A juvenile Common Moorhen ventures out from the reeds into the open water.
I recently visited a park in my town and came across a small pond that seemed almost forgotten. It was choked with reeds, trees and other plants, showing lack of care from the park staff. For animals though it looked like a perfect hideaway.
Young coot chicks gather around an adult bird in the shallow waters of Arturówek Park.
Coot chicks are not the birds most people notice when visiting Arturówek Park near Łódź. Most visitors come for the beach, playgrounds, rope courses, cafés, or simply to enjoy a sunny day by the water. My family and I came for the same reason, but as often happens, I also brought my camera.
A colorful starling spotted on the grass in a busy neighborhood park
Sometimes you don’t need to go far to find a good photo. I had spent the last two weekends grading national high school graduation exams, which left little time for longer walks or trips to my usual photography spots. Instead, I stayed close to home. During a short walk, I spotted a starling in a park, and it quickly caught my attention.
I didn’t plan to take wildlife photos that day. It was just a slow recovery walk after a few harder bike workouts — the kind of quiet stroll I sometimes take around the outskirts of my town. The fields there look almost empty at this time of year — ploughed soil, cold air, a touch of wind, and that late-autumn stillness that feels like everything is already waiting for winter. Even though it’s only a few hundred metres from my house, once you step off the road it becomes a surprisingly quiet, open space, wrapped in the soft, earthy smell of damp soil and the faint rustle of dry plants.
Jackdaw perched on my balcony satellite dish — a fleeting, up-close moment at dusk
It wasn’t planned — one moment the satellite dish on my balcony was empty, and the next, a jackdaw had landed, claiming it like a throne. I had just seconds to grab the camera, switch lenses, and inch closer without startling it. No time for a tripod or careful settings — just instinct, fast fingers, and a bit of luck.
Quiet moment among the grass — this relaxed duck offered a rare portrait opportunity in soft afternoon light
Wildlife photography isn’t always about action or drama — sometimes, the most compelling moments are the quiet ones. This duck portrait, taken in soft focus and nestled among spring grass, captures one of those rare pauses. Half-hidden by gently swaying blades, the mallard offered a calm, unguarded moment in the golden afternoon light — a perfect reminder of the beauty found in stillness.