A hidden gem
January 2023
These are the best places in nature. The ones that are close to home. The places where you stroll on a regular evening. Where you know every little path and every tree. Where you can go to clear your mind after a long day of work and just be. Take a look with me at some of my favourite moments in the small woods close to my home.
Old memories
This little nature park called 'The Palingbeek' close to home is rather special. Back in the day, my grandparents used to take us here to go for a walk. It was a place where we could play and explore. I think that this memory has always stuck with me and might enable me to appreciate this place even more.
Gorgeous sunset over the fields and the woods.
European Hornet, captured by the impeccable R6 autofocus...
In the sunlight, some of the best looking feathers.
Life everywhere
The woods are full of life. You can see it everywhere. The birds are chirping, the squirrels are running around, the roe deers are grazing and the insects are buzzing.
Some of my favorite species
Curious tit
Un lapin, chef.
Thorns are a safe place.
The birds
We have seen some beautiful bird species over the last year. We don't really care about how uncommon a specie is. Even very common birds can have some wonderful songs, behaviour or feathers.
One of the most spectacular encounter was a female black woodpecker that was hammering away on a tree. It was a very rare sighting and we were very lucky to see it. The woodpecker also didn't seem to mind us being there.
A rare black woodpecker
Cuckoo calling while watching the trees for response
There are always a lot of woodpeckers around. The great spotted woodpecker and the european green woodpecker are the most common ones and can be seen in large numbers.
Also one time we saw the rather rare cattle egret. The bioviversity in this small area is really amazing.
One time a couple of Cattle egrets flew in
The Roe deer
Besides the many gorgeous birds, there are also many squirrles and roe deer. The roe deer can be very shy, but that seems to depend on the season. In the summer they are very relaxed and you can get very close to them. In the winter they are very shy and run away as soon as they see you. The squirrels sit high in the treetops and often wait patiently for you to move on...
Small roe running by at sunrise
The typical winter look of a roe deer
In the summer the fur alomost looks orange
A relaxed roe deer during a perfect summer evening
A curious red squirrel early in the morning
First you only see a tail and some moving leaves
Just eating away
Still keeping an eye on us
Find a hidden gem and enjoy it
In conclusion, this is only one of the many beautiful places around. I hope that you will find your own hidden gem and that you will be able to appreciate it as much as I do. The beauty is all around us: during our commute, during a walk or in our backyard. Just take a look around, you'll see it.
Pheasant in the early hours
A quiet and peaceful place
During the day you can see woodpeckers everywhere