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: Ducks

I've been hoping that the red-necked grebe would reappear today.
I thought I set off early enough today, but I could see already quite well reaching the pond.
After having made some weeding in front of the hide, I'm just getting in when a pochard arrives. If only I've been quicker by just a few minutes, then it wouldn't notice me and would land. However, there's no light anyway for photography, and who knows how long it would stay there?
Nothing comes for a long time, only the little grebes are "giggling" nearby, many times very close to the hide. One of them is looking its reflection in the hide's window with interest.
The sun is already up when ferruginous ducks arrive ...:

Ferruginous Duck

... then a gadwall lands. First it's having a bath ...:

Gadwall (male)

... followed by the usual wing-beating:

Gadwall (male)

Then it comes quite close:

Gadwall (male)

A pochard pops up as well, ...:

Pochard (male)

All the ducks take off when I notice the cause of the panic: a white-tailed eagle! After half a minute I can see it flying across the pond in the side window. It's a huge bird!
It's come again! What a pity that it hasn't flewn in front of me.

The coots are chasing each other, I can catch one of them:

Coot

A few ferruginous ducks are landing again, two males are chasing a female:

Ferruginous Duck

The female comes close:

Ferruginous Duck (female)

Ferruginous Duck (female)

Ferruginous Duck

Ferruginous Duck

Ferruginous Duck (female)

Ferruginous Duck (female)

After some rest it's pleasant to make some stretching:

Ferruginous Duck (male)

Ferruginous Duck (male)

Ferruginous Duck (male)

Ferruginous Duck (male)

Mikepércs: Black-Necked Grebe

I feared that it would be overcast this morning, but the sky at dawn is clear. My hide has been swept again by the wind, fortunately not too far. It seems that the four sticks can't hold in the april winds, so I'm going to anchor it.
The photography starts with the little grebes:

Little Grebe

At last the couple is together, but I'm afraid, they don't pose:

Little Grebe

A bit later the ducks come:

Garganey (male)

Shoveler (male)

Nothing gets close for a long time, then I see a little grebe in the distance. However something is strange with it ... it's bigger than the others. I bring it into focus ... it's eyes are red! Wow! It's a black-necked one! I wish it came closer! It's behaving like a decent grebe, it ducks now and then under the water for several seconds then comes up. On one occasion it pops up quite close, it's peering at the hide:

Black-Necked Grebe

The ducks are there too, ...:

Shoveler (male)

Shoveler (male)

... some of them in pair:

Ferruginous Ducks

Gadwalls

The coot nearby tidies its territory from time to time, it bundles off all the "intruders":

Coot

Soon a couple of ferruginous ducks gives the theme:

Ferruginous Duck (male)

Ferruginous Duck (female)

Ferruginous Duck (female)

I've never seen such a thing: the male turns on his back and it's preening this way:

Ferruginous Duck (male)

Ferruginous Duck (male)

Ferruginous Duck (male)

Ferruginous Duck (male)

Meanwhile the black-necked grebe roams the whole pond and after some time it gets nearby again:

Black-Necked Grebe

The gadwalls are closing too:

Gadwall (male)

Gadwall (male)

Ferruginous Duck (female)

Ferruginous Duck (male)

Eventually the black-necked grebe pops up really close:

Black-Necked Grebe

How beautiful ear tufts it's got!
This is what I've been waiting for! Perhaps next time we'll meet again.