Mikepércs: Still Waiting For The Hatchlings ...

I expected that the eggs have been hatched by now in one of the stilts' nests. However they are still sitting on the eggs, it seems that they need a few more days.
Two black-headed gulls arrive early in the morning, they do some preening then fly away to return after a few minutes:

Black-headed Gull

Black-headed Gull

Black-headed Gull

Black-headed Gull

Black-headed Gull

A water rail appears near the bank, it's quite far from me. Suddenly it starts to speed towards me. I try to turn the camera but it takes notice of it and disappears in the thick vegetation without being photographed.
Soon a spotted redshank lands, it's close:

Spotted Redshank

But it moves on, the "stovepipe" in the hide is suspicious:

Spotted Redshank

Spotted Redshank

There's not a big activity this time either, but before I leave I take a few shots of the stilt sitting on the nest nearby:

Black-winged Stilt

Black-winged Stilt

Black-winged Stilt

Mikepércs: Stilts In The Fog

It "rains a lot" nowadays, which means that the water level at the pond doesn't decrease, moreover it has increased a few centimeters from one week to another. I observe this today at dawn when I get to the hide. The bird activity however is slowly decreasing. But the stilts are sticking to the place.
The first bird that walks in is a common sandpiper probing the mud under the water. Then a water rail appears at the border of a typha bed nearby. It's looking towards me, so I'm turning the lens towards it very slowly, however when I nearly succeed to reach it, it leaves.
A spotted redshank in nearly breeding plumage lands:

Spotted Redshank

From time to time the wood sandpipers and the ruffs are falling together by the ears.
A "jolly" ruff:

Ruff (female)

I can't see a male ruff anymore I'm afraid.
Meanwhile I can feel cold, hazy air coming into the hide and I notice that some fog has settled down on the pond. Great! I start to shoot more frequently at the feeding stilts ...:

Black-winged Stilt

Black-winged Stilt

... and at the sandpipers nearby:

Wood Sandpiper

Black-winged Stilt

Black-winged Stilt

Black-winged Stilt

Spotted Redshank

The godwits cannot be seen or heard anymore. It seems they have left.
After about 20 minutes the fog start to disappear. That's a pity, as the mating stilts would have looked nice in the haze:

Black-winged Stilts

Black-winged Stilts

Sometimes I peep out through the door of the hide, the situation on that area is the same: a few sandpipers are feeding, but an avocet is sitting on its nest! I wonder if they can breed successful.
I'm making some try with the sandpipers for a while before I leave:

Wood Sandpiper

Mikepércs: Some Haze

There was some rain yesterday, so when I set off to the pond I realize there is some haze! And when there is haze on the road then there haze is at the pond as well!
I'm waiting in the hide for the actions to happen ... at the moment I can see that the birds are far from me.
Then two black-winged stilts are drawing on in the haze:

Black-winged Stilt

Soon other stilts are coming and a short jarring takes place:

Black-winged Stilt

Black-winged Stilt

They are crying, chasing and pecking each other, before one of the couples leaves, so the others calm down and continue searching for food:

Black-winged Stilt

A wood sandpiper:

Wood Sandpiper

Black-winged Stilt

Soon a spotted redshank appears, ...:

Spotted Redshank

... then lapwings arrive but they are far from me.

The stilts are chasing each other again:

Black-winged Stilt

Black-winged Stilt

Black-winged Stilt

Meanwhile I observe the court of the little ringed plovers on the shore, unfortunately the surroundings is not so good.
A mallard is taking off a little farther:

Mallard

Two stilts are chasing each other again:

Black-winged Stilt

Then common snipes are waddling in front of me:

Common Snipe

Common Snipe

Common Snipe

Suddenly I catch sight of one of the black-tailed godwits which I longed for. It has just landed among the ruffs. After some time the godwit comes closer, unfortunately near the reed, so I can't photograph it well. The redshank and the spotted redshank however are at the right distance:

Redshank

Spotted Redshank

Soon the godwit gets on the right place:

Black-tailed Godwit

Mikepércs: Curled Sandpiper

Yesterday I moved the hide to the place, where the ruffs had been more active.
Getting to the hide at dawn I can only discover a few stilts and sandpipers nearby. It's been raining recently, so the water area has increased a bit.
The sun hasn't rised yet, but a few wood sandpipers already appear around the hide.
A bit later the rising sun gives them a beautiful golden colour:

Wood Sandpiper

As time goes by more and more wood sandpipers come, but I can discover a common sandpiper too.
Then a dark-headed yellow wagtail appears, it's either searching on the ground  or landing on my hide.
The mud is very sticky, so the sandpipers can hardly walk in it. They often use their wings not to get stuck in the mud:

Wood Sandpiper

Wood Sandpiper

Wood Sandpiper

Then comes what I've been waiting for: a flock of ruffs. I can only see one male, the rest are females.
They are a bit far from me and they fly away soon. Later however they return and I observe a smaller and reddish bird among them. I know that I can see something new: a curlew sandpiper!
If only they came closer! As if they knew my wish, the ruffs are approaching slowly with the curlew sandpiper among them, which is walking now definitely towards my hide. That's it! I can take already good shots of him:

Curled Sandpiper (male)

He keeps approaching:

Curled Sandpiper (male)

Curled Sandpiper (male)

He's preening even a bit:

Curled Sandpiper (male)

Curled Sandpiper (male)

Curled Sandpiper (male)

Then he goes back to the ruffs, as if he had come close just to have a few photos taken of him.
The ruffs are suffering in the mud too:

Ruff (female)

Suddenly a beautiful black spotted redshank is landing in front of me:

Spotted Redshank

Spotted Redshank

Spotted Redshank

Spotted Redshank

After a short search it flies away. It seems that the place is not the best for it.

Then I manage to take an acceptable image of the yellow wagtail too:

Yellow Wagtail (male)

Next the wood sandpipers are playing the main role:

Wood Sandpiper

Leg cleaning:

Wood Sandpiper

Wood Sandpiper

A good stretch is missing sometimes:

Wood Sandpiper

Wood Sandpiper

The flock of ruffs return again, this time with two female curled sandpipers among them. Unfortunately they don't come close enough, but the ruffs do:

Ruff (female)

Ruff (female)

Later the ruffs leaves the place again, and I do so because of the strong lights.