Ackerdijkse Plassen

I went for a bike ride this evening around the Ackerdijkse Plassen in the hoping of finding some birds to photograph.  Unfortunately, two of the three bird hides were closed, and the remaining observation post didn't have anything much to offer.  I did however have some fun trying to photograph a  distant bird of prey (buzzard?), some swifts/swallows (about as successful as you'd expect, given how small, and well, swift, they are), and a couple snoozing grebes.  In the end, though, the best photo was of a frog, when I was on my way back.

The ride wasn't quite as tranquil as I'd hoped, as there was an almost constant stream of (racing) bikes zooming by.  My grebe photographing experience was a little ruined by the backdrop of a couple arguing, and bizarrely one cyclist swore at me for 'not leaving the birds alone'.  Given that the bird in question was a passing cormorant, I didn't really see his point.