Some mornings reward patience.

During a quiet walk across the Regte Heide near Goirle/Tilburg in the Netherlands, close to the ancient burial mounds that have watched over this landscape for thousands of years, I settled down near a patch of blackberry brambles. The sun was behind me and I sat quietly in the shade, listening rather than searching.

Birdsong filled the heathland. Geese called overhead, herons moved in the distance, and the usual chorus of finches and tits surrounded the morning. Yet two songs stood out—ones I couldn’t quite place. So I opened the Merlin bird app. Two names appeared: Yellowhammer – Emberiza citrinella (Geelgors) and European Stonechat – Saxicola rubicola (Roodborsttapuit).

Now I had to wait.

Nearly an hour passed before the first flash of yellow appeared deep inside the thorny brambles: the Yellowhammer, perched low and partially hidden. Beautiful, but difficult to photograph through the maze of branches.

Then, suddenly, a small shape landed just above it.

The European Stonechat (Saxicola rubicola), perfectly visible and briefly posing as the centerpiece of the scene, while the Yellowhammer (Emberiza citrinella) remained tucked in the lower right of the bush. Two species, sharing the same patch of bramble for a brief moment.

Moments like this remind me that wildlife photography often rewards stillness more than movement.

Captured handheld with my Canon 5D Mark IV and Sigma 100–400mm, fully zoomed at f/6.4, 1/1000 sec, ISO 500.

#WildlifePhotography #BirdPhotography #NaturePhotography #BirdWatching #Birding #EuropeanStonechat #SaxicolaRubicola #Yellowhammer #EmberizaCitrinella #Roodborsttapuit #Geelgors #BirdsOfEurope #DutchNature #RegteHeide #NatureNetherlands #BirdLovers #NatureObservation #WildlifeMoment #NatureStory #FieldObservation #BirdBehavior #Heathland #Brambles #BlackberryBush #NatureWalk #Canon5DMarkIV #Sigma100400 #HandheldPhotography #PatienceInNature #WildlifeEncounter #BirdSpotting #NatureDetails #WonderingLens

I was shooting the night sky when this skunk decided my red headlamp was fascinating. It walked straight toward me, stopped at the fence, sniffed, and moved on. It was a tense astrophotography moment. 🌌🦨
#NightPhotography #Astrophotography #WildlifeEncounter #Nocturnal #TexasWildlife

Brr… it has been freezing. The snow has settled, hardened, and now crunches loudly under every step. Usually that sound sends birds and other wildlife scattering long before they come into range of my wondering lens. But not this one. No — this bird stayed.

Late in the afternoon, as the sun briefly pushed through heavy, snow-laden clouds in the Loonse en Drunense Duinen, I noticed a shape in the trees. Calm. Watching. Unimpressed. Almost as if it was thinking: “Hmm… a two-meter-tall human, 110 kilos, plus 15 kilos of camera gear. I’ve seen worse.”

There it was: the Long-eared Owl —
Dutch: Ransuil
English: Long-eared Owl
Latin: Asio otus

Despite its name, those “ears” aren’t ears at all, but feather tufts used for camouflage and communication. In winter, Long-eared Owls often roost quietly during the day, relying on stillness and pattern rather than flight. That stillness is what made this encounter possible, even with the snow betraying every step I took.

Photographing in these conditions is always a balance between physics and physiology. Cold air, fading light, and handheld shooting meant choices had to be made. I settled on f/16, 1/1000s, ISO 3200, using my Canon 5D Mark IV paired with the Sigma 100–400mm. A fast shutter to freeze even the slightest movement, high ISO to compensate, and a deep depth of field to keep that piercing gaze sharp.

#LongEaredOwl #Ransuil #AsioOtus #OwlPhotography #WinterWildlife #DutchNature
#LoonseEnDrunenseDuinen #NatureObservation #WildlifePhotography #BirdsofEurope
#Canon5DMarkIV #Sigma100400 #HandheldPhotography #ColdWeatherPhotography
#SnowCrunch #SilentHunter #FeatheredPredator #AvianEcology #NatureScience
#ForestLight #WinterMood #NatureStories #WatchingEyes #WildlifeEncounter
#RespectNature #ByMaikeldeBakker #MaikeldeBakkerPhotography #WonderingLens
#Pixelfed #NatureLovers #BirdWatching #SlowDownAndObserve

Living with lions: Encounters with wild animals on the rise near Nairobi National Park http://newsfeed.facilit8.network/TNfN6g #WildlifeEncounter #NairobiNationalPark #Lions #Conservation #UrbanWildlife

Ocean scare in Australia!
A group of kayakers had a close encounter with a massive great white shark — circling dangerously near their boats. Fortunately, no injuries were reported.
Follow Stella Othi on World News Scenes for more breaking updates 🌍
#WorldNewsScenes #StellaOthi #BreakingNews #GreatWhiteShark #AustraliaNews #WildlifeEncounter #OceanDanger #StayInformed #GlobalNews

Bear disrupts flights at Yamagata Airport, forces runway closure http://newsfeed.facilit8.network/TLZbSW #BearSighting #YamagataAirport #FlightDisruption #WildlifeEncounter #AirportNews

Cape Spectator

https://kiko.io/photos/24-12-Suedafrika-0303-D50

#WildlifeEncounter #TravelMemories #WildlifeMoment #NaturePhotography #NatureLovers #RoadsideAdventure #AdventureAwaits #ScenicDrive #Baboons #UnexpectedVisitor