Eifel autumn

The sad thing about autumn (& winter) is, that I miss my favourite creatures, the insects. Most of them are hidden somewhere in the deep, others died after they reproduced..., that's their circle of life.

On the other hand, the coloring and falling of the leaves is also an annual process and can be very beautiful.

So, we enjoyed that natural phenomenon and saw some birds like the kingfisher, the eurasian teal and thousands of cranes! They are flying this time of year from Scandinavia to Spain. We were lucky that their route went over the Eifel in mid-November. See for yourself.

Spring in France!

We think that spring is the best season to go to France. Temperatures are pleasant (20 - 23 degrees C.), and nature is waking up enthusiastically. 

We found ourselves for ten days in central France, especially in the Loire region. We saw some ten orchid species and twenty-seven different types of butterflies and of course many other insects and flowers; wonderful to experience! 

In our few days in Switzerland we found, high up in de mountains, many typical alpine flowers, such as the Soldanella alpina. From our hotelroom in the "Gantrisch Naturpark" I could observe every morning and evening, the magnificent red kite, resting and hunting for mice, a beautiful and interesting sight.

As you can see in my pictures, we look back on a wonderful nature experience.

Calopteryx splendens

Anacamptis pyramidalis

Chiasmia clathrata

Onobrychis viciifolia

Lygaeus equestris

 

Ardea purpurea

Lysandra bellargus

Anax imperator

Vulpes vulpes

The top of an alp

Soldanella alpina

Milvus milvus