there are clear signs that spring hides around the corner

today I took a walk in Amsterdam's Beatrixpark, there was a rather cold wind but also very clear signs of spring - see for yourself

flock of birds

in the late afternoon short before nightfall I heard the flock of birds gathering in two huge trees at Sarphati Park in Amsterdam before I saw them ... they were twittering loudly and more and more birds were arriving

the trees became heavy with birds and the twitter only increased - then suddenly - silence, all at once, absolute silence

and off they, go leaving the trees alltogether in the same moment - what a synchronicity - amazing!

within seconds they are forming the swarm and circle their rounds above the roofs of Amsterdam

it really has been a pleasure to take the time and watch the birds, gathering in the tree, more and more and then within a split second  - this absolute silence - and off they go - as one .... for me they surely all are one

walk in the amsterdamse waterleidingduinen

today I walked with a friend in the amsterdamse waterleidingduinen close to Zandvoort. In this area which has been used to gain Amsterdam's drinking water lives the biggest deer population of The Netherlands. They are not at all shy and browse quietly close to the passers by.

we also passed by a hotel for insects, this place was created to give them shelter for nesting and during the winter

the walking pathes were mostly quite and not many people were around, the landscape offered some variety between light woods and more savanne-like open landscape. For me a s a newbie to this area to deer was the mos striking however, there were also birds singing and surely to be watched and the pathes along the water were just lovely in the autumn sun.