Nut time!

 The nuts are ripe at the neighbour's nut-tree! At least, squirrel thinks so, carrying the nuts still in the bolsters in his beak to safety-storage-places in my garden.

I have saved some 'last-year-nuts' for him as well. Yesterday I threw some into my pond, as I love playing games with squirrels, This is a fishing game. They have to fish the nuts out of the water. That mostly is not a problem at all, because the nuts float to the side and are easily picked out of the water. Today some nuts didn't float to the side...so for squirrel a challenge to pick them... 

He is so cute and smart as well, though today it seemed to be a little difficult...the nuts were too far away and out of reach. He was kind of irritated that the nuts were out of reach. I could tell by the agitation of his swiping tail, rapidly going left and right ...!

Look at his bravery!

Finally he got them all....when the nuts floated closer to the side within reach... 

Robins

 

It's hard to tell which robin is the adult and which one is the juvenile.

The young one has gotten all his adult-like feathers now. I don't see the difference anymore.

This one looks like the adult one. However I'm not sure. They chase away each other now, to defend territory and who's boss over it.

(see also earlier posts about the young robin)

(and here another one)

Dove dive

 The doves are having a great time.

Plunging into the water to get really wet.

Young robins feathers

Ten days later, and now robins orange/red fiery feathers are breaking out much more!

Its amazing how quick that is changing!

He is so cute and beautiful!

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.
 

Frog

 Today A frog is swimming circles in the pond.

Mostly there are no living creatures in it. Last week I noticed him too...maybe he wants to swim his daily exercises.

woodpecker feather

Yesterday a young woodpecker sat in my Narnia-lamp, seeing if there was a little something for him to eat.

I noticed he lost a feather from his left wing. It took it and brought it to the 'Lost&Found'

Maybe he wants it back.

Wagtail

Sometimes a wagtail comes here to have a bath when it is very warm...

He is very funny ...wagging his tail all the time.

European Goldfinch

 In my garden a rare bird. The European Goldfinch,(Carduelis carduelis), Putter of Distelvink,

I don't see him very much, but when I see him, my heart jumps up!

Though its a very unsharp photo I don't mind so much.. he's eating the seeds of the beautiful blue wild cornflower. 

I sowed the seeds a few years ago in my garden and they do really good! He seems to love them too!

White Admiral

A few days ago, when it was very warm, I saw this stunning butterfly in my garden.

I had never seen it before in my garden, and did not know the name.

It is the White Admiral, Limenitis camilla, IJsvogelvlinder.

Such a beauty!

Blue Jay young

 The blue Jay young are not afraid at all.

This one came so close to my camera, about 2 meters. He had noticed the flying ants who were ready to take a flight. The Jay had a lovely nice snack as you can see.

Butterflies

Meadow brown, Maniola Jurtina, Bruin Zandoogje

Lyaena Phlaeas, Small Copper, Kleine vuurvlinder

Meadow brown, Maniola Jurtina, Bruin Zandoogje

Meadow brown, Maniola Jurtina, Bruin Zandoogje

Meadow brown, Maniola Jurtina, Bruin Zandoogje

Polygonia C-album, Gehakkelde Aurelia, Comma butterfly

Lyaena Phlaeas, Small Copper, Kleine vuurvlinder

Lyaena Phlaeas, Small Copper, Kleine vuurvlinder

 Beautiful butterflies in a garden nearby. 

Lots of different species. lovely to be around...

Young Eurasian Jay

 Again the jays came along.

At first thought I wanted to chase them away, but then stopped when I noticed they wanted to drink and have a bath.

So I let them and took advantage of the opportunity to make some great pics!

Eurasian Jay

 Yesterday and today I noticed at least 4 Eurasian Jays (Garrulus glandarius) flying around in my garden.

Maybe one is the parent, but did n't find out yet. The young are quite clumsy and that makes it that I do like them a bit. Normally I don't like jays very much as they are known for eating eggs out of nests and even young birds. So I don't like that at all. 

These ones I tolerate a bit because they are so clumsy and they have a kind of funny looks when they tried to bathe in the birdbath.

Anyway I think after a while they go to the woods where they fit better.

Oil painting birds nest

 A while ago, I got an abandoned bird nest of a robin.

The robins had made a nest in my sisters garage,

There were 3 beautiful eggs in the nest, but the birds did not come back. Something terrible might have happened to the birds...and I felt very sad about it.

When definitely sure, that the birds did not come back, I got the nest and planned to paint it...It was made so perfect and beautiful, so stunning beautiful.

Tried to paint it recently.

Bullfinch, goldfinch

 Finally I got a chance to get him on camera.

Before that, the images were unsharp, or I had no camera nearby when I saw him bathing.

Today I was on the right spot with my camera...and look at this beauty in his pink/orange feathers.

Stunning bird to watch!