After the other foxglove flowers of Gooilust nature reserve, also on 8 June 2020 these Gooilust foxglove flowers.
Then, to Corversbos nature reserve, next to Gooilust. Where these cornflowers grow.
Also, beautiful Corversbos trees.
This 8 June 2020 photo shows foxglove flowers in Gooilust nature reserve near Hilversum.
A bit further, there was this beetle.
A cockchafer beetle.
This species is also called Maybug, though this beetle was still around in June. After the photo session, the beetle flew up to a treetop.
Then, once again foxglove flowers.
Stay tuned for more Gooilust photos!
This 2017 video is about Pinetum Blijdenstein in Hilversum, the Netherlands. This botanical garden was founded in 1898.
We went there today. In the middle is a pond, called the ‘Mesozoic pond’. Around it, all plants are relatives of plants that already lived during the age of dinosaurs. Like ferns, horsetails and conifers. Flowering plants had just started then. Around the pond is just one flowering plant species, a magnolia. Magnolias are relatives of plants that already lived during the Cretaceous.
In the pond, tadpoles swam.
Sounds of great spotted woodpecker, blackbird and robin. A song thrush sings, another one feeds on a lawn.
Then, we went to the Costerustuin botanical garden.
This 2008 video is about the Costerustuin.
The garden also has a pond; smaller than the pinetum pond and not Mesozoic.
Tadpoles swam, and pondskaters skated on the surface.
A great tit on a tree.
After we left, a blackcap sang.
This photo shows an eared grebe. One of a couple swimming in the lake south-west of Egmond Binnen village, in the coastal sand dunes nature reserve.
As this photo from the hide shows, highland cattle joined the grebes in the water.
This 20 May 2020 video says about itself:
Macro Photography in ECUADOR – Episode 2: Spiders, Flies, Moths, Ants, VELVET WORMS…
Even more macro photography from a trip to Ecuador’s cloud forest to look for wild arthropods.
Thanks to Nancy Miorelli for all the help on the trip.
El Septimo Paraiso – the place we stayed, is highly recommended!
After my earlier blog post, still 20 May 2020 in the sand dunes nature reserve. We walked away from the lake, just south of Egmond aan Zee village. Just to the south of that lake, in the next lake, were these three mallards dabbling, and a gadwall duck swimming behind them.
Further away, a little grebe swimming.
On a bush above the lake, this common whitethroat singing.
An oystercatcher flying.
Meanwhile, the mallards were still dabbling.
The gadwalls had moved to another part of the lake.
As we walked back, a brimstone butterfly.
This photo shows wild pansies which we saw on 20 May 2020 in the sand dunes nature reserve, on the day after 19 May.
As we start walking, a blackbird sings. And a chiffchaff.
A cuckoo calls.
A brimstone butterfly.
A wood warbler sings.
We arrive at the hide where we saw little grebes in the lake. This time, we see only a coot couple with their youngsters. The littles grebes are audible, not visible.
A small, but noisy flock of starlings.
Nightingales sing.
A male chaffinch sings from the top of a bush.
Small heath butterflies.
We arrive at an area with many wild pansies.
And other plants adapted to this sandy environment.
Rabbit droppings.
We arrive at a lake, not far from Egmond aan Zee village.
Swifts, house martins and barn swallows flying around.
Two little grebes swimming.
And a coot.
Stay tuned, as there will be a sequel to this blog post!
After yesterday, we went again to the sand dunes nature reserve on 19 May 2020. We saw this little grebe.
As we started our walk, a nightingale sang.
A lesser black-backed gull flying.
Four stock doves.
Great spotted woodpecker sound.
A chiffchaff sings. A great cormorant flies.
A robin. A whitethroat on a bush.
Swifts flying.
We reach the hide.
In the lake behind the hide, coots and two little grebes swim.
One of the little grebes finds some food: a leech.
A great tit calls.
As we leave, a speckled wood butterfly.
We walk on. We arrive at the lakelet of the white water-crowfoot flowers.
The flowers are still there, and so is this edible frog.
This June 2019 video says about itself:
Singing Common Whitethroat (Sylvia communis) in Heemskerk, the Netherlands.
This is a common and widespread typical warbler which breeds throughout Europe and across much of temperate western Asia. This small passerine bird is strongly migratory, and winters in tropical Africa, Arabia, and Pakistan.
After yesterday, again to the coastal sand dunes nature reserve on 18 May 2020.
A cuckoo calls. A nightingale sings.
A common whitethroat on a treetop.
We arrive at the lakelet.
At the lakelet, a willow warbler sings.
The white water-crowfoot flowers are still there.
A bit further, a great tit.
A stonechat on top of a bush.
Two meadow pipits flying.
A great cormorant flying.
A common blue butterfly on a wild pansy flower.
Unfortunately, when this photo was taken, the butterfly was gone.
A barn swallow flies. Three northern lapwings fly.
A buzzard flying.
A blackbird sings.
Two swifts.
Finally, a meadow pipit on a pole.
Still 17 May 2020 in the coastal sand dunes nature reserve. At the pond with edible frogs during their mating season …
.. and white water-crowfoot, where the frogs deposit their eggs on.
Bluebells flowering.
A bit further, wild pansies growing on the sand dunes.
As we walk back: a grey heron at the second lake.
A greenfinch. A robin.
A swift flying.
Finally, again a meadow pipit on a pole.
Dear Kitty. Some blog 