Mikepércs: Water Shrinkage

I was at the pond two weeks ago, so I waited today's actions curiously. The water has shrunk a lot, so the first thing I did was moving the hide on.
The stilts are here but as far as I can see only one family stayed here.The youngs appear soon, all four of them are here. They have grown a lot, they are almost as big as their parents. And they can even fly. Sometimes they come very close to the hide which act is not rewarded by the parents. On one occasion they bundle off one of the youngs.
There's not much light when a great white egret appears at one side of the hide. However the stilt parents start to molest it so the egret walks away soon. After some time a grey heron lands, of course the stilts don't leave it in peace either, so it takes off soon as well.
The youngs keep coming very close to the hide, perhaps finding more delicious food there:

Young Black-winged Stilt

Young Black-winged Stilt

The young wagtails appear near the hide as well as a young starling. Moreover, a ruff lands for a short time with a run-down plumage:

Ruff (male)

Preening:

Young Black-winged Stilt

Young Black-winged Stilt

The little ringed plovers are still on the area as well. The great white egret appears again: just next to the hide. This huge bird is really towering above me lying in the hide! I try to change the lens as I have no chance with the tele lens, it's so close. But in the next moment it takes off, it might have observed some movement behind the glass...
However it appears again after a short time a little further, ...:

Great White Egret

... not staying for long this time either.

Mikepércs: The Stilt Chicks Have Grown A Lot!

I can expect the little stilts this morning as well and a higher water level as it has rained quite a lot these days.
The young stilts are pecking on the usual place, but they have grown a lot during a week's time! However they still like to dig their heads into the parents' plumage.
The stilts that have hatched closer start to appear one after the other and are coming closer:

Young Black-winged Stilt

Young Black-winged Stilt

Young Black-winged Stilt

Young Black-winged Stilt

Sure enough they are not the fluffy hatchlings that they used to be a week ago, they have already developed some pin feathers on their wings. I could have got more from the fluffies ... the hide was not on the right place in fact ...
The most important is that all of the four chicks are alive.

For my greatest pleasure some fog start to appear above the water:

Black-winged Stilt

Black-winged Stilt

Young Black-winged Stilt

Black-winged Stilt

Young Black-winged Stilt

Young Black-winged Stilt

Young Black-winged Stilt

The youngs are moving a lot more than last time, they return regularly to the front of the hide:

Young Black-winged Stilt

Young Black-winged Stilt

Young Black-winged Stilt

Young Black-winged Stilt

Young Black-winged Stilt

Young Black-winged Stilt

Mikepércs: A Little Closer To The Chicks

The stilt family is at the same place too at dawn: near the nest where the chicks have been hatched.
One of the parents is always "at hand" so the youngs can warm up themselves any time:

Black-winged Stilt

Black-winged Stilt

After a seven minute snooze:

Black-winged Stilt

Black-winged Stilt

Black-winged Stilt

They don't come closer this time either for long. Then suddenly they set off along the bank and I can photograph them through the side window:

Young Black-winged Stilt

It's unbelievable that they are scarcely two weeks old and yet they know near everything a bird has to know: they independently come and go ...:

Young Black-winged Stilt

Young Black-winged Stilt

... feed ...:

Young Black-winged Stilt

... and preen themselves ...:

Young Black-winged Stilt

... and they would even fly ...:

Young Black-winged Stilt

... if they had flight feathers on their tiny wings :)

Young Black-winged Stilt

Yawn:

Young Black-winged Stilt

Then they disappear in the reed under supervision of their father and don't return while I'm there so I can only photograph the adults:

Black-winged Stilt

Black-winged Stilt

Mikepércs: New Stilt Hatchlings

Last time I placed the reflection glass back in the hide window, so that I can move more freely in order not to disturb the birds.
It's getting lighter when the pandemonium starts: the redshanks want to land on the shore nearby, but as soon as their feet touches the ground the attack comes from the stilts who don't want to share the territory with other birds. The indignant parent:

Black-winged Stilt

No wonder as the hatchling breeding period has begun, the eggs have been hatched in the other nest too and I discover the small fluffy creatures nearby the nest:

Black-winged Stilt

I become a witness of the strict stilt education when the parents chastise the hatchlings or peck their necks several times.
A landing mallard is also bundled off by the stilts. The redshanks keep on trying to land somewhere nearby, obviously they breed somewhere in this area as well. The redshank chasing keeps on all the time. But the silts have to pay attention on the black headed gulls too that circulate above to pond:

Black-winged Stilt

Black-winged Stilt

Black-winged Stilt

The hatchlings come and go independently picking the insects from the ground. Unfortunately they don't come close enough so, I decide to come back tomorrow.

Mikepércs: The First Tiny Tot

By now one of the stilts' nests must be empty. Before I get into the hide I move the hide on a bit and turn it, because the other direction is more promising.
The stilt that lands nearby is crying continously for a long time until it calms down in the end. The other stilt sits back on its nest that was built later:

Black-winged Stilt

It's strange that the bird nearby doesn't leave that small watery island it has landed on, and when I look at it more attentively I can see something moving next to it, two small legs are hanging out of its plumage. I haven't seen such a thing before, and I wouldn't have believed that this works in this way! Unfortunately the background isn't good, so I'm trying to make some videos.
Meanwhile a lapwing arrives:

Lapwing

Lapwing

Lapwing

A young lapwings comes as well, it's still covered with downy feathers, ...:

Young Lapwing

... and is crying continously. The adult bird doesn't tolerate it to stay long on this place, bundling it off.

Meanwhile I see that the tiny stilt slips out from the parent's plumage fom time to time (the parents rotate each other) to get back after a short time in the warm quilt:

Black-winged Stilt

Black-winged Stilt