Big Activity At The Pool

This morning I got into the hide at the pool with high hopes. I didn't have to wait long as I soon heard then caught sight of the first surprise on a branch: A male collard flycatcher! It landed on the side of the pool but left at once. What a pity!

A male blackbird was the first successful theme today:

Blackbird (male)

Then the second pleasant surprise appeared: a wood warbler started to search an appropriate place for bathing, ...:

Wood Warbler

Wood Warbler

Wood Warbler

... and it did find it:

Wood Warbler

Evidently it really enjoyed dabbling:

Wood Warbler

The blackbird again:

Blackbird (male)

Then a pied flycatcher landed at the end of the pool! 

Pied flycatcher (male)

He had a bath as well:

Pied flycatcher (male)

Pied flycatcher (male)

Pied flycatcher (male)

Pied flycatcher (male)

Pied flycatcher (male)

Finally the collard appeared too:

Collared flycatcher (male)

It didn't stay longer I'm afraid but I managed to record it!

A tit had a thorough bath too:

Great Tit

Great Tit

Great Tit

The third surprise is a green woodpecker:

Green Woodpecker

It landed at the same time like a jay at the side of the pool, they didn't like each other's company:

Jay

The green woodpecker searched even for some food at the side of the pool:

Green Woodpecker

Green Woodpecker

The wood warbler appeared again, this time I managed to catch it in the air ...:

Wood Warbler

... just like this spotted flycatcher:

Spotted Flycatcher

Another bath from the part of the warbler ...:

Wood Warbler

Wood Warbler

Wood Warbler

... then from the part of the flycatcher:

Spotted Flycatcher

Spotted Flycatcher

Among Birds Again

I was hoping that I could photograph at the pond this year as well, not ducks and grebes of course, but shorebirds for example, as there was not much precipitation this winter. In march I took a look around the place but I became very disappointed seeing the completely dry pondbed. I thought if there would be some water here next year the pondbed would be completely overgrown by reed. So very likely it's over on this place. There were 9 years. I will miss quack of the ducks, the "laugh" of the little grebes ... and even the smell of the marsh. :(

I still have a small drinking pool near the village, I haven't photographed there for 2 years, that time it wasn't visited by many birds. Recently I've been there a few times and I found that the birds do visit it nowadays. This morning I sat in the hide ready to take shots.

The sun has risen for half an hour when the first song thrush appears, first on a wrong place but later at the end of the pool:

Song Thrush

But the other birds are coming too: Chaffinch, blackcap, great tit, wood warbler, great spotted woodpecker, jay, wren, yellowhammer, goldfinch, starling, blue tit. Of course I managed to take acceptable photos only of some of them:

Blackcap

Song Thrush

Starling

Blue Tit

Blue Tit

 Well, I didn't count on so many birds ... It's worth working on the project. :)

Bükk Mountains: Wintertime

We planned a one day trip to the Bükk Mountains for this weekend. Some snow is expected at least on higher regions. And indeed, at the end of the road to Bánkút the ground is covered by snow. It's overcast and foggy when we set off among nice snowy trees. Reaching the Zsidó-meadow the sun appears now and then in the sky:

I decide to spend the night at Felsőtárkány and go back the next day. During the night some snow has fallen again. My target is the Zsidó-meadow again touching Tar-kő. The fog is even thicker, so I can't see anything when I get to Tar-kő. However I can find some themes on the Zsidó-meadow:

Slovakia: Autumn Moments

Autumn colours still prevail, so I set off again, this time to Slovakia. I have a try on Muran plateau, in Slovak Paradise and in the Zadielska valley. The Hornad gorge is quite bare already but the road above Dobsina still serpentines among colourful trees:

Thanks to the rain the day before some fog has formed above the Zadielska valley in the morning. There's no sign of this down in the valley where one can go up along the stream on a nice twisty road:

Several small waterfalls have formed along the stream:

Reaching the top nothing can be seen in the fog. Fortunately after some time the fog opens up and the valley shows itself, ...:

... to hide again under the fog after a few minutes.