Teal jump

Teal (Anas crecca/Wintertaling) taking wing. It is taken from my private hide. This goes really fast, all of a sudden they jump out of the water. The advantage of spending a lot of time with ducks is that you learn to recognize the ‘fly away signs’, so that you can anticipate. The light was a bit dull, but I like the action. Weather conditions: Overcast, strong eastern wind (5 Bft); taken the chill factor into account it felt like -10°C (actual temperature was 0°C)!

* Canon EOS 7D, 500mm/f4.0; ISO-400, f5.6, 1/1250s; +0.7 stop; bean bag.

Where is the spring?

This morning it was -11.9°C in Nuenen. Winter still rules!

* Canon EOS 5D Mark II, 100mm/f2.8; ISO-200, f4, 1/1600s; +0.3 stop; hand held.

Snow white?

Flowering Snowdrops (Galanthus nivalis/Sneeuwklokjes), a first sign that spring is coming. They look virginal white but they are not. The petals are transparent, small air bubbles scatter the light in all directions, making them appear as white. Just squeeze the petals and notice what happens.

* Canon EOS 5D Mark II, 100mm/f2.8; ISO-400, f5, 1/166s; +0.7 stop; beanbag.