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.

#BorealOwl #Ruigpootuil #AegoliusFunereus #WildlifePhotography #NaturePhotography #OwlPhotography #BirdPhotography #DutchNature #CanonPhotography #Canon7DMarkII #Canon5DsR #Sigma100400 #ForestLife #AutumnColors #Surea #NoordBrabant #BirdsOfEurope #OwlsOfTheWorld #ForestMagic #NatureStory #MacroAndMore #WildlifeStories #NatureLovers #EcologyInFocus #AnimalCamouflage #ConservationThroughPhotography #NaturalHabitat #PhotographyDetails #QuietMoments #BirdingNetherlands #AvianBeauty #WoodlandCreatures #ScientificPhotography #StoryBehindTheShot #AutumnVibes #CanonWildlife #EyesOfTheForest #DutchWildlife #MaikeldeBakkerPhotography #ByMaikelPhotography

A patch of green and splashes of red and white.

Taken with my Canon 5DsR and Sigma Art 24–70 in Surea, between Gilze and Oosterhout — a gray day, yet the forest was alive with colour and quiet stories. On a bed of moss and fallen leaves stood a single Amanita muscaria — the fly agaric — but not as we usually know it. Its brilliant red cap was covered in a delicate white layer that resembled a dusting of snow. Only later did I realize: this wasn’t weather, but another fungus growing upon it. A fungus infecting a fungus — a rare and fascinating encounter.

In mycology, such infections occur when parasitic species like Hypomyces invade the fruiting body of another mushroom, spreading their hyphae through its tissues. They slowly consume the host’s nutrients, altering its colour, texture, and even shape. This quiet struggle plays out unseen, yet it’s part of the forest’s endless cycle of decay and renewal — nothing in nature is truly wasted.

I crouched low in the moss to capture it, trying to show not just a mushroom, but a story of resilience, interdependence, and the hidden wars of the microscopic world.

#AmanitaMuscaria #MacroPhotography #NaturePhotography #FungalInfection #FungiOnFungi #Canon5DsR #SigmaArt2470 #Surea #BrabantNature #NatureReserve #ForestFloor #MossLovers #Mycology #WildNetherlands #Ecology #MicroEcosystem #DutchNature #AutumnForest #ForestMagic #Biodiversity #MacroWorld #PhotographyAndScience #CloseUpNature #NaturalWonder #InterspeciesConnection #RareFind #FungalDiversity #InTheField #NatureStories #Mycophile #HiddenWorlds #MushroomLovers #FlyAgaric #ForestResearch #NatureEducation #StoryInLight #MacroLife #ForestDetails #EcoBalance #ByMaikelPhotography

Close encounter with a forest master beetle

Meet Trypocopris vernalis, also known as the spring dor beetle — one of the true “masters” of the forest floor. Yesterday, while exploring a beautiful larch and pine forest near Rijen and Oosterhout (the Surea area) with my wife, I spotted this little armored worker quietly making its way through the moss. The day was grey and moody, but a brief ray of sunlight broke through — just enough to bring out that deep black sheen that makes these beetles so mesmerizing up close.

This shot was taken with my Canon 7D Mark II and the Canon MP-E 65mm super macro lens at 5× magnification — a lens that truly lets you dive into another world. At this distance, even a beetle’s face feels monumental. You can see the fine texture of its exoskeleton, this time no grains of forest soil clinging to it, and even the subtle reflection of the forest canopy above.

Scientifically speaking, Trypocopris vernalis plays a vital role in the ecosystem. It’s a dung beetle — recycling nutrients, aerating soil, and quite literally keeping the forest clean. A quiet little hero beneath our feet.

#TrypocoprisVernalis #BeetlePhotography #MacroPhotography #SuperMacro #Canon7DMarkII #CanonMPE65mm #ForestMaster #MacroWorld #WildlifeMacro #NaturePhotography #ByMaikelPhotography #DutchNature #Oosterhout #Rijen #Surea #MossForest #LarchForest #InsectPhotography #MacroDetails #CloseUpPhotography #WildlifeLovers #EcoPhotography #Biodiversity #DungBeetle #NatureStory #InsectWorld #MicroWorld #CanonMacro #NaturalBalance #WildlifeConservation #InTheForest #MacroArt #NatureCloseUp #PhotoStory #NatureLovers #FieldPhotography #MacroMagic #WildlifeMacroPhotography #CanonEurope #ForestEcosystem #TinyWorld

Zygaena filipendulae – Nature’s Living Jewel

Today, in the warm embrace of the Surea nature reserve in Oosterhout, I encountered the Zygaena filipendulae, or as we call it in Dutch, the Sint-jansvlinder. A striking day-flying moth, its deep black wings speckled with vibrant red spots signal a clear message to predators: “I am toxic.” This warning coloration, called aposematism, is a survival strategy developed through millions of years of evolution.

One photo was taken with my Canon 5D Mark III using the Canon MP-E 65mm macro lens, capturing the intricate details of its iridescent scales. The other, with my Canon 7D Mark II and Sigma 100–400mm lens, shows the moth in its sunlit surroundings — a vivid contrast between delicate life and a powerful environment.

This small creature reminds me that beauty and function often go hand in hand in nature. And walking there with my wife made the moment even more meaningful — a quiet celebration of life, science, and togetherness.

#zygaenafilipendulae #sintjansvlinder #canon5dmarkiii #canon7dmarkii #macrophoto #macrophotography #sigma100400 #canonmpe65 #naturephotography #butterflymoth #lepidoptera #oosterhout #surea #insectphotography #naturewalks #wildlifelovers #evolutioninnature #aposematism #dutchnature #natuurmoment