NatureNotions » Nederland

Autumn Announces

master — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 12:29:57 +0000

The last couple of weeks have been very wet and the conditions in the forests seem ideal for mushrooms. Also, as measures for the environment are gaining more momentum, the air is more pure and clean. For a number of mushrooms this is essential and in particular for the Fly Agaric.

This mushroom is still in its growing phase, the red cap is still to unfold until a flat top surface forms.

Not only environmental changes contribute to renewed life in mushrooms: also the policy of forestry bodies is to leave fallen trees to provide nutrional grounds for a large variety of species, among which are the mushrooms in autumn.

I am not entirely sure about this species, but a group of ladies inspecting my images assured me this must be a ‘fairybench’ (NL: elvenbank). If you know this species or know for sure it is something other than a fairybench, please let me know by submitting a reply message below. Thanks.

Please also refer to my Mushroom Gallery for more images of this lovely morning in the forest.

Poor chaps

master — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 06:47:42 +0000

Last week we spent a week on the dutch island of Texel, the largest of the group situated in the north of Holland. The wheather was fantastic with clear blue skies and a firm breeze from the north. I visited a number of breeding colonies, mainly habituated by black-headed gulls and northern terns. European Avocets, who stay the whole year around on the island, breed among these birds, to a great cost: in particular the black-headed gulls, but also Herring Gulls and Lesser Black-backed Gulls who fly over, will always try to snatch a chick away. Although the parents are very protective, their young will need to run for their lives until they can fly.

At the first morning of my visit to the ‘Wagejot’ colony, there were about 10 avocet chicks running around.

When I visited two days later, there were none left.

See also: http://www.birdphotographers.net/forums/showthread.php?t=65437 for reviews of this image.

A Rainy Day

master — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 01:50:48 +0000

Last weekend I went for a short trip to Holland to visit family and to go out and photograph. The day I went out to shoot was a little short of abysmal, rain rain rain. But I still managed to get a few nice birds in the viewfinder.

The Great White Egret first bred in Holland in 1978 and currently stands at 150 breeding pairs, steadily progressing north from their Mediterranean homestead. This winter was one of the toughest winters in many years in Holland and to my astonishment I noticed a lot of them in fields, usually foraging singly and apparently surviving very well. I did a bit of reading on this bird and it turns out that when breeding successfully, they often stay and winter near their breeding grounds.
From my car, in heavy rain I took this bird. Photographed in a farmer’s field near the Biesbos nature reserve.

Great White Egret

Just to show how much of a rainy day it was, this Buzzard seemed not too bothered and watched every move in the field.

Buzzard