EARLY MORNING

Sunrise 05.31 - Sunset 21.45

When the sun appears above the horizon the world wakes up. The light is diffuse, birds sing and Wild Boars and Roe-bucks search the plane for food, their pace is easy going. The calmness becomes part of you, disturbing thoughts dissolve. Natures healing process.

Man has become distant of life. The daily struggle of work and bills and possessions overshadows the excitement of living outdoors in close contact with nature. Throw of the chains of western prosperity and go outside, swim the oceans, climb the mountains and fly the air.

LUSH GREENS

Sunrise 05.32 - Sunset 21.43

It is amazing how many colors of green in springtime emerge. A beautiful sight of life and abundance. Swallows fly low above the plain with a small stream in the centre of the valley. Tetterwort has found a place in the robust trunk of an Acacia or Thorn tree. A hike in the outdoors is always surprising.

RAIN - 23 Mai 2013

Sunrise 05.35 - Sunset 21.39

The sunny days and warm temperatures of spring seem to be far off this year. Nature seems to hesitate ass well. Flowers grow less, leaves stay longer bright green. In other words early spring is staying for a longer time this year.

And the rain keeps on falling. Think, cold and wet raindrops, turning trails in mud streams and feeding the rippling creeks with clear water. Nevertheless its amazing.

FLOWERS - 20 mai 2013

Sunrise 05.39 - Sunset 21.35

The first impression, if you think about flowers, are small, fragile plants with bright colors. But trees and bushes bloom as well with beautiful flowers. Like these Chestnut Torches and the Rhododendron Luteum Sweet.

ROE-BUCK - 16 Mai 2013

Sunrise 05.45 - Sunset 21.29

In the field a Roe-Buck lies in the field. Not a very common side to see. Mostly you see them standing, alert or grazing. But this morning this Roe-Buck and another two were lying and ruminating. Its fur rough and wet. And around them the soft green colors of spring.

TADPOLE - 15 Mai 2013

Sunrise 05.46 - Sunset 21.28

At the edge of a small forest pond. Hundreds, probably thousand of tadpoles gather. Imaging that all of them survive. A plague of frogs and toads would hit the forest. Luckily there are many animals who feast on this little creatures.

In contrasts to the dark colors of these amphibians are the colors of spring flowers like the bright white Cow Parsley, Red Campion and Chestnut Candles.

SPLENDOUR - 12 Mai 2013

Sunrise 05.51 - Sunset 21.23

Spring in all its splendour. Nature is awake and it shows. The trees and plants seem to explode. All colors of tender greens grow. The sunlight is getting filtered by a soft green blanket. Birds sing, animals graze. Its is a busy time but also a time of abundance. Everywhere you look new plants appear from a long sleep. Fresh, new and full of life. Spring at its most beautiful!

GUESTS - 4 Mai 2013

Sunrise 06.05 - Sunset 21.10

The dunes are grazed by horses and cattle set free. They are guests of these special landscapes. Welcome guests that make the landscape more diverse. More plants and insects follow. And for the human visitors it is an attractive sight to see.

The Eiders are guests as well, they come and go every year, every new breading season.

RUSHING HOME - 3 Mai 2013

Sunrise 06.06 - Sunset 21.08

At the end of a beautiful day. Birds fly to places to spent the night. Many follow the coast. It is as if every bird is rushing home after a days work. And in the meanwhile the sun sets the horizon in bright orange colors.

THE WETLANDS - 02 Mai 2013

Sunrise 06.08 - Sunset 21.07

When sea defeats land a new landscape arise. It is not completely see and it is certainly no land. It is something in between and depended on the weather. With high tide and stormy weather it is sea for certain. But now, when the sun shines and the tide is low it looks more like land. An amazing landscape full of all kind of seabirds like: “Eiders, Terns, Oystercatchers, Whimbrels, Shelducks, Sandpipers, Geese, Plovers en and many more”

SEAL AND HARBOR PORPOISE - 01 Mai 2013

Sunrise 06.10 - Sunset 21.05

The sanctuary of seals and other sea animals is doing a good job. The seals are back in the Wadden Sea mudflats. People are getting informed about the beauty of this beautiful landscapes and its wildlife and become more aware. The seals who remain in captivity wouldn’t survive in the wild because of different injuries and handicaps. They are the ambassadors of their species and environment.

BEHIND THE DUNES - 30 April 2013

Sunrise 06.12 - Sunset 21.03

Although the beach is a wonderful place to be the landscape behind the dunes is special as well. Its dry, the plants and bushes are robust and though and most of the seem to have thorns. The wind mostly blowing from the west has shaped the bushes and trees. Because of the salty wind the leaves at the west side don’t get a chance to grow the leaves and branches on the more protected site grow faster. Therefore the shapes are so special for these seacoasts.

And between it Shelducks mate, rabbits forage and Pheasants search.

SUNSET - 29 April 2013

Sunrise 06.14 - Sunset 21.02

When sunlight fades and the darkness of the night is almost there, many birds are still foraging the beach. Especially the Sandpipers, these small, funny birds move fast following the waves breaking on the sand. If you observe them it always makes you smile. They almost seem to have wheels to move instead of legs. When they walk, the fast movement of their legs become vague, just like rotating wheels.

The Oystercatcher seem to enjoy the last sunlight as well. But in a very different way. Sitting on top of a dune, silent, still like statues. Watching the sun disappearing at the horizon.

DUNES - 28 April 2013

Sunrise 06.16 - Sunset 21.00

Dunes are walking hills of sand. One day they are here and another day they are gone. It is as if they are alive and in a way that’s true. The dunes, the moist valleys behind it and the beaches in front of it  are full of life. A harsh environment, an amazing landscape.

WALK AT THE BEACH - 27 April 2013

Sunrise 06.18 - Sunset 20.58

The beach of an Isle in front of the coast is sunny but chilly. A strong wind caries the cold of the seawater. But I is an wonderful place to be with many birds enjoying the upcoming spring. A season where we all are waiting for and this year it is late. The sea is pounding its waves on the sandy shores. What adventures are waiting beyond the horizon. Thoughts drift and nature takes over.

A pair of seagulls has caught a Flounder, the male presents it to the female. But she doesn’t want it. Well no problem after some attempts of giving it to her, the male swallows it completely himself.

And as we walk on some Oystercatchers walk the beach as well. Bright orange their beaks and legs, black and white their feathers a typical bird of these regions.

WILD LIFE - 24 april 2013

Sunrise 06.22 - Sunset 20.55

When first light arrives on the plains many animals are still foraging. It is a moment of peace. Even the animal seem less shy. If you move gently and stay on a polite distance they let you observe them.

The Wild Boar ploughing the earth with its nose, the roe deer grazing. They seem to be everywhere and you ask yourself; where are they all staying during the day?

SPOONBILL - 19 april 2013

Sunrise 06.35 - Sunset 20.45

The birds are abundant and busy in these season of promises. Swans are searching for food and nest materials. Crystal clear drops are dripping from its beak. Soft orange on pure white its head. A royal animal of the lake. In the sky another great bird is passing by, a beautiful White Stork.

But that is not all. Side by side Cormorants and Spoonbills are nesting.

FOREST STREAM - 17 april 2013

Sunrise 06.39 - Sunset 20.41

In the forest the remains of the leaves of a forgotten season are blocking the rippling water of a creek. On the banks Wood Anemones flourish. Bright white above some deep and dark bends of the stream. Lesser Celandine is covering up large areas marshy woodland.

The banks of the creeks are fluorescent green. The color of mosses. A wonderful and magical tapestry of green. The forest and its streams are awakening of a long and cold sleep.

GREYLAG GOOSE - 5 april 2013

Sunrise 07.06 - Sunset 20.21

A small creek meanders through its valley. Shaped in time and changed into fertile meadows. A fine place to rest and feast. Tomorrow another day of flying due north. 

SPRING FLOWERS - 3 april 2013

Sunrise 07.10 - Sunset 20.17

On an estate of only a few hectares, early spring flowers are in full bloom. It makes you smile, all those delicate plants recovering from frozen soil. It is natures wonder season after season. And this season they are here again, Wood Anemone, Lesser Celandine and Snowdrops.

EARLY MORNING

Sunrise 07.12 - Sunset 20.16

0°C

This early morning there were many birds to see, but the first animals I encountered were Roe Deer. They were foraging at the edge of a forest and a field, in the shadow where ground frost still covered the field. It must be a cold meal.

At the top of a tree a Song Thrush filled the air with a beautiful song of nature.

In the forest the early sunlight pierced past the trees illuminating the mosses on the ground. Some woodpeckers flew by. And when I left the forest behind quit a few larks were scattered on the plain, some on the ground some in the air singing and claiming their territory. At the edge some Wagtails were examining the ground, digged out by Wild Boar

On a peace of farmland a Hen Harrier and a Common Kestrel were hunting for prey and where farmland passes over into heather a Stonechat claimed its peace of heather. What an amazing early morning with so much to see, in spite of the cold, spring is here.

FARMING LAND – 25 March 2013

Sunrise 06.31 - Sunset 19.02

0°C

The fields are still empty and dry. But the mosses seem to shine from within a deep, bright color of green. The promise of the color of the farmland when spring will enter and take over the barren grounds.

BEAUTIFUL TREES – 24 march 2013

Sunrise 06.33 - Sunset 19.00

0°C

On the banks of a small stream many trees find a place to grow. It is a pleasant place to hike with great views. Accompanied by the sound of the water and the birds in the trees. The trees are still without leaves although their buds are getting thicker and thicker waiting to burst into the most beautiful green colors of spring. But not now, it is still cold and therefore the barks of the trees get all my attention. The beautiful and diverse structures and colors of tree bark.

BIRCHTREE - 17 March 2013

Sunrise 06.49 - Sunset 18.48

0°C

When spring is almost there but winter still has a grip on the forests, the Birch trees bring light and hope.

CIRCLE OF LIFE

Sunrise 06.59 - Sunset 18.41

-2°C

In spite of the cold some birds sing their song, establishing their territory. The beat of a woodpecker sounds between the trees and on the plain horses graze.

At the edge of the plain I was looking for the remains of the two dead wild boars I found several weeks ago. There was hardly anything left, some bones and one skull were the only things to be found. The rest is probably become a part of the circle of life.

When I followed the path further I felt someone or something looking at me. I turned and saw a pair of brown eyes staring at me. A Roe Buck with its antlers covered in velvet. The animal wasn’t afraid at all. We looked some time at each other and when I went on the Roe Buck did the same.

BENEATH THE TREES

It is finished, hours has passed. Graphite has found its place in this fragile account of two Prezwalski horses beneath the trees.

FROST HAS RETURNED – 10 march 2013

Sunrise 07.06 - Sunset 18.36

-1°C

In the valley of a rippling creek the first Daffodils bloom. But it is cold, again. Winter hasn’t left the lowlands yet. Its beautiful, the white branches, the ice drops on the leaves but it is enough. The time of ice and snow is over, the time of spring has begun, but not on this day.

BENEATH THE TREES

On the drawing table for some time now, two Prezwalski horses grazing on a field. The small but tough horses can withstand all kind of weather. Now set free again to life on the plains as they did hundreds of years ago. The come-back of a beautiful animal.

FIBRANT COLORS

Sunrise 07.10 - Sunset 18.32

+13°C

After weeks, even months of earth colors, or just black and white and all greys in between, fibrant colors have returned. And one of the first flowers with fibrant colors is the Crocus.

SIGNS OF SPRING

Sunrise 07.12 - Sunset 18.31

+11°C

The last days the signs of spring are visible everywhere. Two days ago a flog of 8 Crane flew by. First I heard the typical trumpet sound of Cranes and then I saw them gaining height and heading east in typical V-shape formation. A special moment and the first time ever I saw them above our home. Yesterday tree storks flew by with majestic black and white wings.

Today the forest was full of singing birds like the Song Trush, Blackbirds and Great Tits. Above a small field a Marsh Harrier was searching for prey. At the edge of the same field a Red-backed Shrike in the top of a tree, the first one arrived from the south. And a Willow was starting to blossom with soft, fur-like flower buds. Signs of spring all over.

NIGHT FROST

Sunrise 07.19 - Sunset 18.25

+7°C

After a clear night, night frost is covering everything out of reach of early sunshine. The bushes and grasses have a blanket of icy crystals, light appears to be blue. The shadow side of the tree line. At the east side of trees, into the sun everything looks warm colored, night frost has vanished.

In the trees a great tit is singing its territorial song. Powerful and daring, warning others and luring a congener to mate.

FIRST LEAVES - 03 march 2013

Sunrise 07.21 - Sunset 18.23

+4°C

Slowly but steadily the forest will awake from its cold sleep. First leaves appear from there save capsules. Honeysuckle and elderberry are the bravest and take the chance to receive first sunlight. But they have to be brave (or early) because they life there lives under huge trees and it is just a matter of time before the leaves of trees take the sunlight and put them into shade…

ROE DEER

Sunrise 07.26 - Sunset 18.20

+4°C

Encounters with animals are often unexpected. Unless you are a biologist, hunter or someone else who is looking for certain species. But if you are just hiking, experiencing everything you see, an encounter with animals is exciting. This morning some roe deer crossed my path, well not literally. They were grazing in a field at the edge of the forests. An amazing site. But so was the woodpecker. Who was sitting in the top of a tree. What a wonderful beginning of a rather grey day.

CRESTED TIT

Sunrise 07.32 - Sunset 18.14

+4°C

Some days are sad and grey. Wandering through the forest seems not very inspiring until you meet some small animals, some birds. They travel in groups, foraging the trees, the bushes, the branches. And they do not taken any interest in your presence. Although it seems that way, when you approach and the distance becomes less then 4 or 5 meters they fly away. Just a few meters but still. They are very energetic and always searching for food.

Snow is melting and grasses appear. Still in rest but if you look very close you can see some new blades of grass. It is only a matter of time before the forest awakes.

ICE SCULPTURES - 21-02-2013

Sunrise 07.43 - Sunset 18.05

At the edge of a small waterfall ice encloses everything within its reach. Ice sculptures arise. Wonderful small wonders of nature, encapsulated, special and sparkling like diamonds. Natures treasures are abundant when you appreciate it, see it, touch it. Use all of your  senses and experience.

CLEAR STREAM 20-02-2013

Sunrise 07.45 - Sunset 18.03

What is it about water, streaming water that never bores. It is clear, you see the pebbles on the bottom, white sand. The fragile sound of the of the current, clear as small bells. It is constantly changing, floating, endless. A bringer of life.

A small branch is like a canoe on a river of white water. And on it there are explores of forgotten lands… Yeah that is the answer why water is never boring. It is a life bringer of endless thoughts and imaginations.

EARLY BAT

Sunrise 07.51 - Sunset 17.58

A bat in wintertime and in broad daylight, what a strange sight. The small animal was flying above a pool, still partially covered with ice, and drinking and/or chasing for insects. The sun was shining bright and temperatures of about 8°C. So the bat couldn’t stay inside any longer after a long period of hibernation. You had to look twice before you believed what you were seeing. Unfortunately to far of to capture it. Luckily there were other things to capture, like a blue heron, a geese and a great white egret.

SILENT TREES

Sunrise 07.55 - Sunset 17.54

The forest, the trees are silent. A thick blanket of mist is hiding the landscape. No sounds, no wind just the sound of walking feet in the snow. In the distance a buzzard is flying into the sky, disappearing into the fog as if it was never there. On the plain the horizon becomes one with the snow covered ground.

Trees become strange creatures, you think they move, dance, swirl. The mist is tricking your eyes. But they make no noise. A breathtaking silence under the dancing trees of the forest.