Warbler in oak

This Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita/Tjiftjaf) was very territorial. The late sunlight and the fresk oak leaves make this picture.

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.

Buoyant

Underwater photography is not really my cup of tea. Here is my first attempt. I like the buoyant pose of this Palmate Newt (Lissotriton helveticus/Vinpootsalamander). The vegetation is a bit artificial.