Gerard Schouten Nature Photography

The next morning

2012-02-04T16:06:00.000+01:00

Snow yesterday evening and temperatures that have plummeted tonight to a historic low value of -19⁰C. These are the ingredients for a beautiful photogenic world. I chose to go for the sunrise to the nearby lowland stream “Kleine Dommel”. Here is one of the many pictures I made.
If you compare this to the post of January 2009 you can see that this time the river is almost frozen.

* Canon EOS 5D Mark II with 17-40mm/f4 @ 32mm; ISO-800, f13, 1/60s, +0.7 stop; polarization filter, hand held.

Winter has arrived

2012-02-03T09:19:00.000+01:00

Finally winter has come! The last couple of days the temperature stayed below zero at daytime. Water turns into ice. And today we had some serious snow, with the usual side effects in The Netherlands, i.e. non-functional trains and huge traffic jams.
However, before the snowfall started I went with Jos van de Kerkhof, Theo van de Mortel and Wilco Minten to Zeeland to photograph shore birds. Here are 2 highlights: Dunlin (Calidris alpina/Bonte Strandloper) and Spotted Redshank (Tringa erythropus/Zwarte Ruiter) on ice.

* Canon EOS 7D with 500mm/f4 IS and 1.4x; ISO-400, f5.6, 1/320s, +0.7 stop; from beanbag.
* Canon EOS 7D with 500mm/f4 IS; ISO-400, f5.6, 1/500s, +0.7 stop; from beanbag.

I can’t withhold today’s sunset. So I added a third picture with snowy dikes and snow showers moving south towards Belgium. Temperatures were dropping fast when we drove back … to be continued (see next post).

* Canon EOS 5D Mark II with 17-40mm/f4 @ 17mm; ISO-400, f8, 1/60s, +0.7 stop; hand held.

Dutch ducks III

2012-01-27T09:44:00.006+01:00

Thanks to the economic crisis and Ton Döpp I could extend my Dutch duck collection with a beautiful ♂ Wigeon (Anas penelope/Smient) and ♂ Smew (Mergus albellus/Nonnetje). Let me explain. The planned building activities for a new recreation park at the shore of this lake have been postponed (or cancelled?) because of the financial problems in the real estate market. Anyhow, this brave little Smew is alert as ever, hunting on small fish in the rain. The Wigeon is taking a powernap (or is it an after lunch dip?).

* Canon EOS 7D with 500mm/f4 IS and 1.4x; ISO-200, f7.1, 1/500s; from beanbag.
* Canon EOS 7D with 500mm/f4 IS and 1.4x; ISO-200, f7.1, 1/100s, -0.7 stop; from beanbag.

Ice floor

2012-01-18T13:11:00.006+01:00

I recommend anyone who is interested in landscape photography to find and explore a ‘local patch’. For me there are 4 requirements for such a local patch:

It must be close to home.
It must be suitable for sunrises and/or sunsets; in practice this means that there must be enough far horizon.
It must have sufficient foreground variation, i.e. different structures to experiment with.
There must be water, for instance a small lake or large ditch, for working with reflections.

Mine is open heath area with a pool surrounded by forest. It is reachable within 6 minutes (5 minute drive and 1 minute walk), and is suitable for sunrises (not so much for sunsets). Why is a local patch important? Just count the number of really dramatic sunrises or sunsets in a year, may be there are 10 if you are lucky. On these 10 occasions, how many times are you able to witness it with your camera? I am optimist, so let’s say 3? Then you’d better be fast and prepared! Anyhow, here is my local patch with an ice floor on the pool. Sunrise is nice, with a pinkish winter sky reflected in the ice, but not dramatic.

* Canon EOS 5D Mark II with 17-40mm/f4 @ 20mm; ISO-200, f16, 2s; polarization filter and 2 stop ND gradient filter; from tripod.
* Canon EOS 5D Mark II with 17-40mm/f4 @ 20mm; ISO-200, f16, 0.5s, +0.3 stop; 2 stop ND gradient filter; from tripod.

Hen Harrier at first

2012-01-02T11:25:00.003+01:00

Sunshine is scarce these days. But when the sun peeps through the clouds the winter light is so beautiful. I am very pleased that my first 2012 upload is a hunting Hen Harrier (Circus cyaneus/Blauwe Kiekendief). One intention already has come true. I wish you all the best for 2012, good health, lots of happiness, and amazing light.

* Canon EOS 7D with 500mm/f4 IS and 1.4x; ISO-400, f5.6, 1/640s; from beanbag.

Gadwall beauty

2011-12-30T10:24:00.007+01:00

Gadwalls are medium-sized ducks, the ♂♂ are characterized by a general lack of bright coloration (in contrast with other drake ducks). Although they might be known for their dull gray-brown appearance, close-ups reveal beautiful feather patterns. Below are a few examples. The photos are taken in pretty rough weather, showers interspersed with sunny spells; note how this influences the tone of water.

* Canon EOS 7D with 500mm/f4 IS and 1.4x; ISO-400, f6.3, 1/1250s; from beanbag.
* Canon EOS 7D with 500mm/f4 IS and 1.4x; ISO-400, f8, 1/500s; from beanbag.
* Canon EOS 7D with 500mm/f4 IS and 1.4x; ISO-400, f8, 1/320s, +0.3 stop; from beanbag.

Dancing on water

2011-12-19T15:30:00.008+01:00

Not walking, but dancing on water. That's what these Little Gulls (Larus minutus/Dwergmeeuw) do, with unparalleled elegancy. Today I was a happy spectator of this wonder of nature. Place of action: The Dutch coast! How on earth is it possible that these birds, breeding near quiet inland lakes in Finland, winter on this rough, open and windy North Sea?

* Canon EOS 7D with 500mm/f4 IS; ISO-400, f6.3, 1/2000s; from tripod.
* Canon EOS 7D with 500mm/f4 IS; ISO-400, f6.3, 1/2000s; from tripod.

Deep purple

2011-12-17T15:23:00.005+01:00

A very reliable coastal winter visitor. I like the yellow-orange legs and bill of these funny little Purple Sandpipers (Calidris maritima/Paarse Strandloper). The real tasty stuff is always hard to get!

* Canon EOS 7D with 500mm/f4 IS; ISO-400, f6.3, 1/2000s; from tripod.

Fog explosion

2011-11-20T10:32:00.000+01:00

The last couple of day’s conditions are very misty in The Netherlands. Except for this Sunday morning when I got up early to photograph foggy landscapes :-(. However, the end of the day more than compensated this small sacrifice. I have never seen ground fog coming-up so fast, quite impressive!

* Canon EOS 5D Mark II with 100mm/f2.8; ISO-200, f8, 1s; from tripod.

A touch of frost

2011-11-16T10:29:00.003+01:00

The first frost of the year; I can’t wait for the winter to arrive …

* Canon EOS 5D Mark II with 17-40mm/f4 @ 33mm; ISO-400, f9, 0.3s; polarization filter and 2 stop ND gradient filter; from tripod.

Alien between lichens

2011-11-13T10:26:00.010+01:00

One of those grey autumn Sundays. I went with Jarno van Bussel to the Strabrechtsche Heide to search for Jack Snipes (Lymnocryptes minimus/Bokje), which we did not find. There was not much to do. When we were about to go home I saw a trunk covered with Lichens (Cladonia cf./Bekermos), the ones with red caps (here just tiny spots) are also known as British Soldiers, and decided to try some macros. I bend over to take a closer look, and then I saw this Common Newt (Lissotriton vulgaris/Kleine Watersalamander). I choose a wide aperture (short DOF) to emphasize the E.T. look of this amphibian, and of course to have a shutter time that is fast enough to shoot without tripod. After the photo session the newt crawled under the trunk, probably to winter there.

* Canon EOS 5D Mark II with 100mm/f2.8; ISO-800, f5.6, 1/100s; hand held.

Vortex

2011-11-05T09:53:00.003+01:00

And now something completely different! It was a big honor for me to join Andrew George, one of the winners of the “BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year Award 2011”, to the Ardennes, Belgium. We hoped for an explosion of color in the trees. Unfortunately almost all leaves had already fallen and so we had to deal with autumn colors in this torrent.

* Canon EOS 5D Mark II with 17-40mm/f4 @ 26mm; ISO-50, f16, 15s; polarization filter, 3 stop ND filter and 2 stop ND gradient filter; from tripod.

Amsterdamned

2011-11-02T17:11:00.007+01:00

This afternoon I had an appointment with these 2 Snipes (Gallinago gallinago/Watersnip). I enjoyed a nice cup of coffee; they probed now and then in the ground looking for a delicatesse. It was cozy and very quiet … until this ADHD Waterrail (Rallus aquaticus/Waterral) appeared on the scene and disturbed our high-tea party.
Ton Döpp many thanks!

* Canon EOS 5D Mark II with 500mm/f4 IS; ISO-400, f6.3, 1/200s; -0.3 stop; from beanbag.
* Canon EOS 5D Mark II with 500mm/f4 IS; ISO-400, f5.6, 1/500s; from beanbag.
* Canon EOS 5D Mark II with 500mm/f4 IS; ISO-800, f5.6, 1/400s; from beanbag.

Feet of floor

2011-10-22T09:19:00.000+02:00

At the pier of IJmuiden you can always find interesting birds at this time of year. Checking out the beach revealed a few groups of foraging Sanderlings (Calidris alba/Drieteenstrandloper). This time I managed to capture the characteristic feet-of-floor shot! As you could see I could not keek-up with its speed. Later on the day I saw o.a. Red-throated Diver (Gavia stellata/Roodkeelduiker), Gannet (Sula bassana/Jan-van-Gent), Arctic Skua (Stercorarius parasiticus/Kleine Jager), Kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla/Drieteenmeeuw), and Guillemot (Uria aalge/Zeekoet) around the pier.

* Canon EOS 7D with 500mm/f4 IS; ISO-400, f6.3, 1/2500s; -0.3 stop; from beanbag (in frying pan).

Orange in green

2011-10-18T11:08:00.005+02:00

Today my wife celebrated her 48-th birthday. A good reason to take a day off. In the late afternoon I could ‘escape’ from the party for an hour. The local forest offered a few Saffron Parasols (Cystoderma amianthinum/Okergele Korrelhoed) in a bed of mos.

* Canon EOS 5D Mark II with 100mm/f2.8; ISO-400, f4.5, 1/20s; from beanbag.

Undutchable

2011-10-02T10:52:00.000+02:00

Terschelling offers more than shore birds. This photo was taken last sunday at sunrise. The view from this high dune top on the ‘Zeereep’ was magical and quite undutchable. Enjoy! I created a panorama of 5:2 out of 2 overlapping exposures (the size of the composed image is 8425x3370 pixels!).

* Canon EOS 5D Mark II with 100mm/f2.8; ISO-200, f16, 1/50s (2x); from tripod; panorama stitch.

Tiny beach-runners

2011-09-30T10:45:00.002+02:00

From September 30-th till October 2-nd the traditional Birdpix weekend on Terschelling was organized. A good opportunity to extend my Sanderling (Calidris alba/Drieteenstrandloper) collection. I like these funny, social, fast and tiny beach-runners. Birding-wise the absolute highlight was a Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus/Velduil) that approached the island from the sea; it flew over the beach, mobbed by gulls and crows, and landed exhausted in the very first dunes.

* Canon EOS 7D with 500mm/f4 IS; ISO-400, f7.1, 1/1600s; -0.3 stop; lens leaning on a small plastic water bottle.
* Canon EOS 7D with 500mm/f4 IS; ISO-400, f6.3, 1/1250s; idem.

Strabrechtse Heide

2011-09-25T10:43:00.001+02:00

Moments before sunrise on the good-old “Strabrechtse Heide” (somehow I end-up here 9 out of 10 times for landscape photography; next year I definitely go for the purple flowering heath). As the night was relatively cold I expected more ground fog, but nevertheless I had a good time while being-out-in-the-field this morning.

* Canon EOS 5D Mark II with 17-40mm/f4 @ 40mm; ISO-400, f10, 1/80s; hand held.

Fishing tactics: Solitary or communal?

2011-09-07T09:54:00.006+02:00

Last Saturday we had a sunny and warm day (one of the first this summer). But ... for the early birds, the day started grey with thick fog. An impression: Communal fishing of Cormorants (Phalacrocorax carbo/Aalscholver) and a lonely Great White Heron (Egretta alba/Grote Zilverreiger) on “Het Beuven, Strabrechtse Heide” around 7h00 AM.

* Canon EOS 7D with 500mm/f4 IS and 1.4x; ISO-400, f5.6, 1/160s; +0.3 stop; from tripod.
* Canon EOS 7D with 500mm/f4 IS and 1.4x; ISO-400, f6.3, 1/1250s; +0.3 stop; idem.

Surrounded by curious cows

2011-09-02T09:49:00.003+02:00

Last weeks I spent many hour’s lying on the ground covered with a camouflage cloth hoping for close encounters with Snipes (Gallinago gallinago/Watersnip). Until now no success. But today I was rewarded with this beautiful Shoveler (Anas clypeata/Slobeend).
I suspect that it is a juvenile bird, because the feathers are very fresh.
When I wanted to get up and go home I found myself surrounded by grazing cows. When they noticed something strange that was raising in the bog, they even ran towards me and surrounded me, curious as they are. A serious drawback of this location.

* Canon EOS 7D with 500mm/f4 IS and 1.4x; ISO-400, f6.3, 1/1000s; from bean bag.

Insatiable

2011-08-06T15:00:00.004+02:00

Who doesn’t know the story: The Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus/Koekoek) is a brood parasite which lays its eggs in the nests of other birds, particularly of Dunnocks (Prunella modularis/Heggemus), Meadow Pipits (Anthus pratensis/Graspieper), and Reed Warblers (Acrocephalus scirpaceus/Kleine Karakiet). At the appropriate moment, the hen Cuckoo flies down to the host’s nest, pushes one egg out, lays an egg and flies off. The whole process takes about 10 seconds. A female may visit up to 50 nests during a breeding season!
In this case the stepparents were Meadow Pipits, when they flew over the young Cuckoo automatically opened its mouth, eager for food.

* Canon EOS 5D Mark II with 500mm/f4 IS; ISO-400, f7.1, 1/320s; from tripod.

Darter in gold

2011-08-01T11:09:00.001+02:00

This morning (my last day of the summer holiday) I got up early to search for dew-covered darters after a relatively cold night. This Banded Darter (Sympetrum pedemontanum/Bandheidelibel) was warming up on a perfect perch. The bright washed-out spot is the reflection of the sun in a small pool. It doesn't bother me; there is simply no sensor today with a dynamic range that is large enough to capture this.

* Canon EOS 5D Mark II with 100mm/f2.8; ISO-400, f7.1, 1/640s; +0.3 stop; from tripod.

Cornwall rock

2011-07-26T13:30:00.005+02:00

For the second week we booked a cottage in the hamlet Carnhill Green, Cornwall. I walked every day a part of the 630 mile SWC path, a perfect way to enjoy the scenery, coastal wildlife, and heritage (from stone circles to 18th century copper and tin mines) of the wonderful Cornish coastline.
Many rocks along this coast have names, here two from St. Ives Bay: Strap Rocks (top) and Magow Rocks (bottom). The last picture, with Godrevy lighthouse in the background, is taken 45 minutes after sunset. They say the light in St. Ives is different, that’s why this little town attracts so many artists. I fully understand and agree.

* Canon EOS 5D Mark II with 17-40mm/f4 @ 17mm; ISO-200, f10, 1/100s; polarization filter; hand held.
* Canon EOS 5D Mark II with 17-40mm/f4 @ 20mm; ISO-100, f10, 20s; from tripod.

Avalon

2011-07-22T10:54:00.005+02:00

This year we went to England in the summer holiday, somehow the ancient mother of West Europe. The first week we stayed in Glastonbury, visiting a girl friend. I spent quite some time in the Sommerset Levels (a.k.a. the Avalon Marshes), a vast area of low lands comprised of Shapwick Heath, Ham Wall and the Westhay Moors. This picture is taken in Ham Wall; the cone-shaped hill in the background is Glastonbury Tor. Somewhat later this evening I observed a hunting Barn Owl (Tyto alba/Kerkuil) for about half an hour, catching a vole just 10 meter in front of me (unfortunately I took only a wide-angle lens this evening grrr $%@#*).

* Canon EOS 5D Mark II with 17-40mm/f4 @ 30mm; ISO-400, f9, 1/50s; 2 stop ND gradient filter; hand held.

Newborns

2011-07-15T09:53:00.002+02:00

Nightjar ♀ keeping her 2 one-day old chicks (not visible) warm. The partly closed eye shows that the bird is at ease; it enhances her camouflage even further. At 22h30 PM ♂ and ♀ start to feed by turns; while one parent is out, catching moths, the other parent keeps the pulli warm. (A colleague nature photographer told me that 10 days later 2 healthy juveniles left the nest site).

* Canon EOS 5D Mark II with 500mm/f4 IS; ISO-800, f7.1, 1/60s; in hide, from tripod.

Eifel butterflies

2011-07-05T10:42:00.006+02:00

I joined Arie Ouwerkerk, Kees Ouwerkerk, and Iolente Navarro on a short butterfly trip to the Eifel mountain range in western Germany. Besides many Blue-spot Hairstreaks (Satyrium spini/ Wegedoornpage), shown above, we find a.o. a few worn Apollo’s (Parnassius apollo/Apollovlinder) of the subspecies vinningensis.

* Canon EOS 5D Mark II with 100mm/f2.8; ISO-400, f6.3, 1/200s; -0.3 stop; hand held.

Latecomers

2011-07-02T10:08:00.000+02:00

Photo 6: Such an action shot is what I longed for. All is well that ends well. The breeding bird of photo 5 is now feeding one of the chicks.
Together with these 2 latecomers, 6 pairs produced an offspring of 14, all-in-all not a bad result.

* Canon EOS 7D with 500mm/f4 IS and 1.4x; ISO-400, f7.1, 1/800s; -0.3 stop; from tripod.

Growth

2011-06-26T09:51:00.009+02:00

Photo 4: Although some offspring is airborne (previous upload), others are still bound to the nest platform, unable to fly. Compare this upload with photo 1 (see June 10-th, 2011) and notice how both the juveniles as well as the Water Mint (Mentha aquatica/Watermunt) have grown in 2 weeks.
Photo 5: There was even 1 bird that was still breeding, probably a second attempt. The vegetation is Water Dropwort (Oenanthe aquatica/Watertorkruid).

* Canon EOS 7D with 500mm/f4 IS and 1.4x; ISO-400, f5.6, 1/250s; from tripod.
* Canon EOS 7D with 500mm/f4 IS and 1.4x; ISO-400, f5.6, 1/250s; from tripod.

Airborne

2011-06-21T14:33:00.005+02:00

Photo 2: Adult Black Tern (Chlidonias niger/Zwarte Stern) hovering above the platform, encouraging her (or his) youngsters to do their wing exercises.
Photo 3: “Hey watch me, I can fly!” First flying exercises of a juvenile Black Tern (Chlidonias niger/Zwarte Stern). It was a privilege to witness this magical event in the last Summer Solstice (longest day of the year) sunlight. Stay tuned, there is more to come!

* Canon EOS 7D with 500mm/f4 IS and 1.4x; ISO-400, f5.6, 1/640s; from tripod.
* Canon EOS 7D with 500mm/f4 IS and 1.4x; ISO-400, f5.6, 1/500s; -0.3 stop; from tripod.

Hooding in the rain

2011-06-10T14:28:00.004+02:00

This month I fully focused on the breeding behavior of Black Terns (Chlidonias niger/Zwarte Stern).
Photo 1: Hooding mother. She protects her 2 pulli against the rain; this way she prevents them to cool off too much. Note that the father, sitting at the right-hand side of the platform, already starts to molt. To be continued …

* Canon EOS 7D with 500mm/f4 IS and 1.4x; ISO-400, f5.6, 1/250s; from tripod.

Ascension Day

2011-06-02T14:54:00.009+02:00

A couple of days ago I explored this field and already selected this group of Heath Spotted Orchids (Dactylorhiza maculata/Gevlekte Orchis) as the main subject for a wide angle shot. For this Ascension Day morning the weather forecast predicted ground fog after a calm and relatively cold night (± 5°C). This is exactly what I was waiting for. The only thing I had to do was to be at the spot before sunrise (which is at 5h30 AM!). But I was rewarded; if there is a heaven out there it may look like this.

* Canon EOS 5D Mark II with 17-40mm/f4 @ 17mm; ISO-200, f13, 1/15s; -0.3 stop; 2 stop ND gradient filter; from tripod.
* Canon EOS 5D Mark II with 100mm/f2.8; ISO-200, f8, 1/200s; -0.3 stop; from tripod.

De Wieden

2011-05-22T21:06:00.009+02:00

Today Ronald Messemaker, warden of “De Wieden”, and I criss-crossed these beautiful marshes by boat. Despite some heavy rain in the morning we had a very pleasant day. A few photos: 1) Black Tern (Chlidonias niger/Zwarte Stern) catching insects above Tule (Schoenoplectus lacustris/Mattenbies), 2) Scaffolding silhouette with Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo/Aalscholver), and 3) Upcoming fog after sunset.

* Canon EOS 7D with 500mm/f4 IS; ISO-400, f7.1, 1/1000s; from tripod.
* Canon EOS 7D with 500mm/f4 IS; ISO-400, f7.1, 1/250s; from tripod.
* Canon EOS 5D Mark II 100mm/f2.8; ISO-400, f7.1, 4s; from tripod; HDR processing.

Home-made mud

2011-05-18T11:10:00.001+02:00

House Martins (Delichon urbica/Huiszwaluw) breeding at a farm near Olen (a hamlet between Nuenen and Lieshout) were very glad with my home-made mud. Here is the recipe: Take some sand, cow shit, and straw. Mix this with water and spread it out.

* Canon EOS 7D with 500mm/f4 IS; ISO-400, f7.1, 1/400s; -0.7 stop; from beanbag, lying on the ground covered by camo cloth.

5D: Superb image quality

2011-05-08T09:56:00.009+02:00

The image quality of my new Canon EOS 5D Mark II camera is superb. Vivid colors, well-balanced contrasts and a very low noise level. Moreover, the 17-40mm/f4 wide-angle lens (that I already bought in 2009) now pays off in combination with a full frame sensor for which it was designed. I also have the impression that ND gradient filters work out better in full frame.
The closeby “Kamerven” surrounded by flowering Common Cottongrass (Eriophorum angustifolium/Veenpluis) is a nice subject to work with.

* Canon EOS 5D Mark II with 100mm/f2.8; ISO-200, f5, 1/125s; from tripod.
* Canon EOS 5D Mark II with 17-40mm/f4 @ 17mm; ISO-400, f14, 1/80s; -0.3 stop; 2 stop ND gradient filter; from tripod.

Upcoming thunderstorm

2011-04-29T14:07:00.004+02:00

It is very dry for the time of the year. No wonder, the last couple of weeks we had sunny days with blue skies. The drought build-up (= precipitation – vaporation) since April 1-st is already -75 mm, a value that is usually reached at the end of the summer. But today, in late afternoon, you could sense a change in the air.
My daughter has just passed her driver’s license exam (a miracle has happened!) and after diner we made our first test ride in my car with her behind the wheel. In the distance I saw heavy weather that was approaching fast. To make a long story short, 15 minutes later I arrived (safely!) at the “Mosbulten”, an open marshy area. Ideal to test the real capabilities of the 17-40mm wide-angle lens with my brand-new 5D Mark II camera. The ditch with flowering Water Violet (Hottonia palustris/Waterviolier) was an unexpected pleasant surprise.
So today’s events confirmed what I already knew. For landscape photography you have to be fast as well (seconds after I took this picture it was raining cats and dogs) and you need just that bit of luck that everything fits. I forgot my tripod, but luckily switching to ISO 800 is not a problem with a full-frame sensor.

* Canon EOS 5D Mark II with 17-40mm/f4 @ 20mm; ISO-800, f9, 1/50s; 2 stop ND gradient filter; hand held.

Texel terns

2011-04-28T16:56:00.010+02:00

A midweek Texel is a good way to enjoy life. At the margins of the day I spent quite some hours to test my new Canon EOS 7D camera. I fully concentrated on flight shots of terns. Little Terns (Sternula albifrons/Dwergstern), foraging above the sea near the lighthouse in the north, and Common Tern (Sterna hirundo/Visdief), breeding on shell beaches in small pools just behind the Wadden dike, proved to be nice subjects. But Sandwich Terns (Sterna sandvicensis/Grote Stern) were the absolute stars; here a fly-by almost at eye level (the strong NE wind helped me a bit). The caught Sandeel (Ammodytes sp./Zandspiering) plays an important role in the courtship rituals. Conclusion: The AF system of the 7D works fine and is fast, however the images are a bit noisy.

* Canon EOS 7D with 500mm/f4 IS; ISO-400, f7.1, 1/2000s; from tripod.

Tree surgery

2011-04-20T17:03:00.003+02:00

Yesterday I got a tip from a colleague nature photographer about an ‘easy’ Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos minor/Kleine Bonte Specht). I left work a bit earlier and immediately drove off after diner. When we arrived at the spot the birch with the nest cavity laid down in 3 pieces on the ground. Luckily there were no eggs yet. We were flabbergasted. We guessed that a plough or some other agricultural machine brought down the tree, the traces were still fresh. But then we decided, against all odds, to try to rise up the tree again. My colleague went home to fetch some screws, a cordless drill and some slats to splint the tree.
To make a long story short, 10 minutes after we re-erect the birch this ♂ Lesser Spotted Woodpecker was inspecting its repaired house again. Let’s hope that the woodpecker pair is able to successfully raise their nestlings.
And last but not least, I fixed the visible crack in the stem with the clone tool of Photoshop :-).

* Canon EOS 40D with 500mm/f4 IS; ISO-400, f4.5, 1/40s; from tripod, in a hide.

Singing in the Zeereep

2011-04-17T09:59:00.005+02:00

This weekend I visited my friend Arie Ouwerkerk on Terschelling. My best picture is this Willow Warbler (Phylloscopus trochilus/Fitis) in Sea-buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides/Duindoorn) taken in the ‘zeereep’, a nice Dutch word indicating the first row of dunes bordering the North Sea beach, of the nature reserve “Boschplaat”. The wintering Merlin (Falco columbarius/Smelleken) was gone but the confiding ♀ Peregrine (Falco peregrinus/Slechtvalk) was still present in the polder. You can check Arie’s P-base site for nice pictures of these falcon species.

* Canon EOS 1D Mark II with 500mm/f4 IS and 1.4x; ISO-200, f7.1, 1/500s, +0.3 stop; from tripod.

Into the meadows

2011-04-08T17:21:00.002+02:00

Today I went again on ‘expedition’ with wader specialist Astrid Kant (she just wrote an excellent book about it). This year we concentrated on Black-tailed Godwits (Limosa limosa/Grutto) in the meadows. Of course as a member of the wader family they prefer to have their feet in the water, but this rather dry area is the place where they breed and guide their chicks, and thus by necessity spend most of their time in the coming 2 months.

* Canon EOS 40D with 500mm/f4 IS and 1.4x; ISO-400, f7.1, 1/640s; from tripod, in a hide.

Garganey festival

2011-04-02T10:06:00.016+02:00

Again I got up early this morning and drove off in the dark to my local lake; somehow I felt that changes were good for an encounter with Garganey (Anas querquedula/Zomertaling), a scarce migratory bird, wintering in Africa south of the Sahara. The pictures with which I came home (especially the first one) surpass the ones I had pre-visualized. What an adrenaline moment. In the excitement I left a box with CF cards (16Gb in total) at the waterline. Those who know me are probably not surprised. I shall never forget this beautiful spring day (and this is not because of today’s ever-high temperature record of 25°C). Later in the afternoon I came back and found my CF cards, guarded by a territorial Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus/Kievit)!

* Canon EOS 40D with 500mm/f4 IS and 1.4x; ISO-400, f6.3, 1/800s, -0.7 stop; from beanbag.
* Canon EOS 40D with 500mm/f4 IS and 1.4x; ISO-400, f7.1, 1/1250s, -0.3 stop; idem.
* Canon EOS 40D with 500mm/f4 IS and 1.4x; ISO-400, f8, 1/1000s, -0.3 stop; idem.

Teal display

2011-03-23T10:35:00.003+01:00

A modest attempt to show the Teal (Anas crecca/Wintertaling) display game. The ♂♂, dressed-up with a Spanish helmet (those from the Eighty Year’s War or Dutch War of Independence, 1568 – 1648), parade around the ♀♀, now and then folding their bodies like a pocket knife. Flowering willow bushes give the background a green-yellowish tint.

* Canon EOS 40D with 500mm/f4 IS and 1.4x; ISO-400, f6.3, 1/1600s, -0.3 stop; from beanbag.

* Canon EOS 40D with 500mm/f4 IS and 1.4x; ISO-400, f7.1, 1/1600s, -0.3 stop; idem.

Dutch ducks II

2011-03-20T21:34:00.000+01:00

In the second half of March the weather was calm and sunny with night frost and temperatures above 10°C in the afternoon. Many mornings started with thin ground fog above the water. Ideal circumstances for duck photography. As highlight I want to show a ♀ Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos/Wilde Eend) doing some feather care.

* Canon EOS 40D with 500mm/f4 IS and 1.4x; ISO-400, f7.1, 1/250s, +0.3 stop; from beanbag.

Dutch ducks I

2011-03-15T10:04:00.013+01:00

I do not know why, but ducks are an infinite source of inspiration for me. Hence I repaired my former hiding place near a local lake and tried my luck again. Sometimes everything fits and you make a photo that looks a bit out of the ordinary. First of all a shy ♂ Teal (Anas crecca/Wintertaling) came pretty close. Secondly, at the very moment of shutter release the flock of Teals in the background lift off simultaneously. They rise almost vertically, creating a background wall of splashing water and blurred colored patches. My luck was not sold out, half an hour later my camera AF was able to focus on this fast flying Shoveler (Anas clypeata/Slobeend) trio.

* Canon EOS 40D with 500mm/f4 IS and 1.4x; ISO-400, f7.1, 1/800s, +0.3 stop; from beanbag.
* Canon EOS 40D with 500mm/f4 IS and 1.4x; ISO-400, f7.1, 1/1250s, -0.3 stop; idem.

Lonely pair

2011-03-05T10:22:00.015+01:00

Busy times created a serious backlog in photo selection and editing. Anyhow, in the beginning of this month I was able to make a beautiful Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula/Brilduiker) series. This ♂ and ♀ were the only inhabitants of a small forest fen without a name south of the “Strabrechtsche Heide”. I especially like the gloomy dark greenish water and the extreme low point of view; my telephoto lens was only a few centimeters above water level.

* Canon EOS 40D with 500mm/f4 IS and 1.4x; ISO-400, f5.6, 1/320s, -0.3 stop; from beanbag.

* Canon EOS 40D with 500mm/f4 IS and 1.4x; ISO-400, f6.3, 1/500s, -0.3 stop; idem.

* Canon EOS 40D with 500mm/f4 IS and 1.4x; ISO-400, f5.6, 1/1250s, -0.7 stop; idem.

Smew drake

2011-02-19T16:55:00.007+01:00

A drake Smew (Mergellus albellus/Nonnetje) with its ‘cracked ice’ appearance is unmistakable. This photo was taken on a grey, cold, and windy day near the IJsselmeer, an important wintering area for this species, close to our capital Amsterdam. The weather doesn’t seem to bother these cute but tough and brave ducks. But for me it is a different story. After a few hours of waiting, lying in an uncomfortable position on a few wooden planks at the shoreline under a camouflage net, every muscle of my body protested (and I did not know I had so many of them).
Smew breeds in the northern taiga (in trees!) of Europe and Asia. The Smew’s bill has a hooked tip and serrated edges (typical for mergansers), which help it catch fish when it dives for them.

* Canon EOS 40D with 500mm/f4 IS and 1.4x; ISO-400, f5.6, 1/640s, +0.7 stop; from beanbag.

Valentine sunrise

2011-02-14T21:45:00.004+01:00

The weather prediction yesterday at the 8 o’clock evening news: “Tomorrow rain, in the south-east (that’s where I live) may be a scarce clear period in early morning”. Such an approaching front offers good chances for nice sunrises. Some time ago I re-discovered a promising patch of heath with a few fens very close to my home, viz. “Kamerven” near Gerwen. So, off I went in early morning, and this was what I saw. A distant singing Mistle Thrush (Turdus viscivorus/Grote Lijster) and the wheeling “krrück, krrück, krrück, … kliiii-eh” sound of the Black Woodpecker (Dryocopus martius/Zwarte Specht) in the woods at the horizon heralded spring.

* Canon EOS 20D with 17-40mm/f4 @ 17mm; ISO-200, f9, 1/60s, +0.3 stop; hand held with polarization filter and 2 stop ND gradient filter.

Away from the crowd

2011-01-28T11:19:00.014+01:00

This month the Flevopolder was the bird photography hotspot in The Netherlands, with Hen Harriers (Circus cyaneus/Blauwe Kiekendief) and Rough-legged Buzzard (Buteo lagopus/Ruigpootbuizerd) as the main actors. I went there too on this sunny cold winter day, and photographed the big two as well. But lining-up in a large car queue on a small road didn’t give my much joy. So I decided to try my own luck in the afternoon.
Driving along the Bovenwater lake, I spotted Smew (Mergellus albellus/Nonnetje) and Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula/Brilduiker) and decided to try my luck. I found a spot were I could lie down at water level. I camouflaged myself … and waited, hoping for an intimate low point-of-view encounter. Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos/Wilde Eend) and this ♀ Tufted Duck (Aythya fuligula/Kuifeend) came close. I especially like the 2-nd picture with the outskirts of Lelystad in the background; it tells something of wintering ducks in a densily-populated country like The Netherlands. After 2 hours in a strong eastern breeze I was almost frozen and got-up. At that very moment 3 ♀and 1 ♂ Smew were floating at close range just behind me. I saw them, but they saw me as well and flew off immediately. Next time I should withstand the cold a little longer.
On my way back home I passed the entrance of the nature reserve “Oostvaardersplassen” and decided to check out the famous hide close to the visitor center. Nobody was there. While I was enjoying sunset suddenly 2 Whooper Swans (Cygnus cygnus/Wilde Zwaan) appeared. At first I was taking pictures with a 1.4 converter, but then I was realizing what I was seeing: 2 lonely swans in a huge sheet of ice with pinkish-purple colors, and I removed it asap.

* Canon EOS 40D with 500mm/f4 IS and 1.4x; ISO-400, f6.3, 1/800s; from beanbag.
* Canon EOS 40D with 500mm/f4 IS and 1.4x; ISO-400, f7.1, 1/640s, +0.3 stop; idem.
* Canon EOS 40D with 500mm/f4 IS; ISO-400, f5.6, 1/125s, +0.3 stop; idem.

Shoveler

2011-01-03T16:59:00.006+01:00

Thaw set-in. But there are still many ice-covered places. I fancy birds that live in or around the water, so I will keep returning to them. They are one of my favorite photographic subjects. Today I went to the Ooijpolder near Nijmegen. I positioned myself under a camouflage cloth close to a large hole in the ice and waited for 2 hours on what was going to happen. Only this ♂ Shoveler (Anas clypeata/Slobeend) came into the range of my telephoto lens. The shy Teals (Anas crecca/Wintertaling) were already displaying. Unfortunelately they kept (as usual) their distance.

* Canon EOS 40D with 500mm/f4 IS and 1.4x; ISO-400, f7.1, 1/500s; from tripod.

Happy New Year!

2011-01-02T15:17:00.009+01:00

Happy New Year to everybody! The first upload this year is one with a nostalgic value for me. During my highschool period (about 30 years ago … ouch!) I watched these brownish Little Grebes (Tachybaptus ruficollis/Dodaars) every winter on the Dommel river in Eindhoven. They dive in and around the rich vegetation of the banks in search of something edible. Over the years I forgot the plain beauty of this scene. Until today.

* Canon EOS 40D with 500mm/f4 IS and 1.4x; ISO-800, f5.6, 1/200s, -1 stop; from beanbag, lying in the snow.

Apple of the eye

2010-12-27T19:56:00.005+01:00

“Stay away! This is my apple!” What a plain beauty is this ♀ Blackbird (Turdus merula/Merel). One month from now the ♂♂ start to sing at dusk with a few hesitating strophes. The concert is for free, and it is the most beautiful sound you can imagine.

X’mas tits

2010-12-24T11:33:00.008+01:00

No, it is not what you think, I mean the birds of course! Again heavy snowfall today (we have more than 20 cm now). I did the X’mas shoppings already yesterday evening, so I had the entire day to ‘play’ outside. Robins (Erithacus rubecula/Roodborst), Blue Tits (Parus caeruleus/Pimpelmees) and Great Tits (Parus major/Koolmees) were happy to join me.

Freezing sunset

2010-12-20T11:28:00.004+01:00

Last weekend winter set-in, with heavy snowfall. At the same time my dad celebrated his 70-th birthday, so I was not able to go out. Therefore, I decided to take this day off. Surfing the Internet learned me that 2 Waxwings (Bombycilla garrulus/Pestvogels) were reported yesterday near Boxmeer (about 35 km from the village where I live).
I could not find the Waxwings, but I enjoyed the crispy freezing cold in the “Maasheggen”. At the end of the afternoon patches of fog emerged above the white hedge-bordered fields near the river. I spent quite some time photographing a snow-covered bare corn field (I like bare corn fields!), but I also want to share with you a tree silhouette in the astonishing soft colors that sometimes appear just after sunset. The air echoed with the high-pitched calls of V-shaped formations White-fronted Geese (Anser albifrons/Kolgans) migrating to their sleeping places. When I was back in the car the display indicated an outside temperature of -11°C.
I hope the fresh molehill doesn’t disturb the serene scenery too much (of course I also have a photo without the black dot :-).

Elusive Jacky

2010-12-10T16:36:00.004+01:00

Who doesn’t want to discover elusive and secret things? I don’t know about you, but I do! So, on this damp, cold and grey winter day, I was for a moment the happiest man on earth when I found this hidden Jack Snipe (Lymnocryptes minimus/Bokje). I still don’t know how I broke its superb camouflage, it must have been pure luck.

Right time, right place

2010-12-04T16:33:00.003+01:00

This is my first bird photo taken during a snow flurry. Many thanx to this ♂ Great-spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major/Grote Bonte Specht) who showed-up at the right time, at the right place.

Salthouse, England

2010-11-08T12:19:00.004+01:00

Day-hunting Barn Owls (Tyto alba/Kerkuil) were the other goal of this short trip to the UK. Nigel Blake drove us around all day long in the Norfolk country side, checking all best-known places.
However, the typical English weather was a killjoy; rain and a fierce wind kept the owls from going out. Luckily we found some cooperative Teals (Anas crecca/Wintertaling) dabbling around in a pebble pool.

Donna Nook, England

2010-11-07T15:47:00.005+01:00

The salt marsh of Donna Nook on the north-eastern coast of Lincolnshire is, besides a bombing range for the RAF, a seal watchers’ paradise. It boasts one of the largest and most accessible breeding colonies of Grey Seals (Halichoerus grypus/Grijze Zeehond) in the UK. Grey seals are Britain’s biggest land mammal – adult ♂♂ males are two metres in length and weigh in at a massive 300 kilograms, roughly the weight of two Sumo wrestlers.
When autumn turns into winter hundreds of Grey Seals start hauling themselves onto the sand banks. Together with Marijn Heuts, I spent two days in the Donna Nook Grey Seal colony. The bulls mostly laze around all day, sleeping, huffing and groaning and arguing with the other bulls, the adolescents are practicing their fighting skills in the surf, and a few ♀♀ had already give birth to their pups.

Stay or go?

2010-10-29T10:14:00.002+02:00

This morning I was in doubt what to do. Drive a long way to the coast and try to find a group of Waxwings (Bombycilla garrulus/Pestvogel)? There is a major invasion going on in The Netherlands. Or stay close to home and inspect a new feeding station? Since I hate the massive friday-afternoon traffic jams, I decided the latter. About 25 Tree Sparrows (Passer montanus/Ringmus) were already present on the spot. This beauty was willing to pose. I tried to get some autumn colors in the background.

Slimy stinky stuff

2010-10-24T13:31:00.005+02:00

This Saturday I went with some like-minded members of the nature photography association Eindhoven (that I recently joined) to an old forest near Arnhem to look for toadstools. Despite the fact that the mushroom season is over the top I found some fresh ‘wanted’ species. Here are 2 of them:

The well-known Stinkhorn (Phallus impudicus/Grote Stinkzwam). The latin name needs no further explanation. This mushroom belongs to the fungal order Phallales and is known for its foul smelling sticky spore mass, or gleba, borne on the end of stalks called the receptaculum. The spore mass attracts flies to help disperse the spores. All species of the Phallaceae family begin their development as oval or round structures known as ‘devil eggs’.
A yellowish slime mold, very aptly named Scrambled Egg Slime (Fuligo septica/Heksenboter). The literal translation of the Dutch name is “witch butter”, also well chosen. Formerly they were classified as fungi, but today they are no longer considered part of this kingdom.

Who's afraid of Yellow and Green?

2010-10-09T14:15:00.004+02:00

The first bird that appeared this morning in front of a new hide was this Grey Wagtail (Motacilla cinerea/Grote Gele Kwikstaart) in winter plumage. He (or she) walked straight to the spot where I wanted the bird to be, i.e., so that it was all surrounded by gold-tainted water (caused by the sunlit reed beds at the opposing shore).
After a couple of minutes it was scared off by a Green Sandpiper (Tringa ochropus/Witgatje), and flew away. Somewhat later a second Green Sandpiper appeared at the scene. Both birds stayed for more than 2 hours and I watched them washing, doing their feather care, feeding, and resting. Just before taking a bath they performed a very rapid zig-zag flight low over the water. Does anybody know the meaning of this strange behavior?
Green Sandpiper is very much a bird of freshwater, and is often found in sites too restricted for other waders, which tend to like a clear all-round view.

Mushroom variety

2010-09-18T09:25:00.011+02:00

The summer of 2010 was very wet, but … it is an exceptional good year for mushrooms! Fungi species that have been thought to be extinct suddenly re-appear in the Dutch forests. Every drawback has its gain, to quote the well-known motto of Holland’s most famous football player, Johan Cruyff.
The large variety of shapes and colours keeps inspiring me. Here are some (rather common) toadstools that I found in one of my local forest patches, “Refelingse Heide” in Nuenen.

Angel’s Bonnet (Mycena arcangeliana/Bundelmycena) – A tiny one, densely and disorderly stacked into a goblin pension.
Pearly webcap (Cortinarius alboviolaceus/Lila Gordijnzwam) – A fibrous gilled mushroom that I have never seen before.
False Death Cap (Amanita citrina/Gele Knolamaniet) – The less familiar akin of the Fly Agaric (Amanita muscaria/Vliegenzwam), see also my previous upload.

Psychedelic mushroom, or insecticide?

2010-09-10T12:22:00.004+02:00

Thank God, not only that there are Fly Agarics (Amanita muscaria/Vliegenzwam), but also that they are very common. Every autumn these photogenic fungi can be found just ‘around the corner’. The light rain made the mosses appear fresh and vivid.
By the way, did you know that:

The name of this mushroom in many European languages is thought to have been derived from the fact that it was used as an insecticide, when sprinkled in milk.
Fly Agarics were used for its hallucinogenic properties (with its main psychoactive constituent being the compound muscimol) by the peoples of Siberia, and has a religious significance in these cultures.

Silly walks

2010-08-21T15:40:00.002+02:00

Juvenile Greenshank (Tringa nebularia/Groenpootruiter) chasing small fish around sunset. It was fun to watch this; the ‘silly walks’ on long stilts reminded me of John Cleese in his role of chaotic hotel owner in the TV-series “Fawlty Towers”. What a unsurpassed humour, it’s an indelible part of my education.
Vague in the background there is a group of noisy adolescent Lapwings (Vanellus vanellus/Kievit).

Zipper web

2010-08-14T16:30:00.004+02:00

This morning circumstances for taking pictures of dew-covered insects or other invertebrates were perfect (if you find them :-). After a heavy late-afternoon shower yesterday, the sky cleared up, and with almost no wind the temperature dropped overnight to slightly below 10°C. In early morning I went to my local patch, and pretty soon I found this Wasp Spider (Argiope bruennichi/Tijgerspin); this dangerous looking tiger lady was waiting immobilized for better times to come. I place the characteristic white zig-zag right line of her web right in the middle, like a big zipper running from top to bottom.

Hogwarts marsh

2010-08-04T16:39:00.005+02:00

The above photo was taken half an hour after sunset at the “Mosbulten”. Every summer the water level in this restored marshland (‘compensation nature’ for the A50 highway between Eindhoven and Nijmegen) drops, creating alternate patches of land and water.

It was pretty scary alone in this marshland with the fast upcoming fog, the set in of darkness, and a calling Little Owl (Athena noctua/Steenuil) in the distance. I looked around carefully, but I did not see Harry Potter or one of his fellow wizards.

Butterfly sex

2010-07-31T13:34:00.010+02:00

Butterfly sex is not easy. Once you and your partner have found a more or less stable position on a stem of a Great Burnet flower (Sanguisorba officinalis/Grote Pimpernel), number 3 turns up and wants to join the party. Now things really get difficult ...

Ooh, I almost forgot to mention; these nice little ones are the rare Scarce Large Blues (Maculinea teleius/Pimpernelblauwtje), a red-list species.

Metamorphosis

2010-07-27T16:27:00.003+02:00

This morning the alarm-clock went-off 1½ hour earlier. Before work, I went to the Leijgraaf, a small brooklet, near Uden to search for insects. Soon I found this emerging dragonfly. Experts told me that it is a Common Darter (Sympetrum striolatum/Bruinrode Heidelibel). Unfortunelately (my damned sense of duty), I could not wait for her first flight. But there was plenty of time to make both a macro and a wide-angle version. Which one do you like better?

Vosges butterflies

2010-07-15T16:16:00.001+02:00

However, I also spent a few early mornings on scrutinizing a small mountain pasture close to our chalet. Here are my best results: Pearly Heath (Coenonympha arcania/Tweekleurig Hooibeestje), Heath Fritillary (Melitaea athalia/Bosparelmoervlinder), and some Marbled Whites (Melanargia galathea/Dambordje). The latter is very appropriately coined “checkerboard” in Dutch.

Winding staircase

2010-07-11T16:26:00.000+02:00

From July 3rd to July 17th, I was on summer holiday in the Vosges, France. It was sunny and hot. I very much enjoyed reading “The Cosmic Landscape” of Leonard Suskin, with deepened my understanding of both quantum mechanics and cosmology. It enlarged my insight in these difficult subjects much more than when I studied physics at university.

In this region, especially along the heavily channeled Moselotte stream, there are many old abandoned textile factories. The rusty winding staircase attracted my attention somehow.

Soccer, heat, and a nightjar

2010-07-02T13:23:00.004+02:00

What a day! Today the Dutch football team beat Brazil with 2-1, and went on to the semi-finals. Not only the match was ‘hot’, the temperature raised above 35°C. A big heath-fire on the “Strabrechtsche Heide” was hard to control. The fire-brigade was busy till after midnight, using helicopters to transport water taken from the local canals. In the village Nuenen, where I live, you could see and smell the smoke. Not far from there I was waiting (sweating like hell; it was still well over 30°C at 20h30 PM when this photo was taken!) under my camo-burka for this breeding Nightjar (Caprimulgus europaeus/Nachtzwaluw).

See you again Finland!

2010-06-08T16:12:00.003+02:00

Despite miles and miles of marshland and conifer forest it is not easy to capture the atmosphere of the damp Finnish taiga. This is my best attempt; photo is taken near Kaamanen. The pine tree on the foreground is probably deformed in the far past by a heavy snowload. In the future I will certainly try to improve this, see you again Finland!

Hornøya

2010-06-07T14:29:00.006+02:00

Hornøya island, a sanctuary with impressive seabird colonies near Vardø. They bring you there by boat. The sea was rough, it was a shaky ride :-(. You can stay several hours on the island, till the last boat comes to pick you up. Meanwile there is lot to see, hear, and smell. I made many photographs; I still have to sort out and process 10Gb of raw material. It is almost impossible to be original with auk photos, here are 2 head studies of Razorbill (Alca torda/Alk) and Puffin (Fratercula arctica/Papegaaiduiker), as well as a landing pose.
I also added a confiding Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus/Velduil) that we spotted on our way from Vestre Jakobselv to Vardø.

Kongsfjordfjellet

2010-06-06T20:40:00.006+02:00

A memorable day on the bare tundra of Kongsfjordfjellet. With a strong breeze, snow showers, and temperatures just above 0°C it felt like being back in winter. Nevertheless spring was in full swing here. Some impressions: Ruffs (Philomachus pugnax/Kemphaan) and Temminck’s Stints (Calidris temminckii/Temmincks Strandloper) were displaying, Lapland Buntings (Calcarius lapponicus/IJsgors) and Arctic Redpolls (Carduelis hornemanni/Witstuitbarmsijs) were singing in willow bushes that just started to flower, Long-tailed Skuas (Stercorarius longicaudus/Kleinste Jager) were hunting above the snow fields, Long-tailed Ducks (Clangula hyemalis/IJseend) were present in pairs on small pools of melting water and Red-necked Phalaropes (Phalaropus lobatus/Grauwe Franjepoot) in summer plumage were searching for food on icy ridges.

Riddlemeree

2010-06-06T15:03:00.001+02:00

Guess, what is this? Let me give you a hint: Note the perfect five-fold symmetry! Yes of course (remember your biology lessons?), it is the inner skeleton of a Sea Urchin (Echinoidea/Zeeëgel), left by the gulls at the Nesseby coast in the Varangerfjord. The name “urchin” is an old name for the round spiny hedgehogs that Sea Urchins resemble. It has the shape of a perfect hemisphere with a radius of approximately 5cm. The diffuse light conditions of this morning were perfect for abstract macro work.
Despite overexposure in the field, I had to add an additional ⅔ stop in Adobe Lightroom.

Wolf island & crazy clouds

2010-06-05T20:40:00.013+02:00

It feels good to be back in the Varanger. It is windy and raining cats and dogs in this Norwegian coastal area. Today we went to the little town of Vardø (the old norse form of the name was Vargøy; the first element is vargr which means “wolf” and the last element is øy which means “island”) on the eastern tip of the fjord, where I photographed this Kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla/Drieteenmeuw) in a grey-toned setting, in front of the island Reinøya. Two Glaucous Gulls (Larus hyperboreus/Grote Burgemeester) and a Brünnich’s Guillemot (Uria lomvia/Kortbekzeekoet) passed by, but they were too fast for my camera. From there we drove all the way up to Hammingberg, through an extremely rough, hostile and almost surrealistic landscape.

In the late afternoon the rain finally stopped, but the wind freshened into a gale. And at the same time bizarre lens-shaped clouds (altocumulus lenticularis) appeared. Despite the strong wind they held a more or less fixed position in the sky. I postponed diner to record this phenomenon with the stockfish scaffoldings of Vestre Jakobselv as a décor.

Napapiiri

2010-06-03T14:03:00.005+02:00

Today a long drive further north, from Kuusamo to Inari (450km). Near Kemijärvi we crossed the Arctic Circle, Napapiiri in Finnish. We ended up in youth hostel Vasatokka. I spent the evening at the garden of the YH looking over the magic Mutusjärvi lake and enjoying the Goldeneyes (Bucephala glancula/Brilduiker) in the mist. The Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus/Koekoek) was a lucky ‘catch’.

Calypso

2010-06-02T10:58:00.010+02:00

From 1 to 9 June I joined as partipant and bus driver the Birding Breaks tour to Finnish Lapland and the Varanger fjord.
We started in the lake district near Kuusamo, Finland. To hear ‘our’ winter birds like Redwing (Turdus iliacus/Koperwiek) and Fieldfare (Turdus pilaris/Kramsvogel) sing and defend their nest against obtrusive Hooded Crows (Corvus cornix/Bonte Kraai) is an amazing experience. It somehow closes the circle. Despite intensive efforts we didn’t see any owls. But we did see several singing Red-flanked Bluetails (Tarsiger cyanurus/Blauwstaart) at the well-known hills of Valtavaara. Other personal highlights were Velvet Scoters (Melanitta fusca/Grote Zeeëend) and Little Gulls (Larus minutus/Dwergmeeuw) in full summer plumage.
Another colorful surprise was the beautiful Calypso Orchid (Calypso bulbosa/Bosnimf). They are only to be found in undisturbed northern forests, such as those in Oulanka National Park, close to the Russian border. It is the only species classified in the genus Calypso, which takes its name from the Greek signifying concealment, as they tend to favor sheltered areas on conifer forest floors.
With respect to photography I had to make compromises, but all in all this was more than compensated by traveling with a diverse group of experts. On my own I probably overlooked these tiny shadow-lovers.

The last one to disappear

2010-05-23T10:48:00.001+02:00

Last year I already showed you an overview of the rich flowering field (see post of May 20th 2009) that I found accidentally not far from where I live. This year I went back to make some close-ups and to identify these beautiful dark purple orchids.

Here is some additional Wikipedia info: The Western Marsh Orchid (Dactylorhiza majalis/Brede Orchis), also called Broad-leaved Marsh Orchid (Breedbladige Orchis), is a terrestrial European orchid. Its flowering period begins at lower elevations as early as the beginning of May and ends in higher elevations at the end of July. The Western Marsh Orchid grows in nitrogen-poor marsh areas that consist of several plant communities. The range extends in Europe from the Pyrenees to the Baltic and to the Don, possible even to the Volga. It is not found south of the Alps and is rare in southern Scandinavia. As with many marsh plants, the numbers of this species have been dwindling for quite some time. The main causes are the entry of nitrogen via fertilizer, drying out of the habitat, and intensive conversion to pasture. The Western Marsh Orchid does not react so sensitively to changes in its habitat. Therefore, it is usually the last of the native orchids to disappear. This tolerance makes it a still relatively common species.

Keeping your balance

2010-05-22T10:46:00.004+02:00

The Scarce Chaser (Libellula fulva/Bruine Korenbout) is a dragonfly species of special concern due to loss of its specific ideal habitat. The adult ♂ has a bright blue abdomen with black patches, while the adult ♀ and juvenile ♂ each have a bright orange abdomen. It is about 45 mm in length with an average wingspan of 74 mm. It is distributed throughout Europe. They live on marshes with dense, abundant vegetation. ♀♀ deposit their eggs in slow-current streams, like abandoned channels. Once deposited, the eggs lie embedded in the mud of the riverbed and the larvae develop underwater for usually two years. Adults live from May to August, during which time they mate and lay eggs.
The photos show the birth of an imago and a fresh ♂ on Wild Chervil (Anthriscus sylvestris/Fluitekruid).

Golden hour

2010-04-29T14:45:00.003+02:00

This morning at 6h45 AM, I witnessed this impressive sunrise above the steaming lake. Compare this photo with the upload of April 9-th, 2010. It is taken at the same place from a slightly different angle.

Blackthorn blossom

2010-04-10T09:59:00.002+02:00

After we moved my daughter’s furniture on Saturday to Breda, I went for a short evening walk to a young forest patch close to my home. A lovely little Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita/Tjiftjaf) showed up at exactly the right branch. It is spring time!

Cloudy sunrise

2010-04-09T09:56:00.002+02:00

I usually spent long hours, days, and even weeks to make the photo that I have in mind (and sometimes I will not succeed at all), but the reverse also happens. This weekend I had not much time for photography, because my daughter Evelien went into rooms in Breda where she studies “Communication and Multimedia Design”. But on Friday morning, when everybody was still sleeping, I went for a short visit to Soerendonks Goor and saw this cloudy sunrise.

Gruttomania

2010-03-26T18:15:00.004+01:00

The end of March and the first week of April is the best time to observe the complex and interesting pre-breeding behavior of Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa/Grutto). This takes place in the afternoon preferably in flooded grasslands. The display of the brick-red ♂♂ - downward spreading of tail and puff out of the rufous mantle feathers - is needed to trigger the process of ♀’s ovule ripping. Other ♂♂ are scared off, by showing the white conspicuous underwings. Although the ♂♂ are very much present, the duller ♀♀ determine when the mating start. This is one of the many things that I learned over the years from Astrid Kant, the godwit specialist in The Netherlands. Thanks Astrid!
The photos below are taken in overcast weather conditions, I begin to appreciate such lighting conditions more and more.

Piss off!

2010-03-24T18:14:00.001+01:00

I once read that conflicts between humans can be traced back to one out of 3 things: women, money (resources in general), or power (status). In the animal world this is exactly the same. The rightmost Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos/Wilde Eend) is furious because his ♀ (not visible on the photo) was approached by another ♂.
Oh yeah, I made a small crop with a 16×9 aspect ratio of this photo.

Fluffy tuft

2010-03-10T13:38:00.003+01:00

Spring is coming, but it is still cold this morning with -4°C. The strong NO-wind kept the water open. After the low and soft winter illumination, I have to get used to the other quality of light. This ♂ Tufted Duck (Aythya fuligula/Kuifeend) is photographed in bright sunlight; windy conditions are necessary in order to show the fluffy tuft.

Who is afraid of yellow and blue

2010-02-16T13:30:00.003+01:00

I waited almost an entire day before this ♂ Hen Harrier (Circus cyaneus/Blauwe Kiekendief) turned up hunting above the ‘planned’ field. It is a pity that the yellow penetrating eyes of the bird are not visible; the bird is scrutinizing the ground for prey. The posing Yellowhammer (Emberiza citrinella/Geelgors) eased the long waiting hours. The bright colors are intensified by the reflecting snow cover on the ground.

Mini dunes

2010-02-12T14:00:00.003+01:00

Although the snow layer is broken, the winter doesn’t budge an inch. Last week a strong north-eastern wind brought cold Scandinavian air to our country. In these circumstances it pays off to search for interesting snow structures at the south-west bank of a lake, in this case “Het Soerendonks Goor”. The snow of the large ice surface is collected in mini dunes right after the first vegetation layer. Late afternoon sun rays enhanced the relief. I only miss a lonely skater passing by.

Bewick's in blue

2010-01-31T20:48:00.010+01:00

In the last decade or so a small group (approximately 40) Bewick’s Swans (Cygnus Bewickii/Kleine Zwanen) winter in “De Kempen”, the region where I live. At daytime they prefer farmland, especially corn fields with harvest scraps; in the night they sleep on moorland lakes.
Bewick’s Swans look much more elegant floating in a lake than foraging in a field in my opinion. So a picture of these big white birds while swimming in the warm golden light that marks the end of the day is in my mind for quite some time. Today however, things turned out differently.
At 16h PM I installed myself at the border of the lake where they overnight with my tripod and photo equipment. Soon it started to snow heavily. I had to improvise and used my cap to protect my SLR camera. Around 17h PM snowfall suddenly stopped and the sky opened up. In the meanwhile I was transformed into a snowman, and disappeared in the white landscape around me. The light at that moment was truly amazing. It could best be described as an icy blue sunset, as if the cold absorbed the colors. I have never seen anything like this before. Another fifteen minutes later the flock Bewicki’s landed on the lake. The vocal “whoo-whoo” sounds always makes me feel happy. After landing, 5 adult birds floated slowly towards me. Luckily, I could still move my index finger enough to press the shutter button. It is one of my favorite pics.

Reed specialists

2010-01-15T19:19:00.009+01:00

The Oostvaardersplassen is always rewarding for bird photography; 2 specialists of this important wetland:
The colored Bearded Tit (Panurus biarmicus/Baardmannetje). In winter they feed on reed seeds. What an acrobatic posers are they.
The Bittern (Botaurus stellaris/Roerdomp) is seldom seen, as it leads a retiring life under cover of extensive reedbeds. Its presence is usually only revealed by a conspicuous call, resembling a foghorn. When ditches and lakes are frozen, hunger drives them to the few scarce places with open water. The first photo freezes a catch action. On the second photo the Bittern adopts the characteristic camouflage posture. Note that especially the dark breast markings work well.
I spent about an hour with it and shot over 4Gb of images … and then drove home with a very smugg grin on my face!

Dunnock & Wren

2010-01-08T19:33:00.002+01:00

Dunnock (Prunella modularis/Heggemus), Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes/Winterkoning), Robin (Erithacus rubecula/Roodborst), Water Pipit (Anthus spinoletta/Waterpieper), and Grey Wagtail (Motacilla cinerea/Grote Gele Kwikstaart), and even a brave wintering Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita/Tjiftjaf) were all catching insects at the banks of a running stream. I like the delicate subtle plumage of this thicket-loving bird.

Winter continues

2010-01-04T19:07:00.003+01:00

Today I made a birdwatch tour in Zeeland together with Arie Ouwerkerk and his father. At 8h AM sharp we had an appointment on the dike near the small village Den Bommel. I could not resist the temptation to photograph the icy ditch at the foot of the dike, just before the cold sun-rise while waiting at the rendez-vous point (they were stuck in a heavy traffic jam).
Kestrels (Falco tinnunculus/Torenvalk) are better approachable because of the cold weather. This perching ♂ was photographed from a mobile hide (Arie’s car).

Winter in Holland

2009-12-27T17:21:00.014+01:00

The winter started early this year. A short overview: On December 14-th it started to freeze seriously. The cold weather continued the entire week and on December 19-th the temperature stayed even at daytime below –10ºC (see also my previous post). On December 20-th heavy snowfall swept the country. A soft white blanket covered everything, and as usual the whole public transport system collapsed. A few days later temperatures already went up above zero.
As usual I really got nervous and wanted to photograph everything at the same time. By now I know that especially in these situations it is important to focus and to draw up a plan (make sure that you can take a few days off!). I decided to do forest landscapes in the neighborhood directly after the snowfall, and to spend the rest of the time to bird photography. My favorites:

A high key exposure of an inquisitive Nuthatch (Sitta Europaea/Boomklever) at a feeding station in the forest. She behaves in worst Rambo style (fits well with its Zorro mask), chasing off all the tit species and scattering seeds in all directions.
A line of poplar silhouettes mirrored by the Dommel river. I like the tight maze of dead branches; 3 months from now the sound of drumming woodpeckers is all around at this place.
I like to capture simple things with my camera, such as this plain water-through for the cattle with a snow-covered bald corn field in the background.
The title of this photo “Blue Cathedral”. I showed the same forest path (which is very close to my home) also in autumn colors on October 28-th 2009 on this blog.

Partridges in white

2009-12-19T20:49:00.006+01:00

A few days ago the first snowflakes of this winter came down in The Netherlands; in my home village this resulted in a thin broken layer. But some 30km to the west, in Tilburg, there was a snow cover of almost 10cm.
There I found a convey of 6 Grey Partridges (Perdix perdix/Patrijs), in search for food. They are amazingly hardy, and endure much snow and cold weather.

Wet embrace

2009-12-04T15:53:00.005+01:00

This morning I witnessed the courtship play of Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos/Wilde Eend). A few stages are shown in the following screenshots.

3 excited ♂♂ surround a ♀. They all try to isolate her by chasing away the other ♂♂.
The dominant ♂, busy to make an impression. The ♀ seems not really interested.
But sometimes appearances are deceptive. A few seconds later: Intimate duck embrace.
Overview of the playground. I like this ‘bar-code’ image with just a few pixels in focus.

November twitch

2009-11-08T14:50:00.010+01:00

Somehow, I find November a good month for twitching. Today, I went to a 1-st winter Grey Phalarope (Phalaropus fulicarius/Rosse Franjepoot); some years autumn gales bring singles or small groups inshore. This small wader breeds in the Arctic on coastal wet tundra. Sex roles are reversed; more attractively plumaged ♀♀ gather in flocks to compete for ♂♂, which tend eggs and young. They winter in the Atlantic off the African coast.
It was also a nice opportunity to test my 500mm lens, which has just been repaired and calibrated (the lens was heavily damaged when I tumbled over a stone after photographing Avocets on August 21-st, 2009). The bird was very tame and most of the time within the minimum focal distance. However, when it was not too close, I could take some photos. They were razorsharp. Test passed!

Papenvoortse Dijk

2009-10-28T17:01:00.001+01:00

The “Papenvoortse Dijk”, a sandy path that runs between Nuenen (the village where I live) and Helmond, is the watershed between 2 local streams. Northern Red Oaks (Quercus rubra/Amerikaanse Eik) flank this dike; the leaves have deep red colors this time of year. The ridge of sand is deposited during the last ice age about 10.000 years ago. On the old topographic map of 1704 AD this dike was clearly visible. At that time it was a local ‘highway’ for farm carts loaded with sods of turf and dung. Miraculously, this connection survived as a sandy path in todays dense network of tarmac roads.

To eat or not to eat?

2009-10-24T15:46:00.005+02:00

Autumn is in full swing. This morning I found many yellow funnel-shaped mushrooms submerged in wet green moss beds. After careful studying at home, I compared pictures and descriptions in several mushroom fieldguides, I could not pinpoint them down to one species. I still doubt between the tasty Chanterelle (Cantharellus cibarius/Hanekam) and the non-edible False Cantharelle (Hygrophoropsis aurantiaca/Valse Hanekam). When making this photo, I used diffuse silver-coated cardboard as reflection screens to get a bit more light to the gills.

Is there an expert that could help me out with the identification?

The first comment even offers a 3-rd possibility: Jack O'Lantern (Omphalotus illudens/Lantaarnzwam) which is however very rare in The Netherlands.

Stormy weekend

2009-10-04T18:52:00.010+02:00

Again I went a few days to Terschelling, this time to do ‘seascape’ photography. The weather gods were very cooperative. On Friday October 2-nd dark clouds full of heavy rain showers filled the sky (in autumn they develop easily above the relatively warm water of the North Sea); the waves left nice foam traces on the sand. The next day things get really rough. The first autumn storm, SW 8, caused a real blizzard with sand-rays. I looked for a foreground object on the beach to create a surrealistic scene. A beer container washed ashore perfectly matched my requirements (beachcombers probably drunk the content, sorry for that :-). But the climax was Sunday morning. The wind even deepened a little further and turned clockwise, resulting in NW 8-9. When I arrived with my bike in early morning at the coast, I could not believe my eyes. The whole beach was gone; it was completely overtaken by a turbulent sea, with tidal waves sometimes surpassing the size of houses. Large groups of stilts, notably Bar-tailed Godwit (Limosa lapponica/Rosse Grutto), Knot (Calidris canutus/Kanoet), Dunlin (Calidris alpina/Bonte Strandloper), and Grey Plover (Pluvialis squatarola/Zilverplevier) rushed against the strong wind in front of the high tidal waves, searching for a safe place to stay. The “Boschplaat”, a high-tide (HVP in Dutch) nature reserve, actually the last 10 km of land of eastern Terschelling, was flooded. Also a few migrating Great Skuas (Stercorarius skua/Grote Jagers) passed by at close range. Impressive!
With the above pictures I want to convey my emotional experience; you have to imagine yourself the salt taste in your month, the roaring of the wind in your ears, and the lashing sand rays on your skin.

Young Sanderling

2009-09-25T11:56:00.002+02:00

Usually the island Terschelling is loaded with migrating birds in this season. However, for some unknown reason numbers are substantially lower this year. Luckily, small groups of Sanderlings (Calidris alba/Drieteenstrandloper) are already there.
I am very glad with this photo that clearly shows the beautiful juvenile plumage. It is a miracle that these birds, born last summer in Greenland, Siberia, or Canada, are now resting on the beach of Terschelling.

Seeryp

2009-09-24T11:54:00.002+02:00

At the end of this month I stayed midweek with my friend Arie Ouwerkerk on Terschelling. Two impressions of the salting near Seeryp, the place where Arie makes his famous flying-wader pictures. The 1-st photo is taken at high tide. Note the
Common Cordgrass (Spartina anglica/Engels Slijkgras) in the foreground. This is a very young species of cordgrass that originated from southern England in about 1870. It is very valuable for coastal erosion control, assisting in land reclamation from the sea. The drawback is that it smothers natural eco-systems and prevents waders from feeding. The 2-nd photo shows the old wooden sea-defense wall at low tide.

31m25 N.A.P.

2009-09-13T11:52:00.001+02:00

This year the ‘Indian summer’ brings sunny, warm weather. As a consequence the water level in the moorland lakes is very low.
Below the situation in the Mariapeel. Signs indicate a level of 31m25 N.A.P., a Dutch abbreviation meaning “Nieuw Amserdams Peil”.