Probe, eat, and run

Probe, eat and run, that is what Bar-tailed Godwits (Limosa Lapponica/Rosse Grutto) do. Every year they are seen along the Dutch coast, making a stopover to refuel for their long distance migration from their breeding grounds in the tundra to Africa. This morning it was stormy, with dark gloomy clouds in the sky and a hazy fog of salt spray above the beach. The surf created a thin wet film on the sand causing blurry reflections. Great light, nice scenery, and a confiding bird, exactly the circumstances I hoped for.

* Canon EOS 7D with 500mm/f4 IS; ISO-200, f6.3, 1/500s; +0.7 stop; from beanbag.
* Canon EOS 7D with 500mm/f4 IS; ISO-200, f6.3, 1/500s; +0.7 stop; from beanbag.

Spider time

There is a lot of physics to be seen on these dew-covered cobweb ‘miniscapes’.

• Gravity: Notice the downwards curvature of the heavy water-loaded spinning threads.
• Optics: A close look reveals a world turned upside down in the droplets.
• Surface tension caused by Vanderwaals forces: That is the reason why droplets are formed in the first place.

Sorry, I can’t resist referring to my background now and then.

* Canon EOS 5D Mark II, 100mm/f2.8; ISO-400, f4, 1/3200s; -0.3 stop.

* Canon EOS 5D Mark II, 100mm/f2.8; ISO-400, f20, 1/200s; -0.7 stop; tripod.

Moonset

Back home again. Not much text this time. No sunset or sunrise either, but instead a full moonset at 6h45 AM above my local fen.

* Canon EOS 5D Mark II, 17-40mm/f4 @ 17mm; ISO-100, f16, 2.5s; 3 stop ND hard gradient filter, tripod.