Mikepércs: Red-Necked Grebe

Yesterday the red-necked grebe appeared again on the pond! I saw it here 3 years ago, then I was able to make good shots of it, and I think it brooded then too, for I could record a young one as well.

I came out again this morning in the hope of making even better shots of it ... perhaps with a frog in its beak, not to be dissatisfied. :) As yesterday it choked down at least one frog each hour with a lot of effort. But all these happened a bit far from me.

I catch sight of it early in the morning when preening and the water surface is hazy a bit:

Red-necked Grebe

Red-necked Grebe

Meanwhile I can't resist the coots in the morning sunshine:

Coot

Coot

The red-necked is getting closer and closer while preening:

Red-necked Grebe

Red-necked Grebe

Red-necked Grebe

Red-necked Grebe

A pochard comes close too, ...:

Pochard

... while the grebe is resting in ideal distance:

Red-necked Grebe

Coot

After some time it swims away to return later with a frog:

Red-necked Grebe

The frog has puffed itself up, so the grebe is struggling with it fo several minutes, ...:

Red-necked Grebe

Red-necked Grebe

Red-necked Grebe

Red-necked Grebe

Red-necked Grebe

... and manages to choke it down:

Red-necked Grebe

Red-necked Grebe

Then it's having a long rest, but answers the mate's voice when hears it, ...:

Red-necked Grebe

 ... as it's not alone here, but they can be seen rarely together.

Mikepércs: Pochards

After a few weeks of great crested grebe photography I go to the pond again wandering weather the variety of the birds has changed.

With my arrival the coots run away and the ducks take off. It seems that the number of ducks has increased. This is proven when many of them return slowly. Sometimes pochards come close enough:

Pochard (male)

Pochard (male)

Pochard (male)

Pochard (male)

Pochard (male)

Of course the coots are there as well but their number has decreased. One of them cries indignantly after having a conflict with another coot:

Coot

A pochards is taking off:

Pochard (male)

A marsh harrier is hunting nearby:

Marsh Harrier (female)

Pochard (male)

Diving:

Pochard (male)

Pochard (male)

A ferruginous duck is closing too:

Ferruginous Duck (male)

A pochard is shaking itself:

Pochard (male)

It seems that the variety of birds has increased recently, so not only coots can be photographed.

Vekeri-Lake: Grebe Dance

 The cold air has brought this morning some haze again, so I have another try with the grebes:

Sometimes the haze is so dense that the grebes are hard to see and most of the time they are a bit far:

I have seen previously how the great crested grebes are dancing, so when I see them dive both then pop up with water plants then I know what's coming:

Once one of them appears quite close:

Vekeri-Lake: "Sauna"

 

It's frosty this morning. For this reason however some mist or haze is expected. I planned to photograph the great crested grebes at the Vekeri-Lake.

It's no more dark when I arrive at the lake and there's a lot of haze above the water. It's an ideal morning!

The grebes appear:

The rising sun makes the haze vivid:

The grebes are swimming a bit far from me but this way the haze is more visible: