Something…
There’s something about the light and colours of this place…at dawn and dusk, a bit of sunshine to just set everything off and voila! 😎
Something about the colours of sedge grass and heather on the heathland seem to glow against the dark background of the surrounding forest…
Just something…je ne sais quoi… 😕
Out of Practice
This last week, after a virtually non-existant winter, spring had decided to arrive…there were storks gliding above my house, chiffchaffs in every tree and the oystercatchers were calling me back to the marsh…
Within a few seconds on my approach I was greeted by a rather excited black-tailed godwit, a sparrowhawk with a small rodent in its’ talons and two mute swans blocking the narrow path who hissed at me as I passed…I was fortunate to escape the situation without a broken arm. 😉
The resident canada geese seemed somewhat sparse in numbers as in winter there are thousands of geese on the marsh…some decide to stay while the majority move on…
It was possible to confuse such days with summer…yet the brown reeds, bare trees and lack of swallows kept reminding me it was April…being a little rusty after a rather prolonged spell of winter dormancy it’s good to be back! 🙂
A Warm Welcome
Usually warblers can prove quite elusive for the cameras’ lens, yet this Willow Warbler posed while singing, a familiar song for the time of year.
Recently back from wintering in Africa (and looking good) is of course the Swallow.
A common sound and sight on the marsh is the Reed Bunting…this bird flew circles around me before posing in a typical Reed Bunting way…I suspected I was near its’ nest.
This Black Tailed Godwit was the first bird I saw this year on the marsh, definitely a fitting welcome party and my first photo of one. I was surprised I could get so close as this, normally wading birds are quite shy…I can never get closer than 50 metres to a snipe usually, despite many hours of careful stalking. Godwits are much bolder in that respect…reflected in their loud call…the dutch name for this bird is “Grutto”, a name which I believe is derived from its’ call.
At only a couple of millimetres in length this is surely the smallest (and cutest) moth I’ve ever seen…it was also a weird experience at that moment to go into the macroworld whist surrounded by a vast open landscape….almost disorientating. 😉
On leaving the marsh for the day, I couldn’t resist this photo opportunity of this years lambs.
Quiet Contemplation
A quiet afternoon…I’m more used to dawn or dusk (mostly dusk)…a day before there was a lot of rain…this day was windy and warm though…many white butterflies and dragonflies and any other buzzy creatures too…it always changes, everyday is different.
a heartical view 