Mikepércs: The First Tiny Tot

By now one of the stilts' nests must be empty. Before I get into the hide I move the hide on a bit and turn it, because the other direction is more promising.
The stilt that lands nearby is crying continously for a long time until it calms down in the end. The other stilt sits back on its nest that was built later:

Black-winged Stilt

It's strange that the bird nearby doesn't leave that small watery island it has landed on, and when I look at it more attentively I can see something moving next to it, two small legs are hanging out of its plumage. I haven't seen such a thing before, and I wouldn't have believed that this works in this way! Unfortunately the background isn't good, so I'm trying to make some videos.
Meanwhile a lapwing arrives:

Lapwing

Lapwing

Lapwing

A young lapwings comes as well, it's still covered with downy feathers, ...:

Young Lapwing

... and is crying continously. The adult bird doesn't tolerate it to stay long on this place, bundling it off.

Meanwhile I see that the tiny stilt slips out from the parent's plumage fom time to time (the parents rotate each other) to get back after a short time in the warm quilt:

Black-winged Stilt

Black-winged Stilt

Mikepércs: Nesting Stilts

Last time I moved the hide closer to the bank, where some vegetation started to grow on the wet ground. I'm giving a try here today hoping to catch sight of the avocets' new generation.
The black-winged stilt is still sitting on its nest, while its mate is feeding or trying to bundle off the birds that appear in the territory. The little ringed plovers however are allowed to search nearby, but the landing lapwings and spotted redshanks can stay only for a few seconds. This proves to be enough for a few shots:

Lapwing

Lapwing

Three black-headed gulls are landing too, but they can't stay either, the defence is working well.
So, there aren't many themes, the avocets' nest is already empty, they are gone. Looking out a little backwards I discover another stilt nest with the bird sitting on its eggs. It's only a few meters from the hide:

Black-winged Stilt

Black-winged Stilt

Mikepércs: Fog Again

I hoped for some fog for this morning after having some rainy days. However when I got up the stars were shining brightly, only the western part of the sky was cloudy.

So, I had a rest in the hide resigning myself that there won't be any fog this morning. But when I'm looking up after half an hour, I can see quite a thick fog in front of me. Only the birds are yet to come. I don't have to wait long for them, as a couple of garganeys are landing and coming closer, where their legs reach the pond bed:

Garganey (male)

After a some time they leave:

Garganey (male)

Soon stilts and avocets appear. But a lapwing lands too.
As I notice, there are two couples of avocets in the area, they pass in front of the hide several times:

Avocet

Avocet

The redshank couple is in the area as well, one of them comes closer:

Redshank

Black-winged Stilt

Meanwhile I can hear black-headed gulls approaching, they land but can't be seen well because of the fog. And they don't stay long.
Soon a redshank is having a bath nearby, ...:

Redshank

Redshank

Redshank

... then it starts preening:

Redshank

Redshank

Redshank

Redshank

Redshank

Redshank

Redshank

Redshank

Redshank

Redshank

Black-winged Stilt

Meanwhile a few terns arrive.
The stilts stay nearby all time, and I notice that they have a nest in the rare vegetation, as one of them is sitting on it for a while.
Meanwhile a ruff turns up too:

Ruff (female)

Ruff (female)

The terns are flying above the water for quite a long time, ...:

Whiskered Tern

... and picking insects from the surface. I'm trying hard to catch them during this activity, however it's not simple:

Whiskered Tern

Whiskered Tern

I can see the stilts mating again, but this time they are close to the vegetation, so I can't take decent shots of them.

Black-winged Stilt

Black-winged Stilt

Black-winged Stilt

Black-winged Stilt

The lapwing lands again, this time accompanied by another one:

Lapwing

As the sun gets higher, the air is clearing, but the dewy cobwebs show how hazy the air was at dawn:

Black-winged Stilt

Mikepércs: Common Snipes

Early in the morning I'm lying on my belly in the hide and waiting for the beautiful morning lights, as a sunny day is to be expected.

The first bird that I can photograph before sunrise is a common snipe, however the lights are still weak. Later a black-winged stilt starts searching nearby by better lights:

Black-winged Stilt

Then two ruffs land and start displaying facing at each other, ...:

Ruff (female)

Ruff (male)

... but they calm down quickly.

After a few minutes I can hear the voices of a few black-headed gulls, and indeed, they land just in front of me by beautiful lights:

Black-headed Gull

Black-headed Gull

Black-headed Gull

Meanwhile a coot is flapping with its wings after bathing:

Coot

The gulls leave, but a ruff is searching continously nearby, ...:

Ruff (male)

... just like two common snipes:

Common Snipe

Common Snipe

The bird of the year is landing:

Black-winged Stilt

One of the common snipes starts preening:

Common Snipe

Common Snipe

Common Snipe

The other one is rushing towards the vegetation:

Common Snipe

Scrathing:

Common Snipe

I can hear some known sounds again: lapwings are approaching and how nice, they are landing in front of me too:

Lapwing

One of them is having a bath, ...:

Lapwing

Lapwing

... then it does some preening:

Lapwing

I'm paying attention on the common snipes as well:

Common Snipe

Lapwing

Lapwing

Lapwing

Lapwing

Lapwing

The wind starts to blow and instead of the yellow colour of the reed the blue sky begins to reflect on the waving water:

Common Snipe

Common Snipe

I discover two black-tailed godwits near the opposite bank! That's a good reason to bring my hide there.