Menno van Duijn

Februari 2022 was the month of the storms. One after the other battered the coast from all directions. For photographing breaking waves the wind from the (north) west brings in the highest waves as they have more momentum to build up.Like the previous blog I went to Scheveningen but this time with another mission. Photographing the spray of the waves in the last light of the day.

Naming storms has become a new thing, it should make people aware that it has to be taken serious, according to British studies. So in January 2022 people decided to name the storm "Corrie'. Corrie is a 83 year old and the first Dutch female meteorologist. Not sure naming the storm after this kind lady has the impact British researchers had in mind.

At the end of winter ducks start to form couples and this means a lot of displaying that goes with it. At the Brouwersdam I was guiding a tour and we first trying to photograph three Long-tailed Ducks when this flock of Eider (12 males and a single female) came towards us.

In the past decade there's a fast change in the Dutch avifauna. Southern species are moving north and common winter visitors have became very scarce.

Christmas trees are not only favoured by us this time of the year, but are more important to little birds. Coniferous trees offer good shelter for insects and small animals. They stay dry and are protected against the elements.

In January I found a Short-eared Owl, see this blog and brought it to a taxidermist. Last weekend Hans (who had brought a Woodcock) and I went to IJmuiden to collect it but went to the pier first in the morning.

Goldfinches are also named Thistle Finches as they prefer to feed on the seeds of different kind of thistles. Getting the seeds out with their pointy bill comes in handy. They even cut away the spines if these are in the way with this tool. Still, hanging on and getting your grip can be a challenge, see below.

Autumn is my favourite season and especially October. This is the peak of the bird migration and millions of birds are heading south. Step outside on a quiet night for a while and listen, you might hear the "tsssssst" calls of Redwings.

"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder". That applies on our Common Starlings, many people walk by these birds or complain about their presence. But look closer and you find they have stunning colours when the light shines on them. This first year male was practising his song skills in the apple tree. I took this picture through my kitchen window and only enhanced the sharpness and the colours. Imagine if this was a rare bird on a special location, one would think complete different of it.

Wanneer de zonaanbidders het strand hebben verlaten dwaal ik nog langs de waterlijn. Met blote voeten waad ik door de zwin. De zon is al onder de horizon verdwenen maar het licht is nog niet gedoofd. De zee is kalm zonder enige deining en de kleuren weerspiegelen in het water.

Wie kent het schilderij niet, het Puttertje van Carel Fabritius (1654), een Distelvink met een kettinkje aan z'n pootje met niet meer dan een twee beugeltjes en een voerbak om op te zitten.

Hoeveel zonsondergangen kan je nou fotograferen, die zijn toch altijd hetzelfde? Nou eigenlijk niet. Het is een heerlijk cliche, zonsondergangen aan zee. Toch is elke keer weer anders, zeker als er wat bewolking aanwezig is.