A Remarkable Weekend

It must have been the very sunny weather, between the end-of-this-December low pressure systems that have tortured western Europe lately. But with the clear blue sky and almost no wind, it was to be an interesting weekend. Nobody however could have predicted how remarkable it turned out to be.

On Saturday I visited London Wetland Centre, just to see if there was anything exciting going on. The domestic Wigeons (Anas Penelope) already made my visit worthwhile with their display of bravado against each other as seen in the banner.

But the Tufted Duck (Aythya Fuligula) that took a bath was just too good to be true. You only wonder why she needs this at all, provided that she spends most of her life in the water anyway.

I never knew that there were Pink-footed Geese (Anser Brachyrhynchus) there as well. I had seen some other geese in the Wetland Centre in the past, but these beautiful big birds with their regal brown heads and funny pink flippers were just a joy to take pictures of. And they treated me on a swimming display as well.

And to round of my visit to the London Wetland Centre, just two pictures: of a Mallard Duck (Anas Platyrhynchos) in flight and of two Northern Pintails (Anas Acuta). And this was only the beginning of my remarkable weekend…

I wondered where all the Common Teals (Anas Crecca) had gone. They should be here in their dozens now the winter has started, but I only spotted one or two in the Wetland Centre. But just across, when I walked back to Putney along the Thames I spotted about 15 of them having a jolly afternoon near the river.  I did not expect that at all!

But the most remarkable event happened today, when I was watching my bird feeder in the garden. I hadn’t seen much visitors lately, but the one that flew in just now was a first for me: a Nuthatch (Sitta Europaea) found the food and took its time to enjoy it.

There are many weekends I remember to be remarkable. Because of the weather or of a new bird or butterfly I saw. But this last weekend of 2013 was certainly very remarkable!

2013: A Year in Pictures, April - June

It is only fair to start this blog with new life in the world of the Canada Geese (Branta Canadensis), since my last blog showed a dead one. The circle of life is best shown in these three months of the year. The temperature rises and many animals prepare for the next generation. By nesting, such as the two Great-crested Grebes (Podiceps Cristatus) on the left.

In this period, I started to take pictures of some small birds, which is not very easy. They hop from branch to next tree and with all the new leaves growing rapidly, there is always a missed opportunity.

Here is my 2013 overview of the second semester.

 

 

 

April

April this year was definitely the month of the small birds. I hadn’t paid much attention to them, since I was always taking pictures of ducks or butterflies. But that changed dramatically after I had some decent shots of finches, robins and tits…as I hope these examples show.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

May

It is always a wonderful surprise if you see the first butterfly and May 2013 was no exception. Bute there were more pleasant surprises, as the pictures of the Edible Frog (Pelophylax kl. Esculentus) and the Long-tailed Tit (Aegithalos Caudatus) below show.

June

In June there is already enough nectar for the (bumble) bees and butterflies to harvest. I did blog about that but it was in June as well that I had my first decent shot of a flying bumblebee. That required some patience, but the result was quite satisfactory.

I will end this blog with another first: A Greenshank (Tringa Nebularia) and a Redshank (Tringa Totanus)  together.

In my next blog the summer has arrived.

Until then: Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

 

 

 

2013: A Year in Pictures, January - March

It is only a week until the year 2013 ends and I see all kind od lists an overviews being published to reflect on the past 12 months. So I have looked in my photo archive and tried to find those pictures that symbolise my year in photography. Rather self indulgent, I know…but fun nevertheless. Some you may have seen before, but others have never been published in my blogs before. So here is the first of a series of four blogs to celebrate the beauty of nature.

January

If you think of January, you think of snow and ice after it failed to be there for Christmas. And indeed, there is a wintery pictures (or animals for that matter) to be shown. This Mallard Duck (Anas Platyrhynchos) flew quietly over the unfrozen water, But later in the month there was indeed ice and his mates were getting cold feet.

They still seem to be a little bit surprised that they cannot just swim, like the Gadwalls (Anas Strepera) are doing in the picture below.

That picture was taken in London Wetland Centre, of which I blogged in October.

 

 

February

Although it was still winter, I could imagine to be in the wild grassland of Africa when I saw this African Wild Dog (Lycaon Pictus) in London Zoo. I did show another picture in my blog on the Zoological Society London in March, but this one was still in my archive and unpublished.

Also in February, I saw a group of Shoveler Ducks (Anas Clypeata) enjoying the sun at the London Wetland Centre…I couldn’t resist taking a picture.

And so February came to a close and March was approaching. Spring was almost in the air.

 

 

 

 

March

These Tufted Ducks (Aythya Fuligula) were just to good to be true for a picture. Their bright yellow eyes are very typical and it shouldn’t be long before the mating season starts.

But with new life there is also death, as this picture of a Canada Goose (Branta Canadensis) shows. Rest assured. So far, this is the only dead animal I have taken a picture of.

And although I normally take pictures of birds and butterflies, the occasional mammal will not go amiss. Therefore I will end this blog on my pictures of the first three months of 2013 with a Giraffe and some Otters.

Next time I will show my pictures of the next three months, leading up to the glorious summer of 2013.