Woodpecker

 

I managed to get the camera with the large zoom in time to snap this woodpecker having a drink. There wasn't much light however so it was slow to take a picture resulting in this shaky shot.

woodpecker - pic - specht

Bird Watching

 

Got out the binoculars to look at some crows toing and froing in the maples next door. 

And also to check forks in the trees for crow's nests but I haven't seen any this year. Previously a pair of crows always had a nest in one of these maples, but the neighbours have had two of their nesting trees cut down in succession so perhaps the crows have given up. They do have a nest in the oak tree behind us but it's not visible from the ground.
[Update: I finally spotted that nest while up on the roof - see post on 25 August]

I'm using this pair of 10x70 binoculars made during World War 2. The beh code identifies them as made by Leitz (famous for their Leica cameras) and 'Dienstglas' means they were for official service use. With a postwar coat of black paint and replacement leather they're no longer a military collectible but they're still excellent quality binoculars.

crow - corbeau - kraai
maple - érable - esdoorn

Terrific Tulips

Caught in the sunlight these tulip flowers almost look like roses. They're called Mount Tacoma and we got them from a Dutch grower at the Jardins d'Aywiers fair last autumn. The missus has decided she'll get more!
 

Village in View

This Saturday I went back and forth to help our eldest move furniture from his place to ours and back. His roof terrace looks out over neighbouring gardens but also offers this glimpse of Princenhage village centre, now part of Breda.

 

Fresh and Wet

Rainfall brings extra beauty to the garden in the shape of little puddles and pearly drops everywhere you look.

Cherry Rain

 

The cherry tree is starting to lose its blossoms so there's a pink carpet at the bottom of the garden, helped by a shower of rain. The old Alfa got confettied with pink petals as well, making it look as if it had been in some kind of festival in the Far East.

cherry - cérise - kers

 

Magpie Behind Glass

 

There are lots of magpies in the neighbourhood. They're pretty fearless, usually acting as hooligans alone or in gangs. They quarrel with the crows and also amongst each other, sometimes taking off in whole squadrons to go fight another group further away. They're not scared of cats (when we still had cats the magpies used to elbow in to eat the cats' food from under their noses) but they do fly off when they spot people. I managed to snap this one before it saw me.

magpie - pie bavarde - ekster

Easter Bonfire

We've lit a fire in the fire bowl outside, basking in the warmth while enjoying a bowl of chicken soup. It's not the warmest of days so the fire is very cozy and comfortable to sit round.

The fire bowl has a lid so we can close it up to extinguish the fire when we go back inside. And an extra dish underneath so the heat doesn't sear the grass.

Easter Greetings

  Beakers made from Easter egg wrappers, like I did in my youngest years. Which made for a cheesy pic I sent round to some people. My brother sent back this good one:

Lambs

We went to the in-laws later in the day and the sheep in the field next to their garden had newborn lambs. Always a lovely sight!

Easter Brunch

Our children are home for Easter so their Mum laid the table for a family brunch. Homemade cheese rolls, pancakes with maple syrup and blueberries and the currant bread our eldest brought from the Netherlands. Filled with almond spice, it's a staple at Easter and the festivities at the end of the year.

More Flowers

White tulips making a polka dot impression.

Purple Chequered Lilies - a bunch of miniature marvels.

Primulas glowing in the noontime sun.

tulip - tulipe - tulp
chequered lily - fritillaire pintade - wilde kievitsbloem
primula - primevère - primula

 

Easter's Here

Some branches from the garden with my Mum's Easter eggs.

We also always have these two bunnies fishing from the mantelpiece. The one on the left has its second pair of replacement ears, waiting to be painted.

Tracks

 Footprints made by the missus on a bathroom mat.

Not Forgotten

A bouquet of Forget-Me-Nots graces a corner of photographs of my ancestors (and me in the tiny frame). The Jugendstil vase resembles a Crocus; it's a heirloom from my eldest Aunt, who looks out at it from the family portrait in the back.

forget-me-not - myosotis - vergeet-me-nietje

Sundown Splendour

With the sky being cloudy again, we get to see some spectacular sundowns like today.

The missus caught this one, leaning out of a side window and the last from the balcony.

Yellow Welcome

Coming home from work I was greeted by lots of cheerful yellow dandelions growing next to the steps near the street. They're closed when I leave in the morning but now they were still basking in the sunlight.

dandelion - pissenlit - paardebloem

 

Too Late

Spotted a squirrel before heading off to work this morning. It had just eaten some seeds at the feeder and was having a drink from the basin. I tried to sneak into the kitchen for a picture with no obstructions in front but it saw me move...

squirrel - écureuil - eekhoorn

 

Printed Leaves

 

The missus went to an 'eco printing' workshop last year and today had a first try with her own equipment. The first experiment definitely shows promise.

Bramble branches in the middle provide good results, as do maple leaves.

 All from being picked to printed in a couple of hours.

bramble/blackberry - mûrier - braam
maple - érable - esdoorn

 

Cherry Pink

An explosion of pink on our dining table.

cherry - cérise - kers

Fresh Shoots

The Purple Shamrock in the kitchen is growing. Four stems survived from last year
but more are appearing now.

purple shamrock - oxalis pourpre - klaverzuring

 

Night Rain

It rained during the night, making the garden look fresh, clean and extra green.

Always smells fresh, too.

 

Lazy Afternoon

We sat around lazing in the garden enjoying the weather (though interspersed with quick trips to the chemist, the supermarket, the fish pond shop and the DIY - twice).
We also opened a box of Turkish Delight I'd received from a Turkish supplier which was delightful indeed.

Shadows

Sunlight streaming through the window catches the dining table and a chair.

 

Spring Contrast

The neighbours' maples are still bare, but our birches are full of fresh green leaves.

maple - érable - esdoorn
birch - bouleau - berk