Grey submarine

A cold and grey December day. I spend the whole day on a small pier and I enjoyed every moment of it; thanks to this juvenile Great Northern Diver (Gavia immer/IJsduiker) ‘submarine’. One day, I hope to see and hear them displaying.

Vughtse Gement

Over 250 Bewick’s Swans (Cygnus bewickii/Kleine Zwaan) winter in the polder “Vughtse Gement” south of Den Bosch. The pattern of the yellow bill patch differs from individual to individual. Here you see 4 adults and 2 juveniles that take wing. Just before going home, I saw in the corner of my eye a Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes/Vos) standing in the bluish winter décor of the polder. Of course, I could not resist the temptation to take a few photos.

Puffball

Common Puffball (Lycoperdon perlatum/Parelstuifzwam). This white mushroom with its spiny looking exterior (with ‘gems’ or ‘studs’ which are soft and detach when manipulated) is very common in mixed forest with a thick humus layer in the soil.

Cheers!

A small family group (3 juveniles and 2 adult birds) of thirsty Whooper Swans (Cygnus cygnus/Wilde Zwanen) landed at the end of the afternoon on the lake called “Soerendonks Goor”. The sun was already behind the far forest line; the calm black water created a mysterious atmosphere.

Moor Club

Early November Moor Clubs (Clavaria argillacea/Heideknotszwam) pop-up on patches of heathland. This one was found on a short walk during my lunch break. I photographed this soft pastel-tinted and marzipan-like fungus with a large aperture to create a small DOF.

White Saddle

The late-afternoon horizontal light rays - my camera indicated that the time of this exposure was 17h57 PM - illuminating this mushroom make the photo. It is taken in the forest “Eckartse Bos”, located near Eindhoven. White Saddle (Helvella crispa/Witte Kluifjeszwam) is readily identified by its irregularly shaped whitish cap, and fuzzy undersurfaces. The stem is ornately ribbed.