Mikepércs: Descending Bird Activity

I got into the hide curiously again at dawn, hoping that the bird activity would continue in front of me.

However I'm waiting for the avocets in vain, they don't seem to come. In turn a fox appears in front of the opposite reedwall! There's not enough light for photography yet, and it disappears soon in the reed. Later a flock of ruffs are arriving, and it takes a while before a male comes close enough:

Ruff

Some males are courting already, unfortunately far from me. Soon a common sandpiper appears and passes quite close to the hide:

Common Sandpiper

Then a few stilts are walking in as well:

Black-winged Stilt

Black-winged Stilt

A marsh sandpiper appears at the puddle nearby as well:

Marsh Sandpiper

Then the fox reappears, it's coming back on the same route. I take two expos when it turns to me, ...:

Red Fox

... and in the next moment it's disappeared in the reed. (It has good ears as it hasn't been close.) It seems to have had a bath too, as it was really wet.

So much for today, but before I leave I move my hide to the place where the ruffs have been active this morning hoping they will be there next time too.

Mikepércs: Birds In The Mud

I was looking forward to an exciting morning, for the pond has got covered by some fog at dawn. At the left side of my hide the soil is solid, at the right side there is still some water. Between them there's a thick mud which attracts the shore birds. The vegetation at the opposite side is not visible because of the fog. But I can see the stilts at 20-30 meters from me. A young little ringed plover is searching for food nearby. It's very funny to see it patting the ground with one leg in front of it, ...:

Young Little Ringed Plover

Young Little Ringed Plover

... before digging its beak in the mud or making another attempt a few steps further.

Then I have a look at the stilts in the fog:

Black-winged Stilt

Then other small birds appear: Two Temminck's stints! I have seen them previously on this place but from a bigger distance. Now they're coming quite close:

Temminck's Stint

Lovely "ball":

Temminck's Stint

When they get out of my view angle I'm focusing on the stilts again:

Black-winged Stilt

Black-winged Stilt

Young Black-winged Stilt

Young Black-winged Stilt

Young Black-winged Stilt

Black-winged Stilt

Black-winged Stilt

In some distance I discover two unusual shore birds. There are two of them! I know at once they are new for me. Looking into the viewfinder I can say they are most likely broad-billed sandpipers. Great! If only they came closer! And soon they do:

Broad-billed Sandpiper

Then they turn back, but a common sandpiper is closing:

Common Sandpiper

Common Sandpiper

It's coming really close:

Common Sandpiper

A little ringed plover is starting preening itself:

Young Little Ringed Plover

(It had better be a little closer)

Young Little Ringed Plover

A wood sandpiper is landing nearby, but the sludge is so soft that it has to use its wings not to get stuck:

Wood Sandpiper

It spends some time searching for food this way:

Wood Sandpiper

Wood Sandpiper

Wood Sandpiper

A little further a young stilt is flapping its wings:

Young Black-winged Stilt

One of the broad-billed sandpipers is approaching again:

Broad-billed Sandpiper

Then it's getting really close:

Broad-billed Sandpiper

Broad-billed Sandpiper

Broad-billed Sandpiper

There are a few dunlins on the pond as well, one of them has a look around near my hide:

Dunlin

Then the Temminck's stints appear again:

Temminck's Stint

Temminck's Stint

Temminck's Stint

Meanwhile the sun is starting to shine, the lights are getting strong, but I can't resist to photograph this wood sandpiper before I leave:

Wood Sandpiper

Mikepércs: Return Of The Whiskered Terns

I've been curious about the pond, what's going on there nowadays. Almost every occasion gives me some kind of a surprise. It were the whiskered terns which pleased me most today.

Arriving at the pond I realised that it went on shrinking, so the shore birds were possible to come. The wagtails would appear first within shooting distance, today was no exception:

Young Yellow Wagtail

Meanwhile a wood sandpiper appeared too:

Wood Sandpiper

White Wagtail

The little ringed plovers were not late either:

Little Ringed Plover

Little Ringed Plover

A common sandpiper came into sight as well and for my great pleasure it felt like preening itself a bit in front of my hide:

Common Sandpiper

Common Sandpiper

Common Sandpiper

Then it moved on to let me photograph it in different light conditions too, ... :)

Common Sandpiper

... continuing its preening activity:

Common Sandpiper

Common Sandpiper

Common Sandpiper

Common Sandpiper

Common Sandpiper

Common Sandpiper

Common Sandpiper

Common Sandpiper

Common Sandpiper

Common Sandpiper

Common Sandpiper

Common Sandpiper

Common Sandpiper

Then came the young terns. They were flying above the water a little before one of them was landing nearby:

Young Whiskered Tern

Young Whiskered Tern

The sibling was drawing near:

Young Whiskered Tern

Young Whiskered Terns

Young Whiskered Terns

Meanwhile the young white wagtails were worth taking some photo of as well:

White Wagtail

White Wagtail

White Wagtail

Stretching:

Young Whiskered Tern

Young Whiskered Tern

Landing again:

Young Whiskered Tern

Young Whiskered Tern

As soon as this young bird takes notice of its parents starts crying for food at once:

Young Whiskered Tern

Others are trying to get food themselves:

Young Whiskered Tern

Young Whiskered Tern

Young Whiskered Tern

Young Whiskered Tern

Young Whiskered Tern

The "kid" is getting more and more hungry:

Young Whiskered Tern

A few avocets were on the pond too but a bit far from me, this individual approached most my hide:

Avocet

Young Whiskered Tern

Young Whiskered Tern

At last! The breakfast arrived at last in form of a frog (unfortunately another young tern is just in front of this one):

Whiskered Tern

This bird is wating for food as well, but can't get everyone food in the same time:

Young Whiskered Tern

Young Whiskered Tern

A snooze feels good with full pouch:

Young Whiskered Tern

A flock of ruffs were on the water too in some distance, this was among the few birds which came a bit closer:

Ruff

It was interesting to see that even the young birds spend a lot of time with preening:

Young Whiskered Tern

Wood Sandpiper

Later a few lapwings landed too, ...:

Lapwing

Lapwing

... but the sun was already too high then, so I decided to leave.