This picture made me think of Sting’s song ‘Fields of gold’. It´s wheat he sings about, but this comes close enough. Heard him sing during his show last December. Loved it!
But even the master can´t beat the voice of Eva Cassidy. She makes me want to walk through the fields forever
Ameria
Next week temperatures will drop to around zero degrees Celsius. A rare opportunity to go out at sunrise and catch the ice crystals just before the sun melts them away
Today I went out for a personal challenge. To find and capture patterns in the world around and make an abstract of it. The beauty of the ordinary.
Found it!
Back to Madagascar. Lots and lots of chameleons, lizards, frogs and snakes. Too much, I’d say. So here’s a whole bunch of them. Pay attention to the perfect disguise of the different chameleons (the smallest less than 5 cm!), the mossy leaf-tailed gecko’s, the beautiful frogs…
And did you know they even have Nile crocodiles? It’s all too much!
Autumn has arrived
Afgelopen 15 november was de Nationale Boomfeestdag 2023. Alweer de 66e editie van dit jaarlijkse feest. In Amstelveen gaf demissionair minister voor Natuur en Stikstof Christianne van der Wal-Zeggelink samen met burgmeester Tjapko Poppens en directeur Sylvo Thijsen het startschot in Amstelveen met het planten van een es. Directeur Nationale Boomfeestdag Marleen van der Ham en kinderburgemeester Milanka gaven hen een helpende hand. Deze es was de eerste van 200.000 bomen die door kinderen in heel Nederland zijn geplant en het komende half jaar nog worden geplant
As in any African country, life in Madagascar is largely lived outside on the streets
Yes, it was a birding trip to Madagascar. So it’s about time to show some of the beautiful birds that live there. Almost all of them endemic to the island as well, just as the lemurs. First the Madagascar Pygmy kingfisher Corythornis madagascariensis. An amazing success of our guide ‘Jacana’, who was able to spot this tiny bird in the trees of the rainforest
There is another kingfisher that looks a lot like our Eurasian kingfisher. At first glance they appear to be the same. But look closely: there is no blue cheek and less white on the chin. It’s a Madagascar malachite kingfisher Corythornis vintsioides
Incredibly graceful these Madagascar paradise flycatchers (Terpsiphone mutata mutata). Same species, white and brown morph
The Madagascar crested ibis Lophotibis cristata; quite shy and difficult to find. It took several days of searching before he showed up. “It has always been an endangered species,” the guide said, “but when the Covid pandemic broke out and tourists didn’t come anymore, lots of them were eaten…”
The hoopoe! And again an endemic: the Madagascar hoopoe Upupa marginata. I’m afraid I don’t see the difference with the Eurasian hoopoe
Souimanga sunbird – Cinnyris souimanga. That reflection of light on the feathers!
Another colourful bird: the Pitta-like ground-roller Atelornis pittiodes. Also very difficult to find, as he is walking in dense dark forests. So many colours: Green wings, ruby breast, blue spotted head… truly amazing
The family of rollers is one of my favourites. This is a Broad-billed roller Eurystomus glaucurus, mostly brown but it has beautiful blue feathers in the wings and tail
Last one for now: two Madagascar scops owls Otus rutilus happy together
De Portrettenmaker 