European stonechat (male)

Dear friends,

The project with the pair of European stonechat is rewarding. Three evenings were spend in the hide with overcast conditions. Cloudy weather is necessary to render details in their contrast-rich plumage. The birds gave excellent photo opportunities. They are flying their usual rounds in the field from post to post. Every 30-60 minutes they spend a few minutes in front of the hide. Herewith some results of the male bird. Photos of the female will be posted coming weekend.

Hope you enjoy them,

Dirk-Jan

Project photography

Dear all,

Since two weeks I'm working on a project with European stonechats. This beautiful bird species was on my wish list for some time. Especially the male with it's black, white, and orange tones are quite photogenic. Two weeks ago I found a pair of them in a nature reserve near my hometown. It took some time to get them customed to that strange guy with his small hide and photo equipment, but at the moment they are cooperative. Next step was to compose the set-ups that were in my head. One of them was the stonechat male on a meadow pole with flowering cow parsley in the background. Last week I took the picture that was in my head with the right light conditions. Hopefully they will stay in the area for some weeks as the creative process never stops!

See you,

Dirk-Jan

Under mother's wings

A well-known imagery for safety and security are the wings of a mother bird. Her wings provide warmth and a shelter for her vulnerable young. Similar symbols are frequently used in the Bible as God provides warmth, love, and safety for His children. I remembered these verses when I was observing an avocet family. We spend our Pentecost weekend on Texel. It was more a weekend for relaxing, not too much time for photography. Nevertheless, I remembered this important lesson in just a small hour along the waterside.

Cheers,

Dirk-Jan

Greppelveld, Flevoland

Dear reader,

Usually, my feelings about nature development projects are not that positive. Terms that come into my mind are artificial, non-natural, ......... it's my personal conviction that nature cannot be made. But, I believe I need to change my mind?! A few years ago, the people of Flevo landschap created a special reserve for meadow birds near my hometown. The area is called Greppelveld and is managed minimally. I visit the area regularly since last winter and always get interesting sightings. A fair amount of meadow birds, e.g. lapwings, curlews, and white-tailed godwits, have been breeding in the Greppelveld this spring. These species are under pressure because their habitats are disappearing. I'm glad they found a new home made by people!

Cheers,

Dirk-Jan

Spring flowers

There's a saying in Holland 'Bloemen houden van mensen', meaning 'Flowers love human beings'. I'm not a typical macro photographer, but last weekend I got the change to join an excursion to a nature reserve for a highly vulnerable plant species, snake's head frittilary. About 80% of the Dutch population can be found in the wet grasslands on the outer banks of IJssel and Vecht, around the small town of Hasselt. This plant belongs to the lely family and gives beautiful purple or white flowers in the last weeks of April. Our guide learned us some interesting facts. Did you know that it takes about 7 years to reach their flowering state? It was quite confronting to see their need for extensive agriculture on the grasslands surrounding the nature reserve. No flowers at all! Manuring and early mowing of the wet grasslands have a devastating effect on them. It's a good thing that this vulnerable species is nowadays protected. We celebrated an ultimate spring morning with beautiful weather.


Cheers,
Dirk-Jan

Bluethroat

One of our most colourful summer residents that arrives in April is the bluethroat. These beautiful birds, with their almost radiating blue throat, inhabit our marsh lands and reed fields. Once the males found a suitable habitat they make regular flights in their small territory and sing from their favorite posts in order to attract a partner for the coming breeding season. Their behaviour is quite predictable. Yesterday evening I found such a territorial male and followed him for about 4 hours. Precious moments with a small friend ................

Dirk-Jan

Yikes ...... Snakes!

Dear all,

Early spring is the ideal period to get out and observe the Dutch snakes. These cold-blooded creatures need sunlight to warm up before they get active. They leave their shelters as soon as the temperature is above 10 degrees Celcius on sunny or partly cloudy days. In early spring their warming takes quite some time and they can be found in moorland on wind-sheltered spots while taking a sun bath for hours. Last weekend we had planned a snake excursion with some friends. We were very lucky with our guide and also the weather conditions were perfect. Thus far I had only seen a few snakes in my whole life, but last saturday we found about 15 of them. Most of them were the dangerous European adder, but we also found one smooth snake. We had a wonderful day with lots of fun, learned a lot, and took some nice pictures of these beautiful animals.

Cheers,

Dirk-Jan