Coot & Cootlings: Expectant Faces

Better in large ("L").

What a hot day! I went to Eagle Pond this afternoon, and came back with such a variety of photographs that I really struggled to choose...

I got some insect detail shots (massively cropped: I don't have a macro lens, so these are crops of images taken at 200mm on my 70-200mm):
Damselfly
Hoverfly
I also got some more shots of migrant hawkers on the wing: this is the most different one from previous efforts.

I spent quite a long time trying to get Goosle shots, but they sat on the island for ages as there was a fishing competition going on so the edge of the pond was particularly busy... I wanted to post a patchy gosling picture as I'll be taking my camera in for its warranty sensor clean (oil droplets...) tomorrow, so I'll be without it this week :-(. I wasn't that satisfied with the few pictures that I did get (they eventually came to the shore, but I was so hot that I could hardly move...). I didn't get great photos, but did have an amazing up-close experience: I was crouching behind foliage as they got out of the pond. Mr. and the goslings noticed me so kept at their usual distance, but Mrs. got out and didn't notice me so took the gap between them and me. She suddenly noticed that I was very close so turned to face me, but didn't move away. She then proceeded to dry her wings by flapping (she'd been diving to soak her plumage) completely soaking me (and the front of my lens...) in the process! Gawd, thanks Mrs... She then preened vigorously for about 10 minutes and I was sort of cornered and didn't want to scare her by standing up. Amazing to see her so closely, but it wasn't very comfortable. This was the last photo I took before she turned and started flapping: my lens was fully zoomed out (70mm) so I had to tilt it to fit her in the frame.