Miskolc: Lillafüred

Making use of the few days stand in Miskolc today I've made a visit to Lillafüred hoping for nice autumn landscapes:

Palace Hotel

View from the cliff of Fehér-kő

Mikepércs: Dwindled Activity

My last time's try at the pont was a disaster for I wasn't able to take a single expo. I saw one or two little grebes farther, but most of them having disappeared, just like the many coots, of which I didn't see a single one. That's why I moved the hide near the opposite bank where I had seen the little grebes. And today I was hoping to be more lucky.

There was some rain yesterday and seeing the fog this morning I'm hoping to take some foggy shots. There's not much light yet when two young and an adult moorhen are coming out of the reed. They don't come too close, yet I'm giving a try:

Moorhen

Young Moorhen

The adult moves farther, but the youngs don't go with it, they are picking the food out of water nearby. It takes some time for them to get closer. The Sun is shining by this time:

Young Moorhen

At last a young little grebe is swimming quickliy near the hide followed by its company who is doing a quick preening on its way:

Young Little Grebe

After some time they return swimming as close as 2-3 meters from me:

Young Little Grebe

Unfortunately there wasn' happening too much this morning, it seems that this year's water photography is coming to an end.

Mikepércs: Little Grebes

I expected birds among flowers again on my photos today. The small violet flowers are still there, only birds should land next to them.

The birds don't come too early this morning, first the young little grebes ...:

Young Little Grebe

... then the young white wagtails appear, ...:

Young White Wagtail

... one of them lands among the flowers to spend its time with preening:

Young White Wagtail

Young White Wagtail

Other grebes are coming too at last:

Young Little Grebe

The water is full of weed so the grebes sometimes have to make serious efforts to get rid of these plants after a plunge:

Young Little Grebe

Young Little Grebe

Young Little Grebe

As soon as the sunrays find a way among the clouds the colors start to become vivid:

Young Little Grebe

Young Little Grebe

Plunge:

Young Little Grebe

Young Little Grebe

Young Little Grebe

Mikepércs: Whiskered Tern Among Flowers

Last weekend I turned my hide so that I could take front lit photos of the kingfisher in case it would appear again. 

Getting to my hide while arranging the trunk I notice that there are still flowers around it.

The little grebes don't want to come closer for a long time, but suddenly a whiskered tern appears on the trunk. It hasen't landed on the best place and doesn't stay long either. My attention is caught by the young little grebes swimming nearby, when the tern reappears suddenly on the trunk:

Whiskered Tern

Yes! This time it has landed on a better place and soon it starts preening:

Whiskered Tern

Whiskered Tern

Whiskered Tern

Whiskered Tern

Whiskered Tern

Whiskered Tern

Whiskered Tern

Whiskered Tern

Whiskered Tern

Whiskered Tern

Whiskered Tern

The preening takes about 20 minutes, then it flies away.

More and more young little grebes appear from different age-groups:

Young Little Grebe

Young Little Grebe

Young Little Grebe

Instead of the kingfisher a young white wagtail lands on the branch placed in front of the hide:

Young White Wagtail

Young White Wagtail

There are two of them, they don't really like each other's company, ...:

Young White Wagtail

Young White Wagtail

... sometimes they are chasing each other too.

Among the young little grebes an adult appears in front of me as well:

Little Grebe

A wood sandpiper tries to land in the water, but after realising that it's too deep for it it's flying off:

Wood Sandpiper

Eventually I take a few shots of the youngs before I leave my hide:

Young Little Grebe

Young Little Grebe

Mikepércs: Kingfisher

Yesterday I changed the landing branch and trunk. I placed the new trunk among some green vegetation with a few small blue flowers. This would be fine, I thought.
So, I'm getting into the hide with excitement this morning. Little Grebes are floating nearby, coots in some distance. In the early morning dim a splash in the water near my hide and a landing on it indicates that someone else is using my hide as well. The next splash happens right in front of me and I can figure out a kingfisher landing on top my hide! Wow! I haven't met this bird yet on this place. But it cannot be photographed if it settles only on my hide. So I focus on the grebes nearby, on the coots chasing each other farther on and on the flying whiskered terns ...:

Coot

Little Grebe

Young Little Grebe

... waiting to appear on my trunk. Unfortunately none of them is willing to have a rest on it.
However a little grebe chicken appears with one of it's parents asking for the breakfast:

Little Grebe

Little Grebe Chick

Meanwhile the kingfisher appears on the dried stem ...:

Kingfisher

... which I placed there to hide the broken twig of the "real" landing branch. The kingfisher finds it as a good observation point while hunting for small creatures in the water:

Kingfisher

Kingfisher

Meanwhile the young whiskered terns appear to land on the branch:

Young Whiskered Tern

Young Whiskered Tern

Kingfisher

The lights are getting strong quickly, so there's no use for staying any longer. This time I've had less opportunity however I'm glad for the kingfisher :)