in is a common sandpiper probing the mud under the water. Then a water rail appears at the border of a typha bed nearby. It's looking towards me, so I'm turning the lens towards it very slowly, however when I nearly succeed to reach it, it leaves.
A spotted redshank in nearly breeding plumage lands:

Spotted Redshank

From time to time the wood sandpipers and the ruffs are falling together by the ears.
A "jolly" ruff:

Ruff (female)

I can't see a male ruff anymore I'm afraid.
Meanwhile I can feel cold, hazy air coming into the hide and I notice that some fog has settled down on the pond. Great! I start to shoot more frequently at the feeding stilts ...:

Black-winged Stilt

Black-winged Stilt

... and at the sandpipers nearby:

Wood Sandpiper

Black-winged Stilt

Black-winged Stilt

Black-winged Stilt

Spotted Redshank

The godwits cannot be seen or heard anymore. It seems they have left.
After about 20 minutes the fog start to disappear. That's a pity, as the mating stilts would have looked nice in the haze:

Black-winged Stilts

Black-winged Stilts

Sometimes I peep out through the door of the hide, the situation on that area is the same: a few sandpipers are feeding, but an avocet is sitting on its nest! I wonder if they can breed successful.
I'm making some try with the sandpipers for a while before I leave:

Wood Sandpiper