Krzysiek and I have been going out birding together for years, and after a long break we finally managed to get out — just like "the good old days" — for a proper birding trip. Destination: the Silesian ponds. Plan: see what turns up.
Quite a lot turned up.
Night Heron up close
We started at the ponds near the village of Landek. As is usual at fish ponds, there was no shortage of birds to admire.
The highlight was a Night Heron wading in a ditch so close that the first thought that crosses your mind is: it just doesn't give a damn about us. The bird didn't move an inch; no fear, total calm — perfect conditions for a shot. Perfect, that is, except for the background: a concrete bridge or some kind of culvert. As if it had deliberately chosen the worst possible spot within a hundred metres. I took the shots, because how could I not, but deep down I resented the bird for it.
Such is the life of a nature photographer: the bird lets you approach, and the background doesn't cooperate.
The tower at Wisła Mała — a first visit
There's an observation tower at Lake Goczałkowice that I'd somehow never visited before. The weather wasn't kind — we had to wait out the heaviest downpour in the car. After a while, in light drizzle, we climbed the tower, which offers a wonderful view over the lake.
The advantage of watching from a tower is that you're at canopy level — it gives a perspective that's far more interesting than the usual ground-level view. Wet feathers, birds sitting close — these are the kinds of shots I love.
As a bonus, two Spoonbills we hadn't expected at all — birds that could easily have been the sole goal of the entire trip.
Cetti's Warbler — a lifer with no photo
Cetti's warbler is a small, brown warbler in the family Cettiidae, which breeds in southern and western Europe, northwest Africa and the east Palearctic as far as Afghanistan and northwest Pakistan. The sexes are alike. The bird is named after the 18th-century Italian zoologist, Francesco Cetti…
To end the day — Cetti's Warbler (Cettia cetti).
I heard it perfectly — a very loud bird — clearly, with no doubt whatsoever about what it was. It showed itself a few times, literally for a split second, then straight back into the bushes. That was it.
No photo, but a new species added to my life list. According to eBird, it's my 302nd species observed in Poland.