Mikepércs: The Skulking Grebes Have Turned Up!

It was some rain yesterday, and it should be sunshine this morning. I expect some haze above the water as there is no wind. I get to the pond early, it's still dark.

With the first lights a female mallard appears, taking its way towards the log I placed there last time. It steps up on it and starts to preen:

Mallard (female)

Then ferruginous ducks are coming, one of the males bundles off the mallard, he needs this nice place too:

Ferruginous Duck (male)

Pochards turn up as well:

Pochard (male)

Pochard (male)

Pochard (male)

Suddenly I can hear the known cries of the red-necked grebes! Wow! They are here! I catch sight of one of them in the backlight:

Red-necked Grebe

Red-necked Grebe

Red-necked Grebe

Red-necked Grebe

The haze has disappeared quite quickly, a pochard settles on the log again, ...:

Pochard (male)

... but not for a long time as whiskered terns are coming bundling him off:

Whiskered Tern

Several minutes later they fly away so the preening place is the ducks' again:

Ferruginous Duck (male)

Ferruginous Duck (male)

Pochard (male)

A gadwall turns up too getting to the log ...:

Gadwall (female)

... not allowing to get anyone else nearby:

Gadwall (female)

Later it's getting tired of it and gets away, ...:

Gadwall (female)

... handing over the place to the pochards which are falling out with each other:

Pochard (male)

Pochard (male)

Pochard (male)

A strange looking duck turns up, it looks like a mix of a ferruginous duck and a pochard:

The red-necked grebe appears again but it doesn't gorge the frogs as it did several weeks before:

Red-necked Grebe

In the end a whiskered tern lands to preen:

Whiskered Tern

 

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.

Mikepércs: Youngs

Last time I turned the hide because I didn't have a good background any more. I placed a branch in front of the hide, and today I'm anxious to see the upcoming events.
A young coot climbs up to the branch before sunrise to have a short preening. Soon a young whiskered tern lands, but after a few seconds it leaves too.
Then a ferruginous duck arrives and starts bathing:

Ferruginous Duck (male)

Ferruginous Duck (male)

Unfortunately it's molting, so the wings are not very beautiful.
The sun begins to rise when a little grebe starts to bath nearby:

Little Grebe

I notice a little grebe family with three fluffy youngs in the distance. They are approaching but soon disappear among the vegetation. Though I can hear their tweet, they are not far. Moreover, after some time they come forth, that's one of them:

Young Little Grebe

Meanwhile the ferruginous duck returns on the branch, but it can't stay, as a little coot bundles it off.
A little grebe is bathing again:

Little Grebe

Little Grebe

Little Grebe

Little Grebe

I try to photograph the young coot as well:

Young Coot

Young Coot

Young Coot

Young Coot

A female garganey arrives too:

Garganey (female)

Garganey (female)

Garganey (female)

The water is full of seaweed:

Young Little Grebe

The branch scores a great success as after a short time a whiskered tern is preening on it:

Whiskered Tern

Whiskered Tern

Little Grebe

Then little pochards are coming:

Young Pochard

Gulls then grey herons come to molest the brooding terns, but they defend themselves successfully.
The young little grebes appear again, their mum is bringing up continoulsy a tadpole from under the water, which sometimes is so big that the youngs can hardly swalow them:

Young Little Grebe

I'm focusing again on the young coot, it's just dundering for something:

Young Coot

Young Coot

Young Little Grebe