Markus Varesvuo, Hungarian Puszta 02

Just back from the shore hide loaded with Egrets, Spoonbills, Gulls, in their fish eating frenzy. Now to the Hortobágy National Park for a two-day Red-falcon project. See you again after Hortobágy.

Markus Varesvuo, Hungarian Puszta 01

With one week behind and one to go in the Hungarian Puszta, I can only say, again, that it is not easy. Up at four this morning to catch sunrise with the Egrets at the Lake Csaj, midday and early afternoon chasing Bee-eaters hovering and landing in strong wind (that managed to blow over my tripod, with my camera, 500 mm telelens and remote control system), and late afternoon and evening 70km away from basecamp at a drinking place set up in the woods in Pusztaszer.

My specific targets were Golden Oriole and Green Woodpecker, I have seen them there but have not yet caught on camera. Some shots of the Green WP but it was mostly sand bathing behind the pond so nothing spectacular.

First hour was busy enough but there were no exciting species, and not even a sighting of my two targets. It was often totally empty and quiet. Then a male Sparrow Hawk made its first attack sending a good ten birds that had been bathing to all directions in complete panic. And caught one. Quite a hunter. Sometime later I spotted a female Sparrow Hawk sitting on a branch near by. No wonder there was no action! With two predators hanging about, the others were not going to bathe and drink.


So I am still waiting for the Golden Oriole and Green Woodpecker but have some nice Sparrow Hawks to compensate. And there were the regular Starlings, and some Tits, Nightingale, Chiffchaff, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Mistle Thrush, Songthrush, Blackbird, Greenfinch, Yellowhammer, Hawfinch, Chaffinch,Turtle Dove, Hoopoe, Blackcap. I heard a Black Woodpecker calling but it didn’t venture out to bathe, like two days ago. Neither did the Cuckoo.


Now, at ten in the evening I am heading out to a small hide in the midst of high reeds on Lake Csaj to photograph Egrets, Spoonbills, Gulls, Herons etc. Last night’s sleep, all two hours of it, are starting to feel a little bit too short. Not much time for sleep tonight either!


Ps. The Turtle Dove’s wing beats were in sync with my camera speed. First 8 pictures were totally identical with the wings spread out beautifully, but in front of its face. Then its wing beat rhythm changed and I caught the face too. It was an incredible stroke of luck to catch a Turtle Dove hovering over the pond water.

The Joy of all things Wild

A roe deer runs over the street in front of you.
Or the kids cry: Daddy, there is a squirrel in the tree!
Or you see the wood full of white anemone flowers when you bike through, a spring day.
Or a blackbird sings its song from a roof top, when you are barbecuing.

Those are all things Wild. We don’t own them. We can’t control them. They go or grow where ever they like to, and they go away if we don’t treat them well.
We call it wild life.
And wildlife is something very important to us.
More important than most would think.

The result when we meet wild life?
Basic, primaeval happiness.
A smile, a nice feeling.
Seeing the roe deer fawn can make your day.
Seeing the eagle pass over is something to tell, at home and at work.
Almost every person becomes happier when meeting, seeing or hearing things wild.
The hedge hog on your lawn.
Don't tell me there are not emotions bubbling up there...

Why do virtually all of us become happier from meeting things wild.
From meeting wild life?
I believe it is about genes. And it is about heritage.
Those things wild say something about who you are.
About your place in the confusing reality of everyday modern life.
About your connections to the land, area, region, country, continent...

And things wild add another dimension too.
They add hope.
There are still things out there, free and wild, that we can’t control completely.
That are not part of any City plan or a corporate or political decision.
That are not fenced in, wing-clipped, planted or chained.
That do just what they want to.
That are spontaneous, free, and decide themselves about everything in their lives.
They are simply wild, and we love it and admire it.

And the same goes for areas that are wild.
They represent hope to us.
A hope that there are still places where age-old processes are alive and allowed to continue doing their own thing.
Where man hasn’t yet mastered every detail and engineered everything.
Where our natural heritage is actually still alive and kicking.

That is what Wild Wonders of Europe is to me.
A celebration of both things and areas Wild.
Both big and small, both near us, and far away.
Wild life and Wild lands.
A celebration of our European Natural Heritage.
Something that has existed far before us.
Something that does exist still, all around us.
Something that hopefully will continue to exist here, long after we are gone and our grand-grand-grand children too.

Provided that we try to take better care of it, enjoy it, reconnect with it, have fun in it, are soothed by it, strengthened by it and fight for it.

The Happiness of things Wild.
It is powerful, it is healing, it is necessary and it is wonderful.
It is the Wild Wonders of Europe.

We invite you all to follow us on this journey.

Staffan Widstrand