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
#WildNetherlands
Flowers of the Kampina – Part 3
Summer in the Kampina is a feast for the senses, and nowhere is this more evident than in its wildflowers.
I began with Sagittaria graminea (smalbladig pijlkruid), its delicate white petals catching the morning light, while a honeybee worked busily at the top of the frame. Nearby, the toxic yet beautiful Cicuta virosa (waterscheerling) stood tall, its blossoms framed by a shimmering bokeh from the water behind.
The humble Prunella vulgaris (gewone brunel or bijenkorfje) was next—a true bee magnet. I captured it with my Canon 5D Mark III and MP-E 65mm macro lens, a rare, specialized lens that magnifies from life-size to five times life-size without additional accessories. It’s a tool for those who want to dive into the smallest worlds nature hides.
At the northeast near Huisvennen, I wandered into a sea of blooming clover. My photo shows just one flower, but the meadow was alive with bees darting between blossoms.
The heath is also in bloom, painting the landscape in purples and pinks. In the early morning, unopened buds still held tiny dew droplets—each a perfect lens for the rising sun.
Finally, the Galeopsis tetrahit, here in a pale form with purple specks. While modest in appearance, it belongs to the vast orchid family—one of the oldest and most diverse plant families on Earth.
Next: Part 4 – Birds of the Kampina.
Hashtags:
#Wildflowers #Kampina #MacroPhotography #Canon5DMarkIII #Canon7DMarkII #Sigma100400 #MPE65mm #SagittariaGraminea #CicutaVirosa #PrunellaVulgaris #CloverFlower #HeathInBloom #GaleopsisTetrahit #OrchidFamily #BeeFriendly #PollinatorLove #NatureCloseUp #DutchNature #Oisterwijk #WildNetherlands #MacroMagic #FloralPhotography #BotanyLovers #PlantScience #FlowerDetails #TinyWorld #FlowerMacro #InsectPollination #BeePhotography #NatureArt #BokehLovers #MorningDew #BloomSeason #SummerFlowers #WildFlora #NatureObservation #PhotographyForTheSoul #BotanicalBeauty #PlantDiversity #WildflowerSeason #HiddenNature
Summer in the Kampina is a feast for the senses, and nowhere is this more evident than in its wildflowers.
I began with Sagittaria graminea (smalbladig pijlkruid), its delicate white petals catching the morning light, while a honeybee worked busily at the top of the frame. Nearby, the toxic yet beautiful Cicuta virosa (waterscheerling) stood tall, its blossoms framed by a shimmering bokeh from the water behind.
The humble Prunella vulgaris (gewone brunel or bijenkorfje) was next—a true bee magnet. I captured it with my Canon 5D Mark III and MP-E 65mm macro lens, a rare, specialized lens that magnifies from life-size to five times life-size without additional accessories. It’s a tool for those who want to dive into the smallest worlds nature hides.
At the northeast near Huisvennen, I wandered into a sea of blooming clover. My photo shows just one flower, but the meadow was alive with bees darting between blossoms.
The heath is also in bloom, painting the landscape in purples and pinks. In the early morning, unopened buds still held tiny dew droplets—each a perfect lens for the rising sun.
Finally, the Galeopsis tetrahit, here in a pale form with purple specks. While modest in appearance, it belongs to the vast orchid family—one of the oldest and most diverse plant families on Earth.
Next: Part 4 – Birds of the Kampina.
Hashtags:
#Wildflowers #Kampina #MacroPhotography #Canon5DMarkIII #Canon7DMarkII #Sigma100400 #MPE65mm #SagittariaGraminea #CicutaVirosa #PrunellaVulgaris #CloverFlower #HeathInBloom #GaleopsisTetrahit #OrchidFamily #BeeFriendly #PollinatorLove #NatureCloseUp #DutchNature #Oisterwijk #WildNetherlands #MacroMagic #FloralPhotography #BotanyLovers #PlantScience #FlowerDetails #TinyWorld #FlowerMacro #InsectPollination #BeePhotography #NatureArt #BokehLovers #MorningDew #BloomSeason #SummerFlowers #WildFlora #NatureObservation #PhotographyForTheSoul #BotanicalBeauty #PlantDiversity #WildflowerSeason #HiddenNature
The Wonderful World of Fungus – Part 2
After last week’s rains, the Kampina near Oisterwijk revealed a hidden kingdom—one that thrives quietly beneath our feet. This week, I set my lenses to macro mode and explored the intricate, often overlooked life of fungi and slime molds.
First, I found Rickenella fibula, a tiny moss-dwelling mushroom just a few millimeters tall, its orange caps glowing against the green carpet. Nearby, Mycena stylobates stood on delicate stems, their translucent caps perched above fallen leaves. Looking closely, I could see the long, thread-like hyphae weaving underneath—nature’s living network, breaking down leaf litter and recycling nutrients.
Then came the slime molds. One bright orange species looked like clusters of tiny eggs, each a potential transformation into a spore-bearing structure. Another, still a mystery to me, appeared as a single white, chalk-like sphere on moss—perhaps the fruiting body of another slime mold, or something else entirely. Nature loves to leave puzzles for us to solve.
After hours in this miniature world, I reached the heart of the Kampina and paused at a weathered workman’s hut before heading home. My Canon 5D Mark III with MP-E macro lens captured the fine details, while the Canon 7D Mark II with Sigma 100–400mm kept watch for the bigger picture.
Next up: Part 3—The blooming heath and wildflowers of the Kampina.
Hashtags:
#MacroPhotography #Canon5DMarkIII #Canon7DMarkII #Sigma100400 #MPE65mm #FungiPhotography #RickenellaFibula #MycenaStylobates #MossLovers #TinyMushrooms #FungusAmongUs #SlimeMold #Mycology #MushroomLovers #FungiMacro #ForestFloorFinds #NatureCloseUp #DutchNature #Kampina #Oisterwijk #WildNetherlands #MushroomSeason #MicroWorld #FungiFriday #InstaFungi #MycoBeauty #ForestMagic #MossAndFungi #TinyWorld #FungiOfTheNetherlands #MacroMagic #MushroomArt #SlimeMoldSpotting #MysteryMushroom #SporeLife #NatureDetails #HiddenNature #WildlifeMacro #NatureObservation #CloseUpNature
After last week’s rains, the Kampina near Oisterwijk revealed a hidden kingdom—one that thrives quietly beneath our feet. This week, I set my lenses to macro mode and explored the intricate, often overlooked life of fungi and slime molds.
First, I found Rickenella fibula, a tiny moss-dwelling mushroom just a few millimeters tall, its orange caps glowing against the green carpet. Nearby, Mycena stylobates stood on delicate stems, their translucent caps perched above fallen leaves. Looking closely, I could see the long, thread-like hyphae weaving underneath—nature’s living network, breaking down leaf litter and recycling nutrients.
Then came the slime molds. One bright orange species looked like clusters of tiny eggs, each a potential transformation into a spore-bearing structure. Another, still a mystery to me, appeared as a single white, chalk-like sphere on moss—perhaps the fruiting body of another slime mold, or something else entirely. Nature loves to leave puzzles for us to solve.
After hours in this miniature world, I reached the heart of the Kampina and paused at a weathered workman’s hut before heading home. My Canon 5D Mark III with MP-E macro lens captured the fine details, while the Canon 7D Mark II with Sigma 100–400mm kept watch for the bigger picture.
Next up: Part 3—The blooming heath and wildflowers of the Kampina.
Hashtags:
#MacroPhotography #Canon5DMarkIII #Canon7DMarkII #Sigma100400 #MPE65mm #FungiPhotography #RickenellaFibula #MycenaStylobates #MossLovers #TinyMushrooms #FungusAmongUs #SlimeMold #Mycology #MushroomLovers #FungiMacro #ForestFloorFinds #NatureCloseUp #DutchNature #Kampina #Oisterwijk #WildNetherlands #MushroomSeason #MicroWorld #FungiFriday #InstaFungi #MycoBeauty #ForestMagic #MossAndFungi #TinyWorld #FungiOfTheNetherlands #MacroMagic #MushroomArt #SlimeMoldSpotting #MysteryMushroom #SporeLife #NatureDetails #HiddenNature #WildlifeMacro #NatureObservation #CloseUpNature
Where the Dunes Meet the Sea — Zoutelande’s Living Landscape
Last Sunday, as I stood atop the dunes of Zoutelande, I took in a breathtaking view. Below me, the coastline buzzed with life: grandparents at the water’s edge with their grandchild, a small sailboat drifting peacefully across the sea, and beside me in the dune grass, a woman absorbed in her book — both of us quietly observing the world below.
These dunes are more than just scenic vantage points. In the Netherlands, they are vital to our survival. Formed over centuries by wind and tide, dunes serve as natural coastal defenses, protecting our low-lying country from storm surges and sea-level rise. Their height, structure, and vegetation act as buffers against the power of the North Sea.
They are also vibrant ecosystems. From hardy dune grasses to rare species like sea holly and sand lizards, dunes are full of life adapted to shifting sands and salty air. Their fragile balance reminds us of how deeply interconnected we are with nature.
So the next time you find yourself on a dune, take a moment. Look out, breathe in, and appreciate this living landscape — a place of peace, protection, and resilience.
—
#zoutelande #dunes #duinen #nederlandnatuur #coastaldefense #beachlife #dutchcoast #landscapelovers #coastalecosystems #naturephotography #canon5dmarkiii #ecology #sustainablecoast #sigma100400 #natuurfotografie #coastallandscape #waddenzee #wildnetherlands #erosioncontrol #dunehabitat #dunegrass #protectnature #duneecology #zeeland #zandduinen #lifebythesea #natureinspiration #climateresilience #maikeldebakker #landschapvanzee
Last Sunday, as I stood atop the dunes of Zoutelande, I took in a breathtaking view. Below me, the coastline buzzed with life: grandparents at the water’s edge with their grandchild, a small sailboat drifting peacefully across the sea, and beside me in the dune grass, a woman absorbed in her book — both of us quietly observing the world below.
These dunes are more than just scenic vantage points. In the Netherlands, they are vital to our survival. Formed over centuries by wind and tide, dunes serve as natural coastal defenses, protecting our low-lying country from storm surges and sea-level rise. Their height, structure, and vegetation act as buffers against the power of the North Sea.
They are also vibrant ecosystems. From hardy dune grasses to rare species like sea holly and sand lizards, dunes are full of life adapted to shifting sands and salty air. Their fragile balance reminds us of how deeply interconnected we are with nature.
So the next time you find yourself on a dune, take a moment. Look out, breathe in, and appreciate this living landscape — a place of peace, protection, and resilience.
—
#zoutelande #dunes #duinen #nederlandnatuur #coastaldefense #beachlife #dutchcoast #landscapelovers #coastalecosystems #naturephotography #canon5dmarkiii #ecology #sustainablecoast #sigma100400 #natuurfotografie #coastallandscape #waddenzee #wildnetherlands #erosioncontrol #dunehabitat #dunegrass #protectnature #duneecology #zeeland #zandduinen #lifebythesea #natureinspiration #climateresilience #maikeldebakker #landschapvanzee
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