Texel another time around...

I just can't get enough of Texel..and went over there to host another bird photography workshop last sunday. We focussed on Marsh Harriers, Yellow Wagtail, Avocets and Spoonbill. The Marsh Harriers where by far the best opportunity that day as the wind was headed our way and the sun was just peeking through the sky.





Besides the Marsh Harriers also the Yellow Wagtails gave us quite some photographic opportunities and so did a Whitethroat and the Spoonbills.
We had a great day and i hope to return end of may or early June to photograph the juvenile Avocets and Terns. Perhaps in fall the annual bird migration will also draw me back to this gorgeous island.

Texel the Bird Photography Workshop

Last weekend i went over to the isle of Texel again and this time with a group of photographers to host my Bird Photography workshop. As mentioned earlier on this blog Texel is one of the best places for migratory and nesting birds.

We left early around 05.00 hours to catch the first boat out to the island where the group would meet near the harbour at 07.00 hours. As the first daylight started to appear on the boat and the sun was getting warmer i felt this was going to be a good trip.
Everybody was present at the meeting point and we could head out to photogaph the Spoonbills wich we had planned to start off with that morning. They flew by very gracefully and gave us loads of opportunities. In the afternoon we visited a nesting site of Marsh Harriers wich i had seen nesting the week before and unfortunately they did not show themselfs well this afternoon but not to worry as we had many other occasions on wich the diverse Harriers posed well in flight.






Later that afternoon we went to look for passerines in the dunes and found a Nightingale, some Lesser Whitethroaths, Reed Warblers and Bluethroats. After all that excitement we went over to our lovely hotel where we had a good meal and then headed out to try to spot a couple of short eared owls near their nesting site but as diner was rather good and turned out longer then expected by the time we where at the Short Eared Owl location light was setting rapidly and we could only get some pheasant shots before the sun went down.





After a good but short night sleep we went out the next day to shoot waders and gulls such as Avocet, Redshank, Tern and Black-headed Gulls. We where at the location of the waders just when the sun started to appear wich gave the Avocets a wonderful golden glance. We had a superb morning with gorgeous light and loads of cooperative birds.
Then we went over to one of Texel's little harbours to have a good fish lunch and in the afternoon we headed out to a location where i had spotted some Eider ducks the week before and had some fun photographing these remarkable looking birds.
Back to the hotel for a good diner and as requested they served us a little faster as the day before so we could have another go at the Short Eared Owls. Unfortunately luck was not on our side this evening and again they did not show themselfs to us. Nevertheless we had a great day and where able to fill many of our memory cards.





On sunday we started out early again and despite some rain we where able to photograph some waders again and then headed out to lunch in one of the lovely beach restaurants. The afternoon was free to everyone to spend as the liked and most of the photographers went out to photograph the tulip fields wich where in bloom but i spend the afternoon with one of them to shoot Spoonbills out on the sand banks. This was a wise decision as we had some great opportunities to photograph the Spoonbills.




looking back it was a great weekend with a wonderfull group of photographers and i hope i will be able to host the workshop again next spring.

Here are some more random shot's from the weekend workshop Bird Photogrphy:

Smoothy anyone..??

There are only three species of snakes in The Netherlands wich are the Adder, the Grass Snake and the Smooth Snake. The first two are well known by most people but the last one has a secretive way of living wich makes it very unknown and it it also the most scarce snake we have.





When i was out to look for Adders last week i was in a bad mood as i could not find any... The males had all gone to the moorland to look for females and in the moorland they are very hard to find. So on my way to a cup of coffee i suddenly stumbled across this wonderful brown snake.. At first i thought it was a female Adder but after closer inspection the circular pupils of it's eyes gave it away...oohhhh yess...it was a Smoothe Snake!

So here a a couple of shots from the encounter i had with this beauty..