Spent some lovely days in the most western parts of Europe, the windswept coast of Brittany in  France. What an interesting landscape: spectacular cliffs with the emerald waters of the Atlantic (at least in this part of Europe) but also stretches with white sandy beaches. On the pensinula you find green pastures, wheat fields and villages with old churches, friendly folk, bretonnaise culture,  and the spoils of local and french food. This time of the year, the heather is in full bloom, which adds a nice color to the blue sea and the rocky cliffs. Did also some birding and were rewarded with some nice pics of the Northern Fulmar.

To escape the cold weather in Germany, we decided for a quick dash south and spent the weekend at the Lago Maggiore in a small town close to the Swiss Border, Cannobio. Nicely located on an alluvial fan, this charming village is a lovely starting point for hikes and walks surrounding the lake or into the piemontesian hills. An absolute highlight is the Parco Nazionale della Val Grande located about 35 km west of Cannobio, which is considered one of the few remaining wilderness areas in Europe. 

First signs of spring where coming, when we made our way down to Konstanz, visiting family. We enjoyed the warming sun and the clear and crisp air on the lake. We took a boat trip to Meersburg and went to see the prehistoric settlement in Unteruhldingen, Meersburg castle and a famous church on top of the hill at Birnau. Had to visit the Island of Mainau with the Butterfly and Orchid House, and the Wollmatinger Ried, of course and were lucky to see the European Pond Turtle along with other wildlife.

Having an inspiring trip to the Greek islands - the Cyclades. With an abundance of plants and animals, the islands are - despite the arid climate  -  a treasure trough for nature photographers. Visited the islands of Paros and Naxos and set out on an adventureous trip with the "Skopelitis" , a small ferry passing smaller islands until we reached Amorgos, the misty island of the Small Cyclades. We hiked through the Macchia like landscape and enjoyed the smells of thyme and sage, listening to the winds and the cycadas. In the evenings we enjoyed the warm hospitality of the islanders. What a trip!

Spent a couple of days in Berchtesgaden, Germany  for a family reunion, since our daughter/sister was doing an internship in the National Parc helping in a project with the Golden Eagles. Didn`t see too many of them, but enjoyed the beauty of the scenery and the mountains around the Watzmann.

Our family vacation led us to Langeoog, Germany, one of the Islands in the Lower Saxony part of the National Parc "Wattenmeer". Langeoog is a well-known tourist spot in summer. During off-season, in spring time when it is less crowded, it provides for a wonderful place to do nature walks, be it on the beach or in the dunes. Also, the expansive Saltwater Meadows make an excellent breeding ground for birds.

On the way back, we stopped by at an area of 4450 ha of land which is not cut through by settlements or roads. This is called the Belziger Landschaftswiesen, around 30 kilometres southwest of Potsdam. We decided to have a look, since it is - after the Havelländische Luch - home of the second largest population of Great Bustards in Germany. Although we were not able to spot any Bustards (mainly because we did not have much time), we were excited  about the relative quietness of the landscape and the large variety of animal life you can find there.

The mouth of the Havel, where it feeds into the Elbe, is virtually a bird sanctuary. Numerous species breed here or pass through during migration season. In spring time, the birds - mostly the males- present themselves in their best outfit. In this part of Germany, you will also still find the white stork nesting on churches or houses. In the vicinity, you may watch the Great Bustard in the Havelländische Luch, one of the few places in Germany where these birds still exist .

Went on an excursion with the Naturschutzbund (NABU) in Ochsenbach, a remote little village in the Kraichgau, close to Leimen. Aim was to observe birds of prey, such as the Red Kite, who only lives in Europe. Got some nice shots of the Black Kite as well. Even managed to catch a deer on camera. And: ever heard of a water scorpion?

Another small trip to a natural reserve area close to Karlsruhe. The Kohlplattenschlagsee is a lake which is an old gravel pit filled with water. We spotted some rare birds, such as the little Ringed Plover and even saw Grey Geese sitting on their nests. A peewit was doing a little dance for us, while we were there. And the Mandarin ducks where showing their true colors.

This was a small trip while visiting the grandparents in Schwaigern. We decided for a photo outing in the Leintal and the Zabergäu, nice areas close to the slopes of the Stromberg and Heuchelberg. As it was early spring, the odds were in our favour to spot birds through the branches of the willows and scrub along the banks of Leinbach and Zaber.

The Sandhäuser Dunes are a paradise for birds. We come here regularly. During the Easter holidays we checked out, which ones we could see this early in the year.