Tiny beach-runners

From September 30-th till October 2-nd the traditional Birdpix weekend on Terschelling was organized. A good opportunity to extend my Sanderling (Calidris alba/Drieteenstrandloper) collection. I like these funny, social, fast and tiny beach-runners. Birding-wise the absolute highlight was a Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus/Velduil) that approached the island from the sea; it flew over the beach, mobbed by gulls and crows, and landed exhausted in the very first dunes.

* Canon EOS 7D with 500mm/f4 IS; ISO-400, f7.1, 1/1600s; -0.3 stop; lens leaning on a small plastic water bottle.
* Canon EOS 7D with 500mm/f4 IS; ISO-400, f6.3, 1/1250s; idem.

Strabrechtse Heide

Moments before sunrise on the good-old “Strabrechtse Heide” (somehow I end-up here 9 out of 10 times for landscape photography; next year I definitely go for the purple flowering heath). As the night was relatively cold I expected more ground fog, but nevertheless I had a good time while being-out-in-the-field this morning.

* Canon EOS 5D Mark II with 17-40mm/f4 @ 40mm; ISO-400, f10, 1/80s; hand held.

Fishing tactics: Solitary or communal?

Last Saturday we had a sunny and warm day (one of the first this summer). But ... for the early birds, the day started grey with thick fog. An impression: Communal fishing of Cormorants (Phalacrocorax carbo/Aalscholver) and a lonely Great White Heron (Egretta alba/Grote Zilverreiger) on “Het Beuven, Strabrechtse Heide” around 7h00 AM.

* Canon EOS 7D with 500mm/f4 IS and 1.4x; ISO-400, f5.6, 1/160s; +0.3 stop; from tripod.
* Canon EOS 7D with 500mm/f4 IS and 1.4x; ISO-400, f6.3, 1/1250s; +0.3 stop; idem.

Surrounded by curious cows

Last weeks I spent many hour’s lying on the ground covered with a camouflage cloth hoping for close encounters with Snipes (Gallinago gallinago/Watersnip). Until now no success. But today I was rewarded with this beautiful Shoveler (Anas clypeata/Slobeend).
I suspect that it is a juvenile bird, because the feathers are very fresh.
When I wanted to get up and go home I found myself surrounded by grazing cows. When they noticed something strange that was raising in the bog, they even ran towards me and surrounded me, curious as they are. A serious drawback of this location.

* Canon EOS 7D with 500mm/f4 IS and 1.4x; ISO-400, f6.3, 1/1000s; from bean bag.