Mikepércs: Little Grebe Family

I could expect the little grebes again, but I wouldn't have thought that there are so many of them.
I can see some haze above the water when the first birds appear, ...:

Young Coot

... which disappears quickly when the sun starts to shine.
Young little grebe arrives:

Young Little Grebe

Then a more mature one finds a little prey nearby:

Young Little Grebe

I'm happy to see a new generation of little grebes as well, an adult is approaching with its fluffy youngs. Suddenly the adult climbs the trunk placed nearby but soon I can see it in the water again:

Little Grebe

The little ones ask for food continously, and the parents are working hard to sooth their hunger:

Little Grebe

The adult bird climbs on the trunk again to preen itself, meanwhile the little ones are waiting patiently:

Little Grebe

Little Grebe

However it has not much time as the youngs are hungry, they have to be fed:

Little Grebe

This is the smallest one:

Young Little Grebe

Young Little Grebe

Little Grebe

Seeing how often comes up the grebe mum with a large tadpole from under the water, a young coot tries to scrounge, ...:

Young Coot

Little Grebe

... after some time the grebe mum becomes fed up with this and attacks the larger coot which runs away shouting upset at the grebe.
The little grebe comes up with a tadpole in every minute, it seems that there are lots of them in the pond. After some time the youngs don't even accept the food. Seeing that its offer is no use, ithe adult swallows it itself.

Little Grebe

Little Grebe

One couldn't believe that these small youngs can swallow such a big prey:

Young Little Grebe

Little Grebe

Young Little Grebe

The adults haven't got small feet but these youngs have huge oars compared the their size:

Young Little Grebe

Suddenly one of the parent birds begins to lay seaweed on the trunk, for what purpose, I have no idea:

Little Grebe

Mikepércs: Youngs

Last time I turned the hide because I didn't have a good background any more. I placed a branch in front of the hide, and today I'm anxious to see the upcoming events.
A young coot climbs up to the branch before sunrise to have a short preening. Soon a young whiskered tern lands, but after a few seconds it leaves too.
Then a ferruginous duck arrives and starts bathing:

Ferruginous Duck (male)

Ferruginous Duck (male)

Unfortunately it's molting, so the wings are not very beautiful.
The sun begins to rise when a little grebe starts to bath nearby:

Little Grebe

I notice a little grebe family with three fluffy youngs in the distance. They are approaching but soon disappear among the vegetation. Though I can hear their tweet, they are not far. Moreover, after some time they come forth, that's one of them:

Young Little Grebe

Meanwhile the ferruginous duck returns on the branch, but it can't stay, as a little coot bundles it off.
A little grebe is bathing again:

Little Grebe

Little Grebe

Little Grebe

Little Grebe

I try to photograph the young coot as well:

Young Coot

Young Coot

Young Coot

Young Coot

A female garganey arrives too:

Garganey (female)

Garganey (female)

Garganey (female)

The water is full of seaweed:

Young Little Grebe

The branch scores a great success as after a short time a whiskered tern is preening on it:

Whiskered Tern

Whiskered Tern

Little Grebe

Then little pochards are coming:

Young Pochard

Gulls then grey herons come to molest the brooding terns, but they defend themselves successfully.
The young little grebes appear again, their mum is bringing up continoulsy a tadpole from under the water, which sometimes is so big that the youngs can hardly swalow them:

Young Little Grebe

I'm focusing again on the young coot, it's just dundering for something:

Young Coot

Young Coot

Young Little Grebe

Mikepércs: Young Terns

Last night I hoped that I would have a hazy morning today, but when I got up I saw that I would have little chance for this as it was totally overcast.
Near the hide the terns are flying about already when I get there, though it's still dark. I could take lots of photos, as the birds are quite active, however it's getting light very slowly. Little grebes are coming then a pochard comes close with its youngs, they are swimming by really close to the hide. It's funny how these little birds start up to catch an insect, they launch themselves like a bullet.
A female shoveler starts to bath nearby, then another one arrives. They are paddling a bit then fly away. Female garganeys and common teals are feeding nearby as well.
Meanwhile young whiskered terns are landing on the trunk in front of the hide. They are preening, ...

Young Whiskered Tern

... having a rest, and when adult birds are approaching, they cry loudly for food:

Young Whiskered Terns

Young Whiskered Terns

Young Whiskered Terns

Young Whiskered Terns

Young Whiskered Terns

Later a third one arrives too, sometimes they take off but always return, obviously this place is more comfortable than the bending plants.
Finally an adult bird lands for preening:

Whiskered Tern

Whiskered Tern

Mikepércs: The Young Red-Necked Grebe Turns Up

It was quite a strong wind yesterday, so I'm a little surprised having found my hide on its place.
The birds don't come close for a while, but there are a few young little grebes of many generations. From time to time they come close:

Young Little Grebe

Young whiskered terns are crying for food waiting their parents to come:

Young Whiskered Tern

Suddenly I notice a young red-necked grebe close to the opposite bank, it starts preening then comes towards me:

Young Red-Necked Grebe

Unfortunately the wind begins to blow and the waves don't do any good to the photos.
A little grebe is catching its preys in the middle of the pond, as I see, it swallows the big bites, and with the small ones it's starting up towards the reed near the bank, I think it brings them to the little youngs.
I try to photograph the young little grebes that pop up nearby through the side window, the problem is that when I fixed the hide here I forgot about the plants in front of the window, so I have little chance now.

When I leave I'm happy to see the terns on their nests, hopefully I will see the little ones too.

Mikepércs: Tern Couple

It's been strong wind these days. So, I'm not surprised when I don't find my hide in its place at dawn. One can hardly see anything yet, I set off in one direction to find it, but it's not there. Then I start in the opposite direction and discover it in the farthest corner of the pond. I start to push it to its place like a little boy his toy car. Meanwhile the terns become indignant around me, it seems that they really mean brooding here.
It's really overcast, the birds aren't very active. Yet the terns are hunting and often landing on the plants nearby to have a rest or to preen. Sometimes they do it in pairs:

 Whiskered Terns

Whiskered Terns