Training in the Dark

Some birds seem determined to test a photographer’s patience — or their low-light technique. Lately I keep stumbling into the same situation: dark birds on dark water, surrounded by even darker environments. And this time the mystery guest was a Tufted Duck (Aythya fuligula), the Dutch kuifeend, calmly drifting through the shadows at Oranjezon in Zeeland.

Photographing a mostly black bird on black water is a bit like trying to sketch a raven at midnight with a broken pencil. But that’s where the fun begins. With the Canon 5D Mark IV paired with the Sigma 100–400mm, I went for the now-familiar approach: low shutter speed, high ISO, and careful handheld tracking. A balancing act between motion blur and noise, exposure and detail. But when it clicks, it clicks — and this frame caught the elegance of the bird without losing the texture of those inky ripples.

This moment was extra special because I was there with my son. He wanted to escape the pressure of school for a bit, so we drove off at 6:00 in the morning and reached the coast before sunrise. By the time I took this image — around 10:00 — the world had softened, he’d relaxed, and we were just two people sharing cold air, quiet water, and the calming rhythm of nature.

Honestly? Those father-son moments mean more than any perfect exposure ever will.

#TuftedDuck #AythyaFuligula #Kuifeend #Waterfowl #Zeeland #Oranjezon #DutchNature #BirdPhotography #WildlifePhotography #Canon5DMarkIV #Sigma100400 #LowLightPhotography #DarkWaterShots #HandheldPhotography #TrackingShots #NatureLovers #BirdWatching #AvianLife #WildlifeMoments #FatherSonTime #NatureAsTherapy #SchoolStressRelief #EarlyMorningPhotography #BeforeSunrise #CoastalWildlife #EuropeanBirds #BirdingNetherlands #ScientificCuriosity #FieldNotes #StoryBehindTheShot #PhotographyPractice #NatureJournal #ExposureChallenges #ISOHigh #ShutterSpeedLow #NaturalMood #MoodyNature #CalmWaters #WaterBirds #ByMaikeldeBakker

The tiny drama on the shoreline

At the beach of Oranjezon in Zeeland, I stumbled into a miniature comedy act starring two birds with very different personalities. In Dutch we call them a Steenloper and a Drieteenstrandloper — but internationally they’re known as the Ruddy Turnstone (Arenaria interpres) and the Sanderling (Calidris alba).

The Turnstone was doing its usual business: flipping over shells and stones with impressive determination, searching for hidden snacks. But right behind it — practically glued to its tail — the Sanderling trotted along, refusing to be shooed away. The back-and-forth between them felt like watching a feathered version of the Roadrunner and Wile E. Coyote, tiny legs moving at ridiculous speeds.

Photographically, this was a fun challenge. A dark grey day, the sea rolling in behind them, and me lying low with the Canon 5D Mark IV and Sigma 100–400mm at 400mm. Because of the poor light I had to work with a slower shutter speed (1/250s). Tracking two hyperactive birds at that focal length is like trying to thread a needle in a storm — but somehow it worked. The legs slightly blurred just enough to show their speed, while the birds themselves stayed sharp.

I’m honestly proud of this one. A little slice of nature, comedy, and chaos — exactly as it happened on that windy Zeeland beach.

#RuddyTurnstone #ArenariaInterpres #Sanderling #CalidrisAlba #Shorebirds #BeachBirds #Zeeland #Oranjezon #DutchNature #BirdWatching #BirdPhotography #WildlifePhotography #NatureLovers #Canon5DMarkIV #Sigma100400 #TelephotoMagic #TrackingShots #LowAnglePhotography #BirdBehavior #FeatheredFriends #CoastalWildlife #NatureComedy #FastLittleLegs #BlurAndSharp #WildlifeMoments #EuropeanBirds #AvianLife #BeachWalks #StoryBehindTheShot #FieldNotes #NatureDiaries #ScientificCuriosity #PhotographyChallenges #GreyDayPhotography #BirdingNetherlands #NatureReserve #CoastalEcosystem #AnimalInteractions #TinyDrama #ByMaikeldeBakker

A Quiet Guardian of the Forest

On our walk through the forest near an old, forgotten building, my wife suddenly looked up — and there he was. A Boreal Owl (Aegolius funereus, or Ruigpootuil in Dutch), resting quietly on the edge of the roof, half asleep but faintly aware of the world. Every now and then, one bright yellow eye would peek open, catching a shimmer of the noon light.

The oak trees around him were dressed in their autumn palette — green fading into yellow and deep orange-brown. In that setting, his mottled plumage blended perfectly with the wood and leaves, a masterclass in camouflage. Boreal owls are rare in the Netherlands, typically nesting in old woodpecker holes in mature coniferous or mixed forests. Occasionally, one finds refuge in an old structure like this — proof of how wildlife adapts when natural habitats change.

Photographed first with the Canon 7D Mark II and Sigma 100–400mm (effectively ~600mm thanks to the crop sensor), and then with the Canon 5DsR and the same lens. The 5DsR reveals even more detail when zoomed in, but for social media, the 7D’s reach gives it a beautiful balance of sharpness and framing.

A quiet encounter, a patient gaze — and a reminder that even in silence, the forest watches back.

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