Young robin

Here is the lovely cute young robin, getting his red fiery feathers out on his breast.

His head is still in the baby-feathers-look, speckled all over his head and neck. That will change soon so that he has red feathers as well around his head.

Robins feather

While I am sitting outside, enjoying the lovely weather with my cup of coffee. Meanwhile the birds are having their bath and yummy crushed sunflower seeds. I suddenly noticed a very small feather sitting between the leaves of a plant.

When I looked closer...I saw the feather was a little reddish at the top and side.

Picked it up as a treasure. It's almost certain that this feather belongs to robin. (We have here in the Netherlands the Eurasian robin, which is a different specie than the much bigger American robin. Though they carry the same name, it's a different bird.)

Everyday there is coming a very young robin at the feeding table. He is molting his little feathers into more adult-like feathers. The  orange-red feathers are coming out now and he gets more fiery everyday.!

I keep an eye on him because he is so very cute in his half baby-feathers and half maturing feathers.

It think the feather belongs to him, though it is also possible that the feather belongs to the parent, who is coming as well at the feeding table and bird bath.
 

Dancing in the rain

A very long time maybe... years and years ago,  I made this drawing during the time I was making snail stories... I found it somewhere in a box.

I really liked it, because Leopold the snail is looking very happy here dancing in the rain, under the shelter of his many-colored umbrella.

New book, Frogg & Leopold

 Finally a new book coming out: Frogg & Leopold.

Available on Amazon now! 

Here is the link for US

and here is the link for Europe

Stone Marten

Recently, about ten days ago, I noticed a creature, diving into the peanut butter jar.

I had never seen this one before in real life. I remembered him from images...so I looked it up.

Don't know if I am happy with a Stone Marten (Martes foina), (Steenmarter) in my garden. He is well known for eating cables in cars, so that your car won't ride anymore. They also are known for eating birds eggs and even young birds... But he is beautiful to see with his long tail and white breast.

No I don't want him in my garden. He managed to throw the peanut butter jar to the ground into broken glass pieces. So that was the end of the peanut butter jar for a season. Did not see him back again.