Centuries ago, the sea and the river Scheldt were flowing freely on the coastline and penetrated deep into the lowlands. Floods created streams in the land, which remained there long after the sea was controlled and closed off by dikes. One area in Flanders is particularly known because of its many big and long creeks: Meetjesland. Here are some aerial pictures I took there last week.
Here are some more pictures from our successful trip to Finland. Thanks to Olli from Finnature, we had a great time with some northern birds. My favourite was definitely the Willow grouse, a male that must have been crazy, and even attacking humans… I will never forget the sounds, really funny songs!
When we finished making pictures of the black woodpeckers and others, we went to our second destination in Finland: the national park of Riisintunturi. The landscapes are famous for the snowy pine trees on the fell, causing the trees to bend under the weight and creating a fairytale-like forest wrapped under a white veil.
From the moment I arrived in Bulgaria, I noticed the hawfinches. You can see them everywhere! Stop at any gasstation, and you can hear them! This was my chance to get some quality time with these beautiful birds! It’s a species that is rather shy in Belgium. I spent three days in a hide photographing hawfinches on a feeding ground.
I arrived at Sofia airport in Bulgaria in a -15°C cold, and my first destination was the Lake Kerkini in Greece. That meant I was travelling to an area with almost 20°C on the thermometer! This lake is famous for its roosting colony of Dalmatian pelicans. They only started to arrive here some twenty years ago but were very shy back then.
The timing of a photo-journey can be very crucial. I was reminded of this during my latest trip. For Tierra Photo Tours, I wished to visit Bulgaria and Greece and meet some local people. And of course, I would combine that with photography in these countries I had never visited before.
