Winterwonderland

The Netherlands was turned into a Winterwonderland! Reed beds, branches of trees, everything was covered with an exceptional thick layer of hoar frost. The most diffuse grey light I have ever seen. Perfect ingredients to compose a fairy-tale world. Don’t you see the elves?

Wildfowl in winter

A cutting icy eastern wind and a pale weak sun that is not able to warm the land; it is winter in The Netherlands! And I like it (I really missed the winter last year). With these conditions wildfowl gathers in huge numbers on the remaining open water in Zeeland, the delta province in the south-west of the Netherlands.
I posted awhile on a dike with a good view on an open water area surrounded by ice. From this position I was able to shoot pictures of a punky ♂ Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator/Middelste Zaagbek) and 2 ♂♂ Teal (Anas crecca/Wintertaling). Teals, which are much smaller, are usually shy and nervous, and quickly take wings. At large distance the males are easily recognized by their bright yellow stern patches.

Red eyes

Slavonian Grebe (Podiceps auritus/Kuifduiker). Except for a conspicuous red eye they don’t have much color in winter plumage.

40D: Over 10 million pixels

One of the first photos taken with my brand-new Canon EOS 40D camera; it is a 75% crop. So, the 10 million pixels are very welcome! The in-between ISO values of ⅓ stop are also convenient.
This wintering Great Grey Shrike (Lanius excubitor/Klapekster) was looking out for mice, or large insects. I like such birds-in-their-environment shots. Does anybody know why you always take nice photos when you just have a new camera or lens?