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

Mittelmeer-Sandschnecke
typische Dünenschnecke in den Küstendünen Apuliens. Ihr Vorkommen weist auf die Qualität und den Erhaltungszustand naturnaher Sandflächen hin.
13.10.2025, #Italy #Puglia #snail #dune #CoastalEcosystem #biodiversity [1]

#Fotovorschlag "was sich dreht" : Heideschnecke
Ihr spiralförmig gedrehte Gehäuse schützt sie während der Ruhephasen, wenn sie sich in ihr Haus zurückzieht. Sie lebt in trockenen, sandigen Gebieten Apuliens.
13.10.2025, #Italy #Puglia #snail #sand #heath #DryHabitats #CoastalEcosystem [1]

#MangroveForest #Mangroves #NaturePhotography #WildlifePhotography #LandscapePhotography #Forests #CoastalEcosystem #GreenPlanet #NatureLovers #Pixelfed #Photography #Snapseed

Into the Distance

The raw power of the last storm left its mark on the coastline in ways that words alone can’t capture. One wave barrier along the beach had been half-buried in sand, transforming the landscape into something entirely new. Behind the sand, seawater was trapped, forming a wide temporary lagoon. It’s a reminder of how coastlines are constantly reshaped—new land created in mere hours by natural forces that would take humans days of heavy labor to replicate. And just as quickly as it appears, nature can undo her own work with the next storm.

Standing at the far end of the wave breakers, I was struck by the illusion of infinity. The long row of wooden posts stretched out toward the horizon, now divided by the sudden dune as if the sea itself had been cut in two. It felt both surreal and epic, a fleeting sculpture carved by wind, waves, and time.

Scenes like these remind us that the shore is alive—never fixed, always shifting. Every tide, every storm, every grain of sand tells a part of the story. We are just lucky enough to be there to witness it.

Taken with my Canon 5DsR (51 megapixels) and Sigma ART 24/70mm lens.

#IntoTheDistance #BeachPhotography #StormImpact #CoastalChange #NaturePower #SandDunes #WaveBreakers #Seascape #CanonPhotography #SigmaArt2470 #Canon5DsR #CoastalGeology #ShiftingSands #DynamicCoastline #NaturalForces #StormScars #SeashoreMagic #OceanView #CoastalProcess #LandFormation #BeachVibes #LandscapePhotography #EpicNature #ChangingEarth #EarthScience #CoastalErosion #SandAndSea #NatureIsArt #SeascapePhotography #SeaAndSky #OceanPhotography #ClimateAndCoast #Geoscience #CoastalEcosystem #StormySea #TideAndTime #BeachWalk #CoastalBeauty #NaturePowerful #MotherNature