Dragonflies and sunshine equals to love dance on Dutch pond

 

This week the Dutch summer reached some 31 degrees....not only we were happy, also the tiny dragonflies were inspired and were doing their lovedance above water at a small pond in thegarden of my work place. I was so amazed by their numbers and beauty, so I biked home after wokr to get my camera and captured them!

Did you know that:
- Dragonflies are expert fliers. They can fly straight up and down, hover like a helicopter and even mate mid-air. If they can't fly, they'll starve because they only eat prey they catch while flying.
- Some adult dragonflies live for only a few weeks while others live up to a year.
- A single dragonfly can eat 30 to hundreds of mosquitoes per day.
(for more info feel free to check "14 Fun facts about dragonflies")

About the herbs, their healing powers and the insects around them

 

While helping& learning in the herbal farm "Stilfser Bergkräuter" I was spending a lot of time among colourful flowers and came very close to a lot of hungry and thirsty insects....we were meeting every day at the same place around and on the flowers. Not only are we, people, collecting the flowers for teas, but the bees, butterflies and other  insects enjoy their nectar too . If I judge by the aroma of the herbal fields I understand them.

But of course there is the (secret) site of their healing power too. Did you know that:

- the peppermint (pic 1 and 2, in GE "Pfefferminze") delivers good effects by pains in the stomach-intestines-area and by colds;
- the calendula (in pic 3, in GE "Ringelblume") is used (because of its anti-flammatory influence) in cremes for wounds and scars;

- the bea balm (picture 4, in GE "Indianerssel") has an amazing bergamot-aroma and in tea supports us getting rid of nasty colds;
- the white common yarrow (last picture, in GE "Schafgarbe") is helping by problems with the digestive system as well as by women problems;

 

Last but not least, most of the leaves/blossom may be enjoyed raw, like below I prepared myself a dark bread with goat butter and sage& oregano leaves and fresh flowers from mallow and nasturtium, very yummy was it!

Birds in Holland or about birds in my backyard...

 

There are plenty of birds in the low lands...even though the Netherlands are the most crowded country in Europe one can stop seeing birds at every corner. some like water (this is where they live and catch their food), others fly around (and sometimes even inside our flat like the loud green parakeets), another just sing, sit on the tree and enjoy their freedom.

 

On my pictures you may enjoy the following beauties:
- Green Parakeet (in French "Conure Verte")
- Great Crested Grebe ( in German "Haubentaucher", FR: "Grèbe huppé", in NL: "Fuut", in BG. "Голям гмурец");
- (male) Pheasant (in German "Fasan", in FR "Faisan", in BG "див фазан");
- Grey heron (in German "Graureiher", in FR "heron", in BG "Сива чапла");
- Great spotted woodpecker (in German "Buntspecht", in FR "Pic épeiche", in BG "пъстър кълвач");

All birds in this entry I have encountered from my balcony, in my street or in the near-by park where I go jogging:-))

De Horsten in Wassenaar, a sunny autumn walk

 

This Saturday on suggestion of (David from) my photo club IMAGES we went to the absolutely amazing park De Horsten in Wassenaar. This huge piece of land is a royal property, open to the public during the day...

 

 

Its was an extremely lovely place for a walk in the autumn sun! Next to forest, lake and a tea pavillion one may encounter different birds, mushrooms and other shy or less shy inhabitants...

 
This time I did not discover anything bigger than a lady bug... So I think I have to go back:-) ... to look for the hedgehogs, butterflies and deers!

Forest mushroom discovery walk in Utrechtse Heuvelrug/ Paddestoelentocht

 

On a perfect sunny autumn day, guided by two experienced musshroom experts, we went for a forest mushroom-seeing in the Dutch National Park Utrechtse Heuvelrug. It is really amazing how many big, medium or really tiny mushrooms and sponges are growing there! With a hep of a mirror one could also examin the hidden part of the musshroom: the side under its hood:-)

 

The more beautful or exotic a mushroom look, the more dangerous and poisonous it is...You may see this on the pictures attached. The red-hood mushroom, known as the "fly agaric" (on third picture) and the round yellow balls on the ground, called "pigskin poison puffball" (poc below) are two good examples.