Once in a blue moon!

 

Tonight (21.08.2013) is full moon, ooops sorry its actually BLUE moon! Because its an extra full moon, which happens very rare, like when we have 13 full moons in one year! And last time it was in 2010... So I decided to get the camera and see how I could document this beauty in pics! So here we gooooo! I have been using ISO 800-1600 and -2stops...I have viewed it from Risjwijk, the Netherlands between 10 and 12pm.

Baby swans in the canals of Rijswijk, Holland

Few weeks ago the biggest event in the area around my house were the big news that there are new born baby swans... Since last autumn/winter a swan family lives/swims in the canal in front of our house and now for over a month they go on wet walk with their fluffy little ones! So instead of the usual ducklings this spring you may admire the grey little babys...Do you also have to smile and think of the fantastic fairy-tale of Hans Christian Andersen "The ugly duckling", which was actually a swan baby? I had an absolouteyl beautiful book with his tales (inherited from my mum) and loved all of them! The family started with 7 little ones, but since one week only 3 children are accompanying the parents. As you may see sometimes the swim in the watre is perfect line, but sometimes (when they eat) its freestyle positioning....

 

Last week I have also met a family of Canadian geese with their little ones in the park I go jogging!

Dutch canals and ducklings, ooops sorry baby coot in Rijswijk

 
In spring time the Dutch canals become the nesting place for a lot of birds: like the mallards (wild ducks) the coots, the geese in the Netherlands. Right in front of the entrance of my house a coot family has its nest and 3 weeks ago the 6 babies coot came out.

 
At the beginning they were black with funny red-yellow hairs (like hats) on the top of their heads...2 weeks after the colourful hairs disappear and they start to look more and more similar to their parents...The parents are now very busy fetching food (some green leave and other greenish pieces) out of the water and teaching them how to it themselves.

I made few videos as well: enjoy them:-)

Orange football fever 2010

Could you imagine how orange the low lands get during the WorldCup 2010. Stop thinking and have a look at the shots below! Orange flas and the Dutch glas together with orange lions singing:"Hup, hup HOlland" are just everywhere:)

There are even competitions for "the most orange street"...