Lentevreugd & Wassenaarse Slag

Today I have decided to go visit the grazing project in an enclosed area close to where my parents live. It is a unique habitat, it used to be grounds on which bulbs have flowered until few years ago. It forms the border to the dunes, and this 'foredunes' are rare in our nation since many people live on this area or use it for flower growing. But here it got returned to nature and they 'hired' about 50 highland cows and 20 Konik horses (a primal breed) to maintain the growth of grass and trees.
The area is still evolving, more and more species arrive to find a place to live. But february is a dead time, so I came across the cows and horses that cant go anywhere, a deer and a white herron.

During my short visit I didnt feel too comfy, not many people come here so I was all alone and the animals can be unpredictable. Yet stories of accidents are extremely rare.
First I came across the first herd of cows, laying down, watching and following me with their hairy and big horned heads. Nothing to worry, even the young cow meters away from the walking path didn't care. Cows are naturally very curious animals, so I didnt really dare to take pictures since I need to be rather close.

As I continued to walk to the back (foot of the dunes) I spotted the first Konik horses. But first in the bushes next to me there was a deer, probably a roedeer, as she was all alone and had a paddy bum. She fleed very fast but silently into the bushes. Completely gone from vision.

Once with the horses I had to cross the herd over a frozen splash of water. Also here the horses were very close, looked up and grazed on. In the distance I saw a huge horse I assumed to be the stallion, but it approached me in full curiosity. I noticed it was a mare, probably the alpha mare. She crossed the path behind me, and went to the top of a small hill. Probably she was on the watch out there. I quickly took some pictures, but another young horse came my way in a more jolly way. Not in trot but focussing in curiosity as well. I decided to take a distance and had no choice than to cross the ice. In a safer distance I looked at them for a while, the youngster stopped at what I think was its mother and they started to groom eachother a bit.

 The horses didn't show any action or nice positions to take pictures. So I made my way back to the entrance. Passing by the lake where 2 white herrons were hanging out. But they flew off when I wanted to approach to take a picture.

Then with the cows I decided to take some pictures. I have been taking photography lessons, and learned how to manually set the exposure without ever needing flashlight. So, all this pictures (a small exception is possible though, because for quick shoots I still use full auto) I experimented with exposure, diafragm and ISO. I am not at all complaining about the result. Next task is stop using auto focus. But that one is too tough for me. So the cows... Now they all were standing, and some young bulls were battling off.

In a distance there stood a beautifull pitch black cow, I never seen those. But I was worried why she was standing so alone there. After I pictured the others, I went to a closer position on the other side of the frozen stream, she carefully followed me with her eyes. And then... hestitated she started to cross the ice! Now I got a little scared, I thought myself to be rather safe here, so I backed a few (or a lot) of meters. She really planned on paying me a visit, she came over the dunes, stood there watching me, and finally decided to continue her way to the herd. It remains a mystery why she crossed the ice, because she could also have walked on the banks towards the herd.

I followed a flock of birds (kramsvogel) of which I don't remember the English name.

Since I had some time left I decided to go to Wassenaarse Slag too. A 3 km walking route, and this forest is very attractive with its steeper hills than the AWD where I usually go to. But since you can enter with bikes, dogs, horses and a road crosses it, you barely see any wildlife at all. It is a pitty.
I noticed this area I visited also borders another bigger enclosure with highland cows and Konik horses. I might consider visiting this one once too, but you need to walk 2 km at first to reach it anyway. And then manage to find them, because here are much more trees and it is not flat land like Lentevreugd. It seems to be something to do in a safer time, when there are no calf and foals are expected. I don't want to imagine coming across a cow or mare in labour. Well... I noticed we are not allowed off the beaten tracks here anyway.

Next visit sure will be AWD again. I think. Soon the nightengales start to sing again. Which reminds me, I forgot again about the course for recognising bird songs. I do so for over 5 years allready. But they are never smart enough to do more than one course.

Wintertime in the AWD

Nature is beautifull in winter time when it has snowed or dew has been frozen turning the world white. And, if roadconditions and my feelings allow me, I would go out to the dunes to take pictures. So I did yesterday, off to the Amsterdamse Waterleidingduinen (aka AWD) to entrance Oasis, because that one is likely the best to reach by car. They never salt or sand the roads because that would polute the drinking water. So expect slippery conditions, especially in the area. But, since this is one of the few or even rare locations where you are allowed off the beaten tracks, this was opportunity. Fresh snow is often safer than walked on paths. Other reason to choose this entrance, I needed a new year licence and parking licence as well. Only available here.

Not even 100 meters from the gate I was surrounded by lots of deer. And funny it is to see that they are almost always surrounded by birds, often a red robin and some black birds. They seem to profit from the deer scraping away the snow and reveal the soft moss with maybe some sprouting seeds and awakening insects. For birds a layer of 15 cm snow is too much to dig away. Sometimes, when snow stays for weeks, I take some wild bird food with me to leave some wide spread for the birds. But the snow now doesnt remain very long I think. No need to help nature so far. Because I believe we should not interfere too much with the way of nature. It is natural sometimes a lot of animals die of hunger. It is the law of the strongest to survive, making the species stronger genetically.

But it is different with the deer who clearly are with too many and too less food. Reason is that due to complaining people, they enclosed this whole area. While for all previous years, the deer could leave this area to search naturally for food elsewhere. Now they are bound within this territory, and 1500 deer is just too much. So many trees have been stripped of their barks. Leaving them to die. I have always been against the shooting of the deer. But now, now since these deer have no predators, we need to act as predators, and kill some. Before the whole population dies of starvation. It is no good... I hate the idea, but it is better that a few healthy strong ones survive than having all live in vain. I just hope they will do this job well, which I doubt... because I have never ever agreed with our fauna control.

After passing by a lot of deer, my eyes got locked with a blueish thing on a pole next to me. I at first thought it was a childrens glove someone put on this pole to show it off. But instinctively I quickly took a picture. The sound of the camera scared the kingfisher it apparently was. It flew off. I tracked it down a few meters where it again landed on a pole. But it flew off again. Kingfishers are extremely difficult to picture, they are so fast and rarely sit for longer time especially not close to humans. They are one of my favorite birds here. It was the second time I had this chance to picture them, which makes me incredible happy. I may not have a nice picture with its head and beak showing, but the idea this would have been one of my best shots ever if it did thrills me.
The flying of this bird always makes me smile. It reminds me of Harry Potters quidditch. This shining radiating blue hummingbird like monster, it is almost alien. I am happy to see one still alive. They have not a lot to fear here, the waters almost never freeze completely (most not even at all since it is rapid flowing), while usually periodes of ice and snow kills more than half of the population of a bird that is rather rare in our country. But luckily not in my area. I know plenty of them. Bringing back its natural habitat in more and more places, they usually quickly grow in numbers. But it is sad that frozen waters kill them too easily. We should all care for it to keep a part of their habitat icefree or provide another source of food for them until they can fish again. I sometimes wonder of they would eat other food, dead small fishes or worms. Just to help them get through the rough times. Even if also for the kingfisher I believe nature should rule, this bird belongs to our country and should be helped a little bit to get its habitat and population back that we have been taken away by industrialisation.

It would have been a perfect picture....

After a couple of glides and slides on a slippery path, I decided to go back. This part of AWD has too much hills and steep parts, so since I saw a group of deer almost next to the road at another entrance, decided to see my luck there. It is time the deer loose their anthlers, and in that part usually lots of male deer wander in bachelor groups. Who knows I was lucky....

On my way out, a group of about 30 deer came running by on top of a dune hill. Probably scared by someone or something. A chance for me to try some action shots. I was amazed by the amount of deer I have seen today in just one hour. Not yet a record, but probably a close second.

So off I went to De Zilk. An area that is more flat dunes, and in our country rare heather dunes. The deer were still at the place I expected them to be, but it appeared some of them had roamed away. Unfortunately I couldnt take much pictures without getting the traffic racing behind them on it too. And people who know me, know I hate it to have any form of humanisation on my photo's.

So that was all for today. I hope more blogs will follow now I have a parking card again. They luckily lowered the price with 15 euro's, which makes it more affordable.