This hedgehog was in Gooilust nature reserve, on 16 May 2023.
Rare sheep’s head mushroom in Naardermeer, Netherlands
At the bottom of an oak tree near the duck decoy in Naardermeer nature reserve grew this sheep’s head mushroom on 16 October 2022.
Autumn leaves on it. This is a rare species in the Netherlands.
Pintail, other ducks, Naardermeer, Netherlands
The 16 October boat trip in the Naardermeer nature reserve landed at the duck decoy. There, these male pintail ducks swam.
Sometimes, female pintail ducks joined them. Sometimes, mallards and domestic ducks.
Sometimes, common pochards.
There was also a kingfisher at the duck decoy.
Herons, other birds, Naardermeer, Netherlands
On 16 October, this grey heron flew over the beautiful Naardermeer nature reserve in the Netherlands.
I went along on a boat trip in the Nardermeer then. The trip was organised by the conservation organisation Natuurmonumenten, owners of the Naardermeer.
The Naardermeer is a lake with many marshy areas.
We saw this great egret.
Other birds that morning: an osprey, goshawk, common snipes. We heard a Cetti’s warbler.
Raptor migration, Shuamta, Georgia, September 2022
This photo shows the raptor migration observation point in Shuamta, Georgia. It is not far from Batumi city, like the other hilltop observation point Sakhalvasho which is a few kilometres more to the west.
On 11 September, many black kites passing.
Of course, also honey buzzards again.
Bee-eaters, not officially counted, like usually.
Booted eagles, who are counted.
A painted lady butterfly.
Two sparrowhawks overhead.
A snake eagle circling.
In a flock of bee-eaters, an Alpine swift.
Two hobbies.
Honey buzzards migrating, photos Georgia, September 2022
This photo shows a honey buzzard, landing on a branch near Sakhalvasho bird migration watchpoint near Batumi in Georgia.
Honey buzzards are the most numerous species of the millions of birds migrating in autumn along the Black Sea coast of Georgia.
The honey buzzard finds out that the branch is a bit thin for its weight.
So, it flies away again.
If flies along with many fellow honey buzzards (sometimes also black kites and other birds of prey join in), circling in the air, to profit from thermals.
It flies with still more other birds.
And still more other birds.
Purple heron, red-backed shrike migration, Batumi Georgia
This 7 September 2022 photo shows purple herons migrating along the Black Sea coast near Batumi, Georgia.
These photos, also 7 September 2022, show a young red-backed shrike near the Black Sea coast near Batumi, Georgia.
Migrating birds near Batumi, Georgia photos
4/5 September 2022. At the Batumi Raptor Count point near Sakhalvasho village in Georgia.
Although it is called Raptor Count, also some non-raptor birds on their southwards autumn migration are counted. Like the European roller on the photo above. Hundreds of them flying daily past the counting point in these September times.
Most non-raptor bird species are not counted. Like bee-eaters, numerous and filling the air with their beautiful calls.
Lower in the Batumi area, closer to the Black Sea. Many gulls. Mostly yellow-legged gulls. Also at least one Armenian gull.
On the stony beach of Batumi city, not only wheatears, but also greater short-toed larks like this one.
In Batumi city park, various nightjars like this one, resting during daytime, before migrating toward Africa again during the night.
Stay tuned for more posts about bird migration in Georgia!
Black ibis migration along the Black Sea
ZWARTE IBIS MIGRATIE LANGS DE ZWARTE ZEE
Also the wheatear is migrating along this sea / Ook de tapuit migreert langs deze zee
The Cure, Rotterdam concert 1979
This 9 September 1979 photo shows British band the Cure, playing at the Rotterdam, the Netherlands New Pop Festival 1979 in the Zuiderpark.
I took photos there with my Kodak Pocket Instamatic, the cheapest, smallest and simplest camera available. In 2005, photo shops stopped developing and printing Instamatic films. That meant the end of photography forever for me and others for whom expensive cameras for which you needed a Sc.D degree were not an option.
You could only make 12 photos with an Instamatic film. So, I had to be careful not to waste film.
I photographed the Inner Circle reggae band.
I made photos of the Specials.
And of the Cure, as this one also shows.