🇨🇿 Hlavně návštěva rašelinišť Vánoční louka a Čihadla, plus pozorování všeho zajímavého cestou.
🇬🇧 Main target of trip were two peat bogs: Vánoční louka and Čihadla, plus oberving everything on the way there and back.

When I arrived, there were quite a lot of airborne raptors, western marsh harriers and red kites. I took quite a lot of pictures and hoped to count them all at home. Unfortunately I later discovered there was no memory card in the camera (there's a setting not to release the shutter when there's no car but it was off, I never needed it before).

At the first, the largest, lake (Hrubý rybník) there were a lot of birds close to the bank, mallards, great pochards (even some males). And also the swan family from the dark lake (Smolný rybník, 54503542) without one of the adults (it was reported on AVIF (the Czech bird-watching database) a dead swan was found earlier nearby). It was definitely the same family as one of the cygnets was completely white.

Then I saw a lot of raptors, both red kites and harriers, a 100+ flock of starlings, barn swallows (58334598). The harriers were often sitting on hayrolls. I only notice there was no memory camera when I saw an osprey (58329997) perching on a hunting blind, first in my binoculars. I then took a few shots, wanted to check there was something visible at the photos, well... no card.

After that I inserted a card, managed to take a picture of the osprey before it flew away and continued my trip. I continued to the lost lake to check on sundews (58337123), they were there, after blossoming. A part of the place was raked by wild boars.

I returned to the dark lake where there was noticeably lower water level and common pochards (females and juveniles, 58336678). When I approached the opposite part I noticed a little "duck" I never saw there before, it was the size of common pochard ducks, but colored differently and I could see the rear legs pedalling at the rear of it's body, it was swimming quickly away, diving frequently. Most likely little grebe (58334100). A also took pictures of some mushrooms.

I than walked past Zaječí rybník lake back to my car where I hid for some 15 mins as it was raining. After the rain, I walked through the meadows and fields, observing harriers ( 58335764), at least one male and one female), two common kestrels in flight and one perching on a hunting blind (58336115), two black storks from a big distance.

Then I returned to the largest lake but most birds were near the opposite bank, I could see the swans and a heron. And as always a lot of barn swallows and house martins flying over the lake.

At that it was too dark and I left. On my way I met a local who asked if I had seen cranes that day (I hadn't) and told me some of them stayed over winter. Hurray.

📷 The whole trip: https://photos.app.goo.gl/oA4HZ5MWHcHKs2M38

Hradčanský rybník
labutě s šesti mláďaty
mallards 6

Držník
Labuť
Mallards 10
Coots 10
Kingfisher 1

Strážovský rybník
Kingfishers 2, one chasing the other

Vavrouškův rybník
2 kingfishers chasing
1 adult, 2 chicks coot
Mallard