Mute swan (Cygnus olor) flying towards the camera, wings stretched horizontally and a greyish hazy sky is the backdrop

Mute swan (cygnus olor) in flight, straight ahead!
Taken this morning at #DeSchammer
🪶 #birds #birdphotography #mute #swan #muteswan #knobbelzwaan #zwaan #cygnus #olor #DutchNature #takentoday #Leusden

Ring-necked Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) and Carrion Crow (Corvus corone) having some banter together. The crow in the air with its wings up and backwards and the pheasant looking up at it.

Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) and Carrion Crow (Corvus corone) in the grass together looking towards me as I slowly approached for a few more shots.

Ring-necked Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) facing forward towards the camera.

Ring-necked pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) posing in the grass

#Crow and #Pheasant having some friendly banter together in #DeSchammer. The crow hopped around the pheasant a few times but they seemed to be acting friendly to each other and foraging together. 🪶 #Birds #birdphotography #DutchNature #Leusden #Pheasant #Phasianus #colchicus #crow #Corvus #corone

Me with my spouse in the morning sun on a green path.

We spotted a crow and pheasant in the distance having some friendly banter it seemed. Crow jumping up and flapping while the pheasant looks at it.

I crawled closer to photograph the banter between a crow and a pheasant.

We had a nice walk this morning and a few deer, hares and birds spotted at #Bloeidaal and #DeSchammer.
With @saristrawberry.bsky.social
#hike #birdwatching #spring #pheasant #crow #Amersfoort #DutchNature

White-tailed eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) also knows as sea eagle in flight seen from below.

Common kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) sitting on a signpost.

Little owl (Athene noctua) sitting in a tree.

Common buzzard (Buteo buteo) in flight.

Yesterday I went out with a friend to go birding, we visited #Oostvaardersplassen, #Arkemheem, #Eemdijk and #DeSchammer
Here is a small selection of the raptors we spotted. 🪶 #birds #birdphotography #DutchNature #White-tailed-eagle #zeearend #kestrel #torenvalk #littleowl #steenuil #buzzard #buizerd

Went to get #frosty in #DeSchammer. The weather wasn't sunny as was predicted. Got some cool #Egret and #Heron shots hopefully. #birding #dutchnature #cold

Two great egrets, two herons, a cormorant in the water, a duck flying up, some wigeons in the grass a goose and more all gathered around a pond in this piece of marshland.

Me @ #DeSchammer: Oh wow! so happy I've seen a singular #Egret!
Me @ #Arkemheen polder: Damn there's just too many of these #egrets and #herons about! (and #cormorant, and #wigeons and #ducks and #grebes and probably more I can't all identify in this photo)
🪶 #birds #naturephotography #dutchnature

Yesterday I managed to get some better shots of the great egret that has come to #DeSchammer in #Leusden recently.

Tomorrow marks my 1 year camera-anniversary, and I'll be off to #Arkemheen to celebrate!

🪶 #birds #birdphotography #dutchnature #egret #ardea #alba #zilverreiger

Juvenile ring-necked pheasant (Phasianus colchicus m.) between some brushy grass and a thistle with purple flowers to its left.

Went on a morning walk in de Schammer, it was a lot more cloudy than I expected, but when there was a little bit of sun, this juvenile ring-necked pheasant walked by in the grass.
🪶 #birds #birdphotography #dutchnature #DeSchammer #Leusden #ring-neckedpheasant #pheasant #fazant

Great Egret (Ardea alba) standing in a lake in front of some reeds and facrting towards the right, with a beautiful reflection in the water.

Great Egret (Ardea alba) standing in a lake in front of some reeds, with a grey heron (Ardea cinerea) flying in front of it out of focus. The reflection of the Egret can still be seen in the almost still water.

Great Egret (Ardea alba) taking off from its standing position in front of some reeds, both wings up in the air and bent backwards. Beatifully reflected in the almost still water.

Great Egret (Ardea alba) taking off from its standing position in front of some reeds, both wings downwards and forkwards a splash of water trails from its legs as it clears the water. Beatifully reflected in the water.

Finally went to #DeSchammer again after almost 2 months. The weather wasn't great so my photos got a bit noisy, but this Great Egret made it all worthwhile (with a grey heron photobomb)
🪶 #Birds #Birdphotography #heron #egret #ardea #alba #dutchnature #Leusden

Roe deer in a field surrounded by herbs and happily grazing

Close up of a roe deer's head while it has its tongue out to eat a fresh flower.

After a few weeks I finally had time to go out to #Bloeidaal and #DeSchammer, however not a lot of bird activity this time, it was very quiet. Perhaps due to some very recent mowing that had been done to the fields. I did have a nice close encounter with a #roedeer that was grazing next to the path.

I almost forgot I did take a few decent photos before the loud hikers took over the Schammer last week Saturday and scared off most birds...
These 2 great spotted woodpeckers sharing the same tree.
🪶 #Birds #birdphotography #greatspottedwoodpecker #woodpecker #grotebontespecht #Leusden #DeSchammer

Long-tailed tit (Aegithalos caudatus) diagonally on a thin branch

Long-tailed tit (Aegithalos caudatus) diagonally on a thin branch, looking downwards.

Long-tailed tit (Aegithalos caudatus) sitting on a branch between some foliage.

Long-tailed tit (Aegithalos caudatus) sitting on a branch surrounded by a little bit of foliage, seemingly sitting to attention, its tail straight down and looking forward.

A group of very busy and very chatty long-tailed tits gave me a few opportunities to take a few good photos of them. Very cute little critters!
Taken this morning in #DeSchammer #Leusden
🪶 #birds #birdphotography #longtailedtit #staartmees #AegithalosCaudatus #nature

Reed bunting (Emberiza schoeniclus) sitting in the reeds looking towards the sunlight

Reed bunting / Rietgors yesterday morning.
🪶 #birds #birdphotography #rietgors #reedbunting #Netherlands #DeSchammer #Leusden

Common reed warbler (Acrocephalus scirpaceus) with an insect in its beak, sitting on a strand of reed.

Common Reed Warbler / Kleine Karekiet in de Schammer yesterday morning.
I got my Monday off work for a meeting in the afternoon, and the weather looks to be clear, so I'll be off early birding again in the morning. Forecast looks great!
🪶 #birdphotography #karekiet #reedwarbler #DeSchammer #Leusden

Grey heron (Ardea cinerea) in flight its wings spread flat while gliding.

Always an imposing sight when a #heron spreads its wings and glides over to its next fishing spot.
🪶 #birds #birdphotography #greyheron #blauwereiger #Leusden #DeSchammer

European hare (Lepus europaeus) sitting in a grass field surrounded by some yellow flowers.

European hare (Lepus europaeus) hopping in a grass field surrounded by some yellow flowers.

I saw many hares hopping through the fields this morning. This one sitting on a small farmer's field between the two nature reserves #Bloeidaal and #DeSchammer
#wildlifephotography #naturephotography #wildlife #nature #Leusden #Amersfoort #Netherlands #haas

Egyptian goose (Alopochen aegyptiaca) in flight.

Nile goose (Alopochen aegyptiaca) pruning on a boardwalk behind some reeds, two gadwalls (Mareca strepera) sit to the left of it.

Honk like an Egyptian!?

Some Nile/Egyptian geese call #DeSchammer their home too. First time I got a decent picture of them and some bonus gadwalls on the boardwalk.
🪶 #birds #birdphotography #geese #goose #nilegoose #egyptiangoose #gadwall #Netherlands #Leusden

Great egret (Ardea alba) in flight

Great egret (Ardea alba) wading in a pond, photographed through some reeds. In the left foreground two ducks are swimming.

It wasn't as sunny and clear as I hoped, regardless it was a great morning walk and it was the first time I've spotted a Great Egret at #DeSchammer.
Hoping for some better chances to see it closer and take some better photos in the near future.
🪶 #birds #birdphotography #egret #ardea #zilverreiger

Screenshot of a weather app showing clear, sunny weather from 6am until 9am and temperature starting at 9°C going up towards 15°C.

After a week of rain, tomorrow morning is finally looking good for some #early #birding in #Bloeidaal and #DeSchammer again.

Camera battery charged, R10 and RF100-400 lens ready to grab, memory card inserted and alarm set for 5am...

Silhouette of a carrion crow (Corvus corone) sitting atop a crooked branch devoid of leaves, offset to a grey sky.

Silhouette of a great tit (Parus major) sitting on a moss covered branch with an insect in its beak. A few leaves and a light grey sky in the background.

I love how silhouettes can give off a whole variety of vibes.
The crow looks somewhat barren and looming, while the great tit with a small insect in its mouth seems more friendly and homely in a way.
🪶 #birds #birdphotography #Leusden #DeSchammer #Netherlands #CarrionCrow #GreatTit #Kraai #Koolmees

Eurasian wren (Troglodytes troglodytes) sitting on top of a branch with some big leaves. As the second smallest bird of Europe, all the leaves on this tree are bigger than it, but it still exerts a royal air with its pose.

King of my castle!
In Dutch we call these little wrens winterkoning / king of winter.
Winter may be gone, this little wren is still royalty here!

Taken last Saturday in #DeSchammer #Leusden
🪶 #birds #birding #birdphotography #theNetherlands #wren #winterkoning #troglodytes

Two barn swallows (Hirundo rustica) perched on a branch while a third one approaches for landing between them. The one of the left is chittering aggressively at the approaching one, the latter taking no offense and lands between them.

Three barn swallows (Hirundo rustica) perched on a branch while a fourth flies underneath them. Its wings are on a downstroke and backlit by the sun.

Nice spectacle this morning when a few barn swallows were perching together and chattering. I focused on these three on the branch, but more of them were sitting outside of the frame.
🪶 #birds #birdphotography #DeSchammer #Leusden #barnswallows #boerenzwaluwen #swallow #zwaluw

Common reed warbler (Acrocephalus scirpaceus) hidden between the reeds.

Common reed warbler (Acrocephalus scirpaceus) perched on a reed, its beak open in song.

Common reed warbler (Acrocephalus scirpaceus) holding onto the reed with one leg while scratching an itch with the other.

Common reed warbler (Acrocephalus scirpaceus) holding onto a reed with one leg, the other held forward and its left wing up, balancing itself but looks like it's giving the camera a wave.

The Common reed warbler or Kleine Karekiet in Dutch, I've been hearing them the past 2 weeks when visiting #DeSchammer but finally managed to see and photograph them yesterday morning.
🪶 #birds #birdphotography #reedwarbler #kleinekarekiet #karekiet #reeds #lifer #Leusden #Netherlands

Blue Tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) diving off a reed.

Blue Tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) diving off a reed.

Blue Tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) sitting on a reed.

Little blue tit in the reeds. Taken this morning at #DeSchammer #Leusden
🪶 #birds #birdphotography #bluetit #pimpelmees

Getting ready to head out towards the nature reserves #Bloeidaal and #DeSchammer again. I need to go and scout how it is around evening time because getting up at 5am or earlier in the coming months is a bit too early. I'm not normally a morning person...

Two mute swans (Cygnus olor) in flights against a clear sky, their wings backlit by the sun.

Canada goose (Branta canadensis) in flight against a clear blue sky.

Four greylag geese in flight in the background an airplane contrail that has fanned out into a cloud.

Big wings flapping this morning in #DeSchammer #Leusden.
🪶 #birds #birdphotography #flight #wings #swans #canadagoose #greylag #cygnusolor #brantacanadensis #anseranser #goose #geese #nature

Common Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) sitting on a branch in nature reserve De Schammer (Leusden)

Common Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) flying over against a hazy sky in Bloeidaal (Amersfoort)

Cuckoos last weekend in #DeSchammer #Leusden and #Bloeidaal #Amersfoort.
I've spotted them before but this was the first time I got them on photo.
🪶 #birds #birdphotography #nature #cuckoo #cuculuscanorus #koekoek #netherlands

Roe deer in a field in front of some leafy trees it had been eating from. Looking at the direction of the camera.

Hare in a field between grass and a few small yellow flowers.

A roe deer and a hare sitting in the same field this morning in #DeSchammer, unfortunately I didn't manage to get a photo with them both in frame.
#Leusten #Netherlands #Nature #photography #roe #deer #hare

Portrait of a mute swan (Cygnus olor) in the morning sun with some small drops of water on its head and neck.

Portrait of a Swan this morning in #DeSchammer
🪶 #birds #birdphotography #muteswan #knobbelzwaan #Leusden

The bluethroat (Luscinia svecica) is a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family Turdidae, but is now known to be an Old World flycatcher, in the family Muscicapidae. It, and similar small European species, are often called chats.

Bluethroat (Luscinia svecica) sitting on a branch between fresh foliage in the morning sun. Facing to the right.

Bluethroat (Luscinia svecica) sitting on a branch between fresh foliage in the morning sun. Facing to the camera

Bluethroat (Luscinia svecica) sitting on a branch between fresh foliage in the morning sun. Facing to the left.

Got nice and close with a bluethroat this morning. Beautiful in the golden sunlight.
🪶 #birds #birdphotography #spring #goldenhour #bluethroat #blauwborst #Leusden #DeSchammer