Birds, Jeziorki, late-May sunshine

Left: grey heron on the edges of the southern pond. There is a resident pair of herons here full-time now. Graceful wading birds that live on aquatic creatures, the herons have a five-year lifespan and their young, born and raised in nests high in trees, have a lower survival rate than the swan.

Below: a characteristic of the heron is the way its neck bends into an 'S' shape when in flight, giving it an ungainly appearance in the air, which belies its grace when wading.

Left: a northern lapwing (czajka) at the southern end of the southern pond, where the waters are already receding. Another drought year ahead? The lapwings are more usually seen on the other side of the tracks, in the fields between the railway line and Dawidy Bankowe. This is the first time I've seen them around the ponds between ul. Trombity and ul. Dumki. Note the plume on the back of the head.

Below: the same individual, believe it or not, in flight. Note the plume, which has been tucked away so as to be completely unnoticeable from the ground.

Below: a pair of northern lapwings in flight - the birds are also known as 'peewits' because of their characteristic call. The name 'lapwing' refers to the irregular way they flap their wings. I could see four individuals at the southern end of the southern pond. Quite a rare sight!

On my walk today, I also saw pheasants, coots, black-headed gulls, magpies, jackdaws, sparrows - and of course a pair of swans and their brood of seven cygnets.

This time two years ago:
Call it what it is - Okęcie!

This time This time last year:
Three stations in need of repair

This time four years ago
Late evening, Śródmieście

This time five years ago:
Ranking a better life

This time seven years ago:
Paysages de Varsovie

This time eight years ago:
Spring walk, twilight time