Marsh hen on the river in autumn

Autumn is already clearly in the air. Nighttime temperatures are already approaching freezing. Frost is expected soon. And the days aren't particularly warm, although the sun occasionally peeks out. So I decided to go into the distant forest while it's dry and not too cold.

I decided to walk along the river, where there were still a lot of ducks. I'd grab a little food for them. As I walked along, I suddenly heard a quiet squeak, very similar to the call of a marsh hen.

I was very surprised. After all, it was already quite chilly. Many birds had already flown away to warmer climes. I decided to look in the nearby thicket of cattails, which grew practically right next to the shore.

I saw a marsh hen hiding among the stalks. It was very difficult to photograph her, as the cattail stalks were in the way. I decided to throw her a little food, hoping she'd be hungry.

And so it happened. Although these birds are very shy, she was apparently very hungry and immediately swam out of the thicket into the clear water.

So I managed to photograph her, although she didn't come close. Luckily, I had some duck food; the hen happily ate a hearty meal and then went to the opposite bank to do her business.