Work in progress

I finally started with the construction of the new forest hide and drinking pool. It will be located in a mainly pine forest with parts of deciduous trees in the neighbourhood of a town called Arendonk. The pool is almost finished, now the hide is next. I'll keep you updated.

End of one chapter, beginning of a new ...

A few months ago I had to do something I didn't like ... removing the private hide from the forest. That part of the forest got a new destination, some of the trees were cut and I had to go. I left the forest, leaving no traces. All together I've been able to use the hide for almost 1,5 year and spotted (or the trailcam) 26 different species of birds + 6 mammals at the hide and pool:

  BIRDS                                                                MAMMALS
- Great tit (Koolmees                                                 - Hedgehog(Egel)
- Blue tit (Pimpelmees)                                              - Red fox (Vos)
- Roodborst (European robin)                                    - Bank vole (Rosse woelmuis)
- Chaffinch (Vink)                                                      - Roe deer (Ree)
- European blackbird (Merel)                                    - Squirrel (Eekhoorn)
- Wood pigeon (Houtduif)                                          - Rabbit (Konijn)
- Carrion crow (Kraai)
- Eurasian jay (Gaai)
- Great spotted woodpecker (Grote bonte specht)
- Little spotted woodpecker (Kleine bonte specht)
- Green woodpecker (Groene specht)
- Brambling (Keep)
- Common redpoll (Kleine barmsijs)
- Long-tailed tit (Staartmees)
- Redwing (Koperwiek)
- Northern wren (Winterkoning)
- Siskin (Sijs)
- Common buzzard (Buizerd)
- Eurasian sparrowhawk (Sperwer)
- Northern goshawk (Havik)
- Tawny owl (Bosuil)
- Short-toed treecreeper (Boomkruiper)
- Eurasian nuthatch (Boomklever)
- Song thrush (Zanglijster)
- Willow warbler (Fitis)
- Eurasian magpie (Ekster)

I didn't get all the species I was looking for but after all I'm satisfied, especially with the 3 different birds of prey. For me personally Northern goshawk in the snow was my top moment !
Since I heard I had to leave the forest I've been looking for a new spot to build a hide. Luckily I found a new place. I hope to start building the next few weeks. I'll keep the blog updated with construction news.

The hide and drinking pool are gone ...

Bullfinches and more

A little while ago I visited a fellow nature lover who is living at a great place with a lot of birds. I put a camouflage tent hide at a small pool at his property. My objective were the Hawfinches (Appelvink)which came over to drink on daily basis. I spend a few hours in my tent at the rather busy drinking pool. Bullfinches (Goudvink) and European Greenfinch (Groenling) were visiting all the time. Other visitors were Goldfinch (Putter), Song thrush (Zanglijster), Eurasian blackcap (Zwartkop), Stock dove (Holenduif), European robin (Roodborst), Common blackbird (Merel), European pied flycatcher (Bonte vliegenvanger), Yellowhammer (Geelgors), Common redpoll (Kleine barmsijs) and European Rabbit (Wild konijn). I had a nice time in the tent hide, nevertheless no Hawfinches showed up.

 European Greenfinch (Groenling)

 European Rabbit (Wild konijn)

 Eurasian blackcap (Zwartkop)

 Song thrush (Zanglijster)

 male Bullfinch (Goudvink)

 female Bullfinch (Goudvink)

 Common redpoll (Kleine barmsijs)

 Pied flycatcher (Bonte vliegenvanger)

Han Bouwmeester - hide

When I was in Gambia last april I also arranged 1 day in a photo hide of Han Bouwmeester, a Dutch photographer who rents different hides in Holland but also 1 in The Gambia near Pirang. The guide Yankuba picked me up at my hotel at the coast near Senegambia and after a 1 hour drive we arrived at the hide with a drinking and bathing spot for the birds. It was the end of the dry season so there wasn't much green scenery. I spend about 4 to 5 hours in the hide. Because of dry season I expected more different species and some birds were not in there beautiful breeding plumage. But after all I enjoyed it. Species I've seen/photographed: Marsh harrier, Laughing dove, Blue-spotted wood dove, Namaque dove, Blue-cheeked bee-eater, male and female Greater honeyguide, Common bulbul, Red-billed quelea, Village weaver, Northern Red bishop, Red-cheeked Cordonblue, Grey-headed sparrow and a Agame.

 Blue-cheeked bee-eater

 Blue-spotted wood dove

 Common bulbul

 Northern Red bishop

 Village weaver

 Namaque dove

 female Greater honeyguide

Blue-cheeked Cordonbleu

Hide in the tropics

Last month I spend a week in The Gambia, West-Africa. I also visited Abuko Nature Reserve, known for the many birds. They also rent a kind of private hide at a small drinking pool. It's more an observation hide, not really a photography hide but it's ok the get some species close. I spend about 2 hours in the hide. Some of the species visiting the hide were African Thrush (Pelioslijster), Greater honeyguide (Grote honingspeurder), Red billed firefinch (Vuurvink), Bronze mannikin (Gewoon ekstertje), Western bluebill (Roodborstblauwsnavel), Village weaver (Grote textorwever), Common bulbul (Grauwe buulbuul), Western Plantain-eater (Grijze bananeneter), Blue spotted dove (Staalvlekduif), White-crowned robin-chat (Schubkaplawaaimaker) and Nile monitor (Nijlvaraan).

 Inside the hide

 View on the drinking pool

Hide from the outside

 Village weaver

 Red-billed firefinch

 Western plantain-eater

Greater honeyguide

 Nile monitor

African Thrush

Goshawk-news

I just got back from 1 week nature photography in The Gambia, West-Africa. While I was there I received a letter about the Goshawk which is visiting the hide on regular base since December 2013, both winter and summer. It was carrying a ring with number H177116 and I wanted to know where he came from. Seems it's a male, ringed on the 3th of June 2013 in Retie, only 13 km away. The bird is about 2 years old now. Seems he has found a nice territory.

 Goshawk 'H177116' at the hide last January.

You can see the ring on his right leg.

Spring is coming

It's waiting now for more birds arriving in Belgium again now spring is coming. Therefore some more photos of a few weeks ago at the hide. Nothing special, some of the common species: Robin (Roodborst), Blue tit (Pimpelmees) and Great tit (Koolmees).
I'm counting the days because in a little while I'll fly to Gambia, West-Africa, to do some bird photography, also from some hides. I'm looking forward to it !

 Robin

singing Blue tit

Great tit