As the year 2024 draws to a close, it's the perfect moment to look back at the photos I’ve captured throughout the year. It’s always such a joy to marvel at the wonders of nature. This year, I had the privilege of spotting a Swallowtail butterfly and a Silver-studded Blue for the first time. I also managed to capture a touch of Dutch winter with snow and ice. Thanks to a rainy spring, I was able to take stunning photos at the Leersumse Veld. And, of course, the annual starling murmurations remained a spectacular sight to behold.
As I sift through the photos, countless memories and emotions resurface, which I’m eager to share with you.
A Touch of Winter in the Netherlands
At the beginning of the year, we experienced a brief glimpse of winter here in the Netherlands. Although there wasn’t much snow, there was enough frost to make the mornings bitterly cold, brrrr. Despite the chill, it was absolutely worth getting up early to capture these enchanting, wintry landscapes.
Winter landscape at sunrise
A stunning sunrise over a row of trees in the Betuwe polder, with a layer of snow covering the fence. The serene silence of the winter landscape can almost be felt and heard.
Windmill "De Vlinder" in a Dutch winter scene
A classic Dutch winter landscape with "De Vlinder" windmill in the Betuwe as the focal point, its surrounding fence lightly dusted with snow.
Windmill "De Vlinder" in a Dutch winter scene
A classic Dutch winter landscape with "De Vlinder" windmill in the Betuwe as the focal point, its surrounding fence lightly dusted with snow.
Unique natural phenomenon: ice pancakes
While hunting for winter scenes, I came across these beautiful, round shapes in the ice at the base of a dyke in the outskirts of Maurik. These ice pancakes, or ice circles, form on flowing water when small ice particles clump together and spin, eventually creating circular shapes. Normally, ice pancakes float separately, but these had frozen together because they ended up outside the current-a rare and extraordinary sight.
Ice surrounding pollarded willows in a winter landscape
During the high water and frost in January, the floodplains became waterlogged. Ice formed where the water flowed gently, clinging to the trunks of the pollarded willows. As the water levels dropped, the ice sheets broke, leaving some sections hanging around the tree trunks.
Spring - A Season of Renewal
Spring, what a magical season it is! A time of life and renewal, as nature awakens from its winter slumber and bursts into a colorful spectacle of flowers and insects, such as butterflies, damselflies, and dragonflies. The magic of spring can also be found in mystical forests, some carpeted with flowers like wood anemones, wild garlic, or rhododendrons.
Even trees write poetry in spring
The Magnolia blooms early in the season, with its large, tulip-shaped flowers in white, pink, reddish-purple, or yellow. For many, a blooming Magnolia is the first true sign of spring’s arrival.
Wild garlic in bloom, a common sight in springtime forests.
Butterflies
"What the caterpillar calls the end,
the rest of the world calls a butterfly"
Lao-Tzu, Chinese philosopher (6the century BC)
In a picturesque setting, I spotted a Silver-studded Blue for the first time. This summer butterfly, which appears around June, favors cross-leaved heath and heather.
In April, I had a very special encounter with the queen of butterflies: the Swallowtail. I photographed this beauty at a private nature reserve called 't Asbroek, managed by Franca Wolter. A local farmer entrusted Franca with butterfly pupae to keep them safe during land cultivation. Franca nurtures the pupae, allowing the butterflies to take flight from 't Asbroek. This stunning Swallowtail was about to take its first flight.
The queen of butterflies, the Swallowtail (Papilio machaon)
The Silver-studded Blue, a jewel of the heathlands.
Dutch Skies
Sometimes, you stumble upon a scene straight out of a 17th-century landscape painting. A quintessentially Dutch view. A famous landscape painter once remarked, "While humans may alter the land, the skies remain untouched."
Cows in the floodplains
This was taken near my home, where cows frequently roam by a small water body. Located in the floodplains of the Nederrijn near Maurik, this scene immediately reminded me of works by
the “Haagse school”, of which I’m a great admirer.
Gnarled trees amidst blooming rapeseed
Dodging rain showers with an umbrella in hand, I waited for just
the right light and sky.
Dutch riverscape
"Thinking of Holland
I see broad rivers
meandering through endless
lowlands.''
- Hendrik Marsman -
A Small World That Feels Vast
Forests
- You are now entering a stress-free zone -
Forests with long avenues, forests with a mix of twisted trees nestled among ferns. Forests with beautiful winding paths. As you walk through the woods, you encounter so many different moments........
Leersumse Veld
Leersumse Veld....our goal....to photograph dragonflies. But upon arrival, we faced a surprise. The walking path had become impassable due to heavy spring rains. Time to pivot and explore the field for other photo opportunities. What we found was magical. The flooded field around the trees reflected the sky and trees like a mirror. A colorful sunrise with morning mist completed the scene. It felt like an unexpected gift from Mother Nature-pure joy!
Flooded Leersumse Veld after heavy spring rains.
Aerial Acrobatics
The evening roost of starlings in the Betuwe. They swirled gracefully in the sky for a moment before diving into the willow thickets to sleep. Although their patterns were minimal this time, the spectacle remained as mesmerizing as ever. As a bonus, we were treated to a breathtaking post-sunset sky.
Morning glow
A country road flanked by trees and a ditch. A common sight in the Netherlands, but when the morning sun and mist play their magical game of light and shadow, it transforms into an enchanting fairytale scene. I feel so lucky to witness this magical start to the day.
A mysterious, fairytale-like atmosphere in the early morning.
Nature in 2024
A 2:46 minute slideshow with beautiful music and photos
Visit my website for more nature and landscape photography. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this blog and learn about your own experiences and photography in nature. Feel free to leave a comment below.
“Those precious moments when nature sparks your soul."
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