Whirring reel

Grasshopper Warbler (Locustella naevia/Sprinkhaanzanger) was high on my wish list for this weekend on Terschelling. His whole body resonates when you hear its peculiar insect-like mechanical song, a whirring reel “sir’r’r’r’r’r’r’r”.

Singing Savi’s

Personally, I like this photo of a singing Savi’s Warbler (Locustella luscinioides/Snor) a lot. It is taken at the Ringselvennen, an area with many lakes near a zinc factory south of Eindhoven, close to the Belgium border. The arced vegetation, preferred by this species, is Great Fen-sedge (Cladium mariscus/Galigaan)!

Who's afraid of red and green

Grey Partridge (Perdix perdix/Patrijs) is a breeder of open farmland. Has declined greatly in The Netherlands. In the meadows around the “Groote Peel” still fair numbers of these birds can be found. Here is a ♂, the characteristic horseshoe-shaped blackish belly patch is not visible.

Bluethroat beauty

I bet everybody who saw a Bluethroat (Luscinia svecica/Blauwborst) once remembers exactly when and where it was. For those who never have seen this beautiful bird, a singing ♂ of the race cyanecula, i.e. with a small white throat patch.

Dutch poem

A group of Tree Sparrows (Passer montanus/Ringmus) were arguing and romping in a dense bush. This bird escaped from the crowd and posed for a moment right in front of me on a more or less isolated branch. The soft light in this photo inspired someone to write this poem (in Dutch unfortuneately :-).

Een dag draait weg
terwijl de zon laag en lang
met een gloed de liefde
warm en teder toedekt.