Mikepércs: Only A Water Rail

In contrast to the title, not only one water rail turned up today in front of my hide, but it's true that there are few birds as there is nearly only mud in the pond bed. In the early hours 3-4 young water rails make a hunt on the area. However a wood sandpiper, a great egret and a Temminck's stint appeared too. Only the surroundings is not very good for photography with this amount of mud, so I show only one water rail shot this time:

Young Water Rail

Mikepércs: A Rapicious Water Rail

This morning I moved the hide closer to the drinking place of the turtle doves hoping for better shots.

The first scene however was about a young water rail and its prey. I have read already about the rails capturing small birds as well, but I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw this young specimen killing (I suppose) a kind of calidris. Even the young moorhen nearby went closer, I think it didn't believe its eyes either :) After having killing it the rail took the small bird and rushed with it into the reed:

Young Water Rail with its prey and a Young Moorhen

Instead of the turtle doves the young white wagtails appear first in the early sunrays:

Young White Wagtail

Young White Wagtail

Young White Wagtail

A few starlings land as well in hope of some food, they turn up the small clods with their beaks looking under them:

Starling

I couldn't cope with the turtle doves as I would have liked to, this is my result with them for today:

Turtle Dove

Mikepércs: In Backlight Again

I was satisfied with my last week's results, so I stayed on the same place today.

The rails appear quite early, but the first photos of them are not too successful. As soon as the sun rises a snipe rushes in front of the hide:

Common Snipe

The starlings land on the drying pondbed in flocks again:

Starling

Soon two young pheasants appear:

Young Pheasant

Young Pheasant

The young rails come out of the reed regularly to search among the vegetation:

Water Rail

Water Rail

The pheasants appear again:

Young Pheasant

A young lapwing spends long minutes to rest nearby:

Young Lapwing

Young Lapwing

The wood pigeons and the turtle doves are perching on the bushes nearby but sometimes they are landing near the remaining water to drink. One of them comes quite close this time:

Turtle Dove

I managed to catch a young specimen as well:

Young Turtle Dove

Mikepércs: Water Rails Again

Today I went for the rails again.

The sun hasn't rised yet when a common snipe appears in the drying pondbed searching for a good place:

Common Snipe

Common Snipe

Soon a young rail is coming out of the vegetation:

Young Water Rail

Young Water Rail

Young Water Rail

Young Water Rail

Young Water Rail

Of course it doesn't stay out for more than a minute but soon another young appears, this time bathing in the lights of the rising sun:

Young Water Rail

Young Water Rail

Young Water Rail

Young Water Rail

Young Water Rail

An adult rail is nearby too, but I can't see it well.

The wagtails and other small birds are here as well, if I'm right, this is a marsh warbler:

Marsh Warbler

In the end a wood sandpiper is coming really close:

Wood Sandpiper

Mikepércs: Water Rails

Another try at the pond.
Not long after I get into the hide, young water rails are coming out of the little "reed-mace forest" nearby. However it is too dark for photography. But I can see young wagtails, sedge warblers, marsh warblers and bluethroats as well. At the first lights I can hardly get a sharp image of the moving birds, but later I manage to catch them when they stop for a moment.
An adult, ...:

Water Rail

... and a young bird:

Young Water Rail

Then by the first rays of the sun a spotted crake appears suddenly in front of the hide:

Spotted Crake

Unfortunately it doesn't stay there long, it rushes back in the vegetation.
A young yellow wagtail lands as well:

Young Yellow Wagtail

A few wood sandpipers are present too, one of them finds a really big prey:

Wood Sandpiper

In the end two black-winged stilts are landing, here's one of them:

Black-winged Stilt

Mikepércs: "Beauty" In The Marsh

I'm still stuck to the rails. But today I wasn't able to take decent shots. However a tree pipit landed on the dried pond bed. I haven't met this bird yet on this place.
Then a young water rail appeared, which was much younger than the ones seen so far:

Young Water Rail

I have to admit it is not a beauty. Especially not with spread wings:

Young Water Rail

Later a black redstart appeared nearby. However most of the birds have left this place, so I decided to put an end to my photography here and give it a try again next year.

Mikepércs: The Adult Water Rail

At sunrise I was in the hide again at the pond, hunting for rails. I was able to photograph the first birds getting in front of me by good lights:

Young White Wagtail

Common Snipe

Common Snipe

Common Snipe

  
Meanwhile I was peeking continously at the shore vegetation looking for the rails and the crakes. Sometimes I could catch sight of some of them lurking between the reed-mace. I saw not only the water rails and the spotted crake but I noticed a young little crake as well. As soon as it had got close to the spotted crake, this one would drive it away at once. But the little crake would come back after a while, and the spotted crake would always make it run or fly away. All these scenes happened so quickly that I was unable to take photos of them.

Up to the present I've seen only the young water rails on this place. I wondered where the adults could be? And today one of the adults appeared walking ...:

Water Rail

... or running in front of me:

Water Rail

Water Rail

Water Rail

It was looking for it's breakfast among the wet water plants:

Water Rail

Sometimes it's head vanished in the vegetation:

Water Rail

Today the crakes didn't appear in front of me, but at least I could catch the adult water rail.