Mikepércs: Bearded Reedlings

Last time I placed my hide in a corner of the pond where the remainder water still attracts a few birds. Today I tried the new place.

The birds are really active already early in the morning at the edge of the reed: sedge warblers, great reed warbler, bearded reedlings, young wagtails and bluethroats are searching for food. On the chest of the young bluethroats the blue spot is visible already. I'm focusing on the bearded reedlings which use the reeds like good gymnasts:

Bearded Reedling (male)

Bearded Reedling (female)

Bearded Reedling (male)

A few young black-winged stilts, wood- and common sandpipers appear as well for a short time.
At last someone uses the new landing place:

Young Yellow Wagtail

Bearded Reedling (male)

Young White Wagtail

Even a red-backed shrike lands with muddy feet:

Red-backed Shrike (female)

Red-backed Shrike (female)

Later I notice a pond turtle walking out on the dried branch:

European Pond Turtle

It's having a short rest before it splashes back into the cool water.
Then a long pause comes, so I decide to leave.

Mikepércs: Coot Rigour And Parent's Care

Another try with the coots and their hatchlings.

The turtle heads appear first in front of my hide again, then the bearded reedlings arrive and they are picking something out from the water while holding the reeds. However I can't take good images of them among the thick vegetation.

Soon the coots appear feeding their chicks. They are approaching. Then an interesting scene is taking place: while an adult is feeding one of its chicks another hatchling is coming and asking for food. The parent bird however is turning upon it ...:

Coot

... and bundles it off. Perhaps it's not her hatchling? I don't know.
But it's feeding attentively the other one:

Coot

Coot

The chicks are feeding themselves as well:

Coot

It's not a real beauty:

Coot

Coot

Coot

The adult bundles off the hatchling again:

Coot

Coot

After the brutal scene the poor chick had to scuttle off and I hope it doesn't remain starve.
The feeding is taking place near my hide again:

Coot

The chick asks for food in this way:

Coot

Coot

Coot

Suddenly I notice a pond turtle resting on the branch placed nearby:

Pond Turtle

Another one is coming as well:

Pond Turtle

Pond Turtle

After having made itself comfortable it's yawning ...:

Pond Turtle

... then it starts to climb on the back of the smaller turtle ...:

Pond Turtle

... and really pushing it into the water:

Pond Turtle

Now it's enjoying the comfort:

Pond Turtle

Then another turtle is climbing the branch but a little farther so that they don't disturb each other.
The coot parent has found something delicious again:

Coot

Coot

Coot

The winglets are working:

Coot

The sun is climbing quickly on the clear sky and I decide to leave. It's only when I'm getting out of the hide that I observe this roe deer buck strolling about nearby. It's funny what a bad vision these animals have, as it can see my head clearly but it's not frightened. Then I produce my camera out the bag after all, maybe I can catch it, and even my motions are not disturbing it:

Roe Deer

Moreover it's coming even closer:

Roe Deer

Then it turnes back ...:

Roe Deer

Roe Deer

Roe Deer

... and when a doe roe deer is rushing through the area the buck disappears soon.

Mikepércs: A Few Black-Winged Stilts

After a short break today morning I took my way to the pond again. I was curious wether the egrets still attend the pond where my hide stands. It was light already when I got there, but there weren't many birds on that pond. However I didn't find my hide on it's place, as it had floated into the reedy margin of the pond. I was surprised because it had been tied up. It seemed to have been a strong wind. It took me about an hour to get it out from the reed as the water there was deeper and I could not walk after it. I had to push it back from the opposite shore.

After all these I had little hopes to see many birds.

The coot couple which was brooding on that pond showed some activity and soon I discovered the hatchlings at the margin of the reed.

Then a few black-winged stilts landed in the shallow water to feed. Of course they preened themselves too now and then:

Black-winged Stilt

Black-winged Stilt

Black-winged Stilt

Black-winged Stilt

The disadvantage of long legs lays in the fact that it's a bit circumstantial to produce them when a scratch is needed:

Black-winged Stilt

Black-winged Stilt

Start! The first moments of taking off:

Black-winged Stilt

As the sun was shining more and more european pond turtles stuck their heads out of the water here and there:

European Pond Turtle

In the end I didn't manage to take shots of the coot hatchlings as they were far from me, so I decided to move my hide closer to the reed and tomorrow make another attempt to catch them.