Mikepércs: Birds In Backlight

Last time I had to move my hide farther, for there was no water in the pond except one little area. I hasn't been at my hide for weeks now, so today I got into it with excitement.

A wood sandpiper appears first, as it is moving on the small flies are rising in a flock from the ground. The sandpiper tries to catch them:

Wood Sandpiper

Soon a few starlings are landing, ...:

Starling

Starling

... they are searching food among the drying vegetation in the pondbed gaping their beaks:

Starling

Starling

Starling

The young white wagtails are hunting the flies:

Young White Wagtail

Suddenly a few green shanks land and the flies are rising in a flock around them:

Green Shank

Green Shank

Green Shank

A few snipes are nearby too, they also find something for breakfast:

Common Snipe

They have time for a rest too:

Common Snipe

Common Snipe

Common Snipe

Common Snipe

Common Snipe

Common Snipe

Trip To Germany And Austria

Between 21. and 25. of August I made a trip to Germany and Austria with my children. The misty morning, for wich I wait for months at home, found me on the first morning at the Main river. On top of that a swan family came floating towards me ...:

Mute Swan

... then coming to the shore to preen:

Mute Swan

I tried some evening photography at Forggensee:

In Austra we went along the Grossglockner alpine road that crossed the mountain and got near the highest peek of the Austrian Alps, the Grossglockner:

The Grossglockner (3798 m)

The serpentine that crossed the mountain:

I didn't manage to take a good shot of the marmots, although we saw a few.

Mikepércs: Wood Sandpiper

Last time I moved my hide further, where the water was about 20-30 cm deep. I supposed that the rails would be more active there when the previous place would be dried already.

Well, the rails are not as active as last time and they come out of the reed farther from me. With a fast run they overcome the deep water just like the moorhen which I discovered before.
Though a few wood sandpipers appear in front of me from time to time:

Wood Sandpiper

Wood Sandpiper

Wood Sandpiper

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: Shrinking Water

I was unable to take a decent shot lately at the pond, mainly because of the unfavourable background. The water is shrinking fast, attracting  the shore birds. But I could see water rail and crake as well.
The shorebirds are the first to appear at dawn, there are many wood sandpipers. A young water rail is coming to the open ground, but it's too far for taking a good shot. Then two common snipes come, they are not close enough either. Later the coots are coming, mainly youngs:

Young Coot

After some time the birds start to preen themselves:

Wood Sandpiper

Wood Sandpiper

Ruff

Ruff

Wood Sandpiper

Mikepércs: A Hunting Great White Egret

My last tern photography wasn't successful. However I made some changes to the landing place, so I set off today with high hopes.

The terns usually arrive with the first lights to the pond. Today however I'm just waiting and waiting for them and yet they don't come. It's full light already when one of them appears, flies above the pond, then turns back and leaves. Damn! I suspect that I've got up in vain so early. The sun is shining for long, the best lights are gone, I'm thinking about leaving ... Then I hear some noise and observe an egret in the reed. It's just coming out:

Great White Egret

Great White Egret

It's hunting for small creatures, mainly for tadpoles:

Great White Egret

Great White Egret

Great White Egret

Great White Egret

Great White Egret

Great White Egret

It comes really close:

Great White Egret

Great White Egret

I don't know if it has observerd the motion of my lens but it flies further to go on searching for tadpoles there ...:

Great White Egret

... then it disappears in the vegetation.

At least I didn't come in vain.