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.
