Mikepércs: Little Grebes And Whiskered Terns

Today I go again for backlight photography. I'm glad to observe that the number of the little grebes has grown up, there are many youngs. 

At 5 o'clock the sun starts to colour the water surface:

Young Little Grebe

Little Grebe

I'm waiting for such moments:

Young Little Grebe

Young Little Grebe

Young Little Grebe

Suddenly I notice a little grebe climbing the trunk in front of me, ...:

Young Little Grebe

... having a short rest there:

Young Little Grebe

Young Little Grebe

Meanwhile the young whiskered terns occupy the branch placed for them crying for food from the parents flying nearby:

Young Whiskered Tern

A short preening on a good place:

Little Grebe

Little Grebe

Young Little Grebe

The terns are landing on the trunk as well as the morning haze covers the surface:

Young Whiskered Tern

The resting place is occupied by a little grebe again:

Young Little Grebe

Young Little Grebe

Young Little Grebe

Little Grebe

The events are happening so frequently that I should pay my attention on many things at the same time, now I'm focussing on a landing tern:

Young Whiskered Tern

These drops of water are produced by a bathing bird:

Young Whiskered Tern

Young Whiskered Tern

Young Whiskered Tern

Young Whiskered Tern

Young Whiskered Tern

An adult whiskered tern is landing in front of me as well:

Whiskered Tern

Sometimes it's shaking itself while preening:

Whiskered Tern

Whiskered Tern

Landing:

Young Whiskered Terns

Young Whiskered Tern

Young Whiskered Tern

Young Whiskered Tern

Young Whiskered Tern

Young Whiskered Tern

Young Whiskered Tern

Young Whiskered Tern

At 7 am the lights are so strong that I decide to finish today's photography.

Debrecen: Flowers

Today I visited the botanical garden in Debrecen, hunting for flowers:

Mikepércs: Wishing The Pygmy Cormorant

I would like to catch the last time's pygmy cormorant, so yesterday I moved my hide a bit and placed two branches in front of it, in case the cormorant would come again. 

It's not too dark when I get into the hide. Soon I can hear the voice of an approaching night heron which soon lands right on my branch for my greatest pleasure. I try to photograph it but it's too dark. Unfortunately it flies away after some time. The Sun rises slowly and starts to enlighten the water:

Coot

Coot

Nothing happens for long though the lights are beautiful. At last a grey heron lands:

Grey Heron

It's moving very slowly but doesn't catch anything.

The coots don't come close, but I think I have managed to take some nice shots:

Coot

Coot

Then a whiskered tern is landing, unfortunately with back to me:

Whiskered Tern

Whiskered Tern

Whiskered Tern

Thin clouds start to hide the sun changing the colours completely:

Coots

The terns are taking turns at landing on and flying away from the branch:

Whiskered Tern

Suddenly another bird is willing to land on the same place ...:

Whiskered Terns

Whiskered Terns

Whiskered Terns

Whiskered Terns

... brushing off the first bird in the end:

Whiskered Terns

Some preening:

Whiskered Tern

Mikepércs: Great White Egret, Coots and Ferruginous Ducks

Today I try to get some backlight photos at the pond again. I wake up at 3 so that I can set off early. There's no problem with starting but on my way to the pond my car gets stuck in a puddle on the dirt-road. It's because my silly mistake only. I try to get out for a while, but I have to realize that it's not a ten minutes' work, so I leave the car in the puddle and continue my way on foot. It takes me about half an hour to get to my hide, and by the time I get there it's getting light. I can see coots and a grey heron in the middle of the pond which get away quickly when seeing me. I get into the hide quickly and start to wait for the birds to appear. Soon the Sun appears when I notice a great white egret in the water. It must have arrived a few moments ago. It starts hunting at once:

Great White Egret

It' picking tadpoles out of the water:

Great White Egret

Great White Egret

Great White Egret

Great White Egret

A bit later I notice something interesting: First I think I can see a grebe, as it's plunging into the water, but I discover soon that it's a pygmy cormorant! I haven't seen it here before. Unfortunately it's far a bit. Soon it climbs on a dried stem to dry itself, but it's not visible enough because of the vegetation.
A ferruginous duck appears too:

Ferruginous Duck

I try to record the coots as well:

Coot

Coot

Other ferruginous ducks appear, bathing one after another:

Ferruginous Duck

Ferruginous Duck

The Sun is getting high quickly, lights are getting stronger and stronger, and my car annoys me too, so I don't stay long in the hide. But I think it's been worth coming.