WHAT on earth!

Once I saw these little fluffy things in France, I began to see them more often back in Belgium (particularly on rose bushes). But I must admit, at first it wasn't obvious to me what it was. I never saw them in North America, or anywhere else for that matter. Have YOU?

those funny Frenchies

Recently spent a week birdwatching in Champagne, FR with a Belgian bird club I joined a year and a 1/2 ago. Goal was to see Common cranes (Grus grus) that make a pitstop at Lac du Der Chantecoq, the largest of several reservoirs built to prevent Paris from flooding, on their journey to Spain. On a good day you can see 30,000 or more of these gigantic Gruiformes!

There's always more to see than just birds, which is good on days when the birding is light. Will leave you with just a few of our curious impressions...


Your eyes are not deceiving you. That's a refrigerator in a plowed field! The door is open, maybe so the cranes can fetch a drink after eating all that corn. Ever see anything like this? Any clues what it's for?


... or this unit, which was the second metallic vogelverschrikker? scarecrow? What would the hood of a car or truck w wheels attached be doing smack dab in the middle of a plowed field? Go figure. OH, I GOT IT! Maybe it's farm ART!!!


The city of Troyes was no less entertaining because of the lack of symmetry. Made you feel like you were Alice in Wonderland! Take this building, for instance, which looks like one my 5-year old Thijs could've built. Actually, I take that back - Thijs is so organized - he'd never forget his LEVELER! But thank God this building is not so LEVEL because that's what makes it so interesting, as with most Euro cities. Symmetry is not always important.



Even the cups were crooked ... hmmmm, and what else might this apply to?


But the sunsets were just as spectacular as you would hope and expect, especially with the never-ending lines of cranes, trumpeting and calling to and fro. If that's not a life-changing experience I don't know what is.

photos courtesy of Rene Conings

happy Thanks GIVING!

Thanksgiving has to be my favorite American holiday.

Today I enjoyed it more than ever, even though i missed out on the family tradition of cooking a massive turkey stuffed to its gills with delectable stuffing and swimming in a sea of sweet potatoes and cranberry sauce and divine gravy. Oh, and don't forget the pumpkin pies and the college football games that seem to go for days on end, and even tho I'm no football fan, it's the chill factor that's so inviting. I usually slept through most of the games, dozing in and out of REM while cheers erupted in the background ...

Started the day by thinking of all I'm grateful for ... always beginning with family and friends, and going from there - could've written a book! Stijn and I had a nice walk round the lake and a quick cuppa before he headed for the dentist and I to the markt for more sweet potatoes, celery and tin foil. Back home - cooking sweet potatoes - deciding it's too nice to slave over the kitchen - grabbing the camera, and what do i discover .... the moment I've been waiting for ...

The huiszwaluw nests!!!!! (huiszwaluw=Dutch for house martin (Delichon urbica))

What a day of GIVING! Felt like I was about to give birth again - those motherly instincts flooding back. We could have babies come spring!!! I was overcome by feelings of joy! I really felt sparks flying out of my head I was so happy.


But just look what it took to get those nests! CHECK OUT the size of this huge tractor. Should've heard her rumble. The lengths we go to for for our feathered friends ... but at least this effort was funded by the city of Tervuren, for which I'm eternally grateful. Took 2 hours to drive that MOTHER from Tienen (only 45 km away)!

First the overhang plank went up because historically the house martins nested on cliff ledges, and they're accustomed to overhangs of at least 30 cm. Was relieved when they hung that board, because they were having problems with sinking 2 of the screws deep enough. Then they hung the nest houses, 4 altogether, although only 1 is visible from this vantage point (kids bedroom window!). Deep belly breathing got me through ... at least my yoga's going to good use.


One worker seemed to be getting a little nervous, and by this time was making cell phone calls, maybe to tell his wife he'd be back a few minutes late, because some American birder in Tervuren had to custom-fit a look-alike cliff ledge, and it wasn't going all that smoothly. Each job would probably last <30 mins. but that wasn't the case here.


Last but not least was the little plank beneath the nest. And what do you suppose this is for? NO, no, no, not to catch chicks that might prematurely fledge, but to catch their feces before they land on your carport or foul your garden. Figured it never hurts to be tidy, so agreed to have these installed.


Success! Or relief! Either way you look at it, the result is 4 beautiful new homes for house martins when they return from Africa this spring.

What a great day this ThanksGIVING has been!

Wild Horses - Mazzy Star

oh my, this is divine ...

can you feel it melting your cerebral cortex?

lovin' Blacklake Farm

These were the faces that greeted us as we drove down the tiny hedgelined lane to Blacklake Farm in Devon, UK, which raises Ruby Red Devon cows and Dorset Down sheep. It's one of the things that attracted me to this organic farm, along with the simply beautiful countryside. Oh, and the Hay House - which is a converted barn that included the original dairy - that's where we stayed. It was divine.


On a sunny day, the view from the nearby ridge is breath-taking. You can see Dartmoor to the west, and Exmoor to the north. And everywhere are miles upon endless miles of ancient, glorious hedges that provide food and sanctuary for so many birds and animals. One begins to appreciate the value of this wildlife habitat when you realize that in most parts of Europe it doesn't exist.


Take a deep breath and feast your eyes on this vision ... all the fix-ins for a relaxing teatime just waiting to happen ... even apples from the orchard. The British really know how to make you feel at home. I about died and went to heaven.


Kids enjoyed picking apples, but they loved feeding the chickens even more. Catherine and Nick have 3 kinds at the moment: the white ones are light Sussex, the dark brown ones are Cornish game hens, and the pretty light brown one is a buff Orpington. Rooster woke us at first, but after a few days we were early to bed, early to rise, and it didn't matter much after that. We were out and about in the fresh air all day long, and there were no computers/tvs to keep us up at night. Was such a relaxing break!

One hole, two holes, three holes, four ...

Found this bit of wood suspended from a tree during a family walk recently. Ok, it's no guessing game this time.

I've seen the critters that take advantage of cavities like shown above (actually, there's more than one critter that will use these holes or what's inside them, but we'll have to save that for later). We have the critters living in our yard, and you probably do too!

I bought a structure sorta like this from the National Trust in England, and soon after it was being used. The neighbors expressed concern, but the kids were thrilled! And they had good reason to be, as you will learn when you figure out what the critter is!

walk your kid to school month

Who would've thought "Walk your kid to school month" would coincide with so many beautiful things in nature. It seems every day we make our 10-minute march to school we see something new, like ...


this amazing fungi, the name of which i yearn to know


this beautiful web near our house


this huge spider that Thijs adores


this weenie guy (or guys! I think there are 2!) hiding out under a castle of web

a roost in the attic

Awoke the other night to find a roost of Willises in our attic, all giggling and whooping and carrying on. I never knew IKEA fold-outs could sleep 5, but now I've got proof! Well, at least Dad appeared to get some sleep ... or was he was just pretending?

Kids loved having nana and grandaddy for a visit. We spent one afternoon touring the Afrika museum, where there was an exhibit on wood that included about 9 wooden elephants parading around the gardens. This big boy caught my eye (and yours?), so quickly used it as an excuse for a nice family foto. Glad my little boy didn't start playing with the "you know what", because with my luck he would've dismantled it, and then i'd have some BIG explaining to do with the museum folk!


Every night was card night. Kids really loved learning how to play poker and black jack, but we always ran out of play money for betting. By the time we'd get to Go Fish (favorite of Thijs), things would begin to deteriorate quickly as the girls would bore easily ... and before you knew it, cards would disappear under the table, or go flying over it ... and soon it'd be pure mayhem. Then you knew it was time for bed.

Made some nice walks in the woods ... and enjoyed having a moment with nana or grandaddy. At least Alex was taking advantage of the opportunity.

I think Mom and Dad timed their visit to coincide perfectly with the Halloween Wandeling (Belgian-style haunted walk in the woods) because they enjoyed it so much last year. Or was it the pumpkin jenever at the mid-point break? Well, this year we included a pumpkin carving party beforehand, which was enjoyed by all. Our group almost doubled with Alex's family joining. Her husband Mark is a decent man, even though he's pretending to butcher his daughter Caitlin. We managed to survive the evening with no casualtie. But I doubt Dad will want to repeat his pumpkin-head superman costume next year as he was getting alien stares from the Belgian kids. Don't they know a superhero when they see one?

agronomy 101

Fields of yellow dominate the landscape in Vlaanderen this time of year, and they're quite breathtaking, especially if you're lucky enough to catch a glimpse of one during a 30 second spot of sunshine. Still meaning to ask a farmer, or a friend, what the plant is. But HEY, maybe you know!

Is it mustard (first guess)? Or rapeseed, which i've seen in Canada many years ago.

bird or blob?

October 6-7 was international migratory bird count weekend - at least in Europe, that is! Lots of bird movement around this time, so you never know what you're going to find. During a morning outing, I came across this thing in a field near Leefdaal.

Were the farmers playing tricks on me? or do you think it flew (or ran) away as i approached?

what a bird!

what a face ...

what a color...

what is it!

(photos courtesy Alexis Dall'Asta)

two little bugs, sitting in the street ...

Hopefully this will pose more of a challenge ...

Who knows WHAT type of insects these are, and WHAT they were doing, or trying to do, before they got squished on the road?

Believe it or not, despite their name (hint hint!), they're supposedly one of the most delectable of insects! They go well in sauces, pates and even as a topping for pizza! But be forewarned, before you go throwing a dozen in the pot, most insects need to be cleaned and prepped. For recipes, just drop me an email.

guess where on Earth this came from II

... okay, here's a confidence booster. Any ideas?

so happy i could cry

We could have HOUSE MARTINS (huiszwaluwen in Dutch) nesting on our house next spring!

A biologist from Leuven came to visit this week, and said he'd have 4 artificial nest houses mounted on our house in November (like above, which is on a neighbor's house nearby). Two nests will be placed near our bedroom window, and two will be near the kid's window. Wonder who will get more sleep!

The martins return from Africa next spring, and we'll be luring them to our house with flags, whistles, whatever it takes. The webcam will be ready!

Dudley's A-okay

Been over a month since Dudley came into our lives, and he's still as active as ever. From the beginning, I had him all wrong.

Maybe it's from watching documentaries, where you see dung beetles rolling perfectly round balls of dung, but I figured they crafted those round balls so they'd be easier to roll.

But Dudley set me straight. He showed me that he can take almost anything and get it where he wants it to go. If I could just train him to get my kids to school in the morning, that would be something, wouldn't it?

The other thing is that even though he's got nowhere to go, he still keeps rolling along.

Little things are very grand friends. A.A. Milne

A new winter coat: get it before you need it!

... was the subject of an advertisement email I received from Land's End today.

For a mere $99.95, you could have the latest spiffy white coat! And one that you DON'T even NEED! Now that makes about zero sense ... but how many people succumbed?

Does this make you feel just a little bit uneasy? That our obsession to "keep up with the Jones's" is turning us into irrational human beings, who want things even though we don't even need them. How much longer can Mother Earth tolerate our abusive behavior? It reminds me of a bunch of spoiled kids not showing respect for their parents.

I need a walk ... and time alone with the birds. If we could only molt our own coat each year like they do!

Kalmthout heide

Spent some time exploring a heathland in NE Belgium yesterday, known as Kalmthout, a place we'd been wanting to visit for over a year now. Fortunately, it was a beautiful, sunny day - a rare treat this far north - which also meant we weren't the ONLY ones hoping to steal away for a bit of peace and quiet. Seemed like most of southern Holland was there too! But no worries, with 1,000 hectares, there was lots of space to spread out and get "lost", so to speak.

The heather was in full bloom, and there was loads of it. Hence, the name heathland! Loved the way that cloud just hung in the sky.

Flocks of birds migrated in the distance, a sign that these nice, long days would soon come to an end ... and the whinchats, skylarks and tree pipits would be enjoying warmer climes if they had the good fortune to make it that far. No, there isn't a bird in this photo - in case you were wondering - i just liked the soft focus feel of it.

Kids were entertained by these big black grazers that were put there to maintain the heide, but they weren't so thrilled by the mosquitoes that were also attracted to these big, burly beests (omg, my spelling is really going downhill, isn't it?!). I mean beasts!

Fast forward 10 years, or less, and this will be Phoebes and a friend out for a little ride ...

Cornelia the Colorado potato beetle

This morning I showed our potato beetle to oma and opa ... the same one we found in Switzerland 45 days ago while on vacation! Stijn and I were hiking the Etzel Kulm when this beetle crossed our path. Of course I couldn't resist picking her up! She's been with us ever since. She survived vacationing in southern France (that was rough!) and now living in Belgium. Guess she likes the taste of the Belgische spuds.

Reason I started this post was I thought she'd passed away. When I got the cage to show oma and opa, she didn't move an inch. Not even after poking and prodding. I thought that was the end of that, but was kinda sad because she's really CUTE! Was thinking of pinning her for the collection. Boy am I glad I didn't! Can you imagine the horror on the kids faces as they opened the box to see her legs wiggling around while stuck on a pin?

Now I'm wondering HOW LONG this beetle's gonna live! Been thinking about adding some soil because apparently they overwinter as adults underground. It's worth a try, don't you think?

Juvies all around

... was taking a walk in the park today, when all of a sudden I heard a winterkoning, or Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes) calling like a machine gun near the Vossemvijver. Decided I'd check this guy out, so I walked over to a thicket near the Spaanshuis, and squatted down to peer through the bushes. There in the middle perched a juvenile wren, at least that's what it looked like to me, calling its heart out. It just wouldn't quit. It kept calling and calling and calling, as if waiting for some parent to come along and do something, which probably meant feeding it.

At just about the same time, in the distance across the lake, came the crying wail of another juvenile, but this one wasn't a bird. It was a human infant. And it kept carrying on and on and on ... just like the wren chick ... they both wouldn't quit!

Both the wren and the baby ... needing, needing, needing ... when would they be satisfied?

It's not very different in these two different worlds, is it?

Then another cry, but this time by two Great Crested Grebe chicks. They wanted just one thing and they wouldn't stop crying til they got it ... FOOD!

Chicks crying all around ... nature's so full of life this time of year ... my ears are bursting!

guess where on Earth this came from!