Beaver

This morning I had not expected to observe beavers at all and was busy with long exposures of sleeping mute swans, when in between the first beaver appeared, and that in the first light of the soon rising sun. Since he immediately disappeared on the riverbank, and after him more beavers, I concluded that I had discovered a beaver den.

This picture is part of the category Wildlife Wild.

Grey heron (Ardea cinerea)

This gray heron was standing in a stream when I rode by on my bicycle. With the experience in the back of my mind that these animals flee immediately when you stop, I rode a few meters further, turned around and rode past him again until I reached a small footbridge. There I stopped in the cover of the bushes, unpacked the camera, and sneaked onto the bridge from where I could get a good look at it and take a picture. I chose to convert to black and white because I thought the lights were pretty, but the colors were very pale green because of the surrounding trees.

This picture is part of the category Wildlife Wild.

Tawny owl (Strix aluco)

This picture seems almost kitsch. But this is how a modern camera sees the remaining light long after sunset, while we humans can barely see our hand in front of our face. In fact, the photo was even more colorful when I first saw it, which I reduced a bit when I developed it. Because it was quite stormy, the branches in most of the photos obscured part of the tawny owl, if not, the welcome blur resulted. I have been visiting this meanwhile quite well-known tawny owl near my home regularly for some time, but I never managed to take a photo like on that evening before. I was really grateful to it, that it was sitting so calmly and also looked friendly, while the long exposure was running.

This picture is part of the category Wildlife Wild.

Dragonfly in the spotlight

I met this Keeled Skimmer (Orthetrum coerulescens) just before sunset in a small nature reserve, where I could photograph frogs, butterflies and dragonflies several times before. It was sitting on a small stick in one of the three small ponds, which unfortunately dried up completely shortly after because of the drought in the summer of 2022.

This picture is part of the category Close-Up & Macro.

Grey heron (Ardea cinerea)

Autumn unfolds its colors at and on the small lake, which is actually an old arm of the river Aare, and the gray heron casually standing on one leg asserts itself as the boss on the water. The place is well protected, no human being can get there, which he knows of course. Nevertheless, he is very attentive and would fly away at the slightest disturbance.

This picture is part of the category Wildlife Wild.

After last year's sharp decline in the number of kingfishers, probably due to the summer floods, I finally found them again in recent weeks. Up to four blue flashes drew their circles at the same time and tried to mark their territories. Only one, however, the place deer namely, sits down regularly and also for a longer time on the fallen tree, which is very weathered over the years.

This picture is part of the category Portrait: Kingfisher.

Common Buzzard

This young common buzzard was probably just told by his parents to care for himself. For a long time he sat on this branch directly above a frequently walked path and screamed for his life. For me a stroke of luck, I could photograph him in beautiful light.

This picture is part of the category Wildlife Wild.

Marbled White (Melanargia galathea)

After I could hardly find marbled whites last year probably because of the continuous rather bad weather, I had more luck again this year. Although these butterflies are not quite colorful, they still give me great pleasure with their wing markings every time I discover them in the meadow.

This picture is part of the category Close-Up & Macro.

Small heath (Coenonympha pamphilus)

This year I got to know a beautiful dry meadow near my home. There are still a nice amount of butterflies here, making their rounds above the colorful meadow flowers and orchids. Intensively they are observed by the red-backed shrike family, which also lives here.

This picture is part of the category Close-Up & Macro.

Goosander (Mergus merganser)

Although I have spent a lot of time at the waters of my hometown for years, it took until now that I met a female Goosander with the hatchlings for the first time. The little ones are already trying to explore the surroundings by themselves. A short whistle of the mother is enough and all are back with her. Gladly they climb on her back and let themselves be transported.

This picture is part of the category Wildlife Wild.

White-throated dipper (Cinclus cinclus)

After four unsuccessful sitings on kingfishers and dippers in my usual places, I discovered a dipper during the regular bicycle rides in our city almost directly on the highway in a place where I had thought for some time that this would actually be a great location for photos of this species. So I went there early in the morning with camouflage and enjoyed the observations of an adult dipper and its two young, which were probably just weaned. I could not observe any more feedings, but they still followed the parent and were not yet so brave in their jumps into the strong current. Very soon they will probably seek their own territories and ensure the continuation of this species. I look forward to more sightings in the near future.

This picture is part of the category Portrait: Dipper.

Wasseramsel (Cinclus cinclus)

Wasseramsel (Cinclus cinclus)

Wasseramsel (Cinclus cinclus)

Wasseramsel (Cinclus cinclus)