Tuesday 16 February 2010

Who is afraid of yellow and blue

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.

Friday 12 February 2010

Mini dunes

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.