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Experiencing certain natural phenomena can be an experience like nothing else. Witnessing a solar eclipse, for instance, that happened to me in Chile. I still remember it well and it was one of the most special things I have ever seen. Watching an erupting volcano or a roaring tornado also strikes me as one of those unique experiences. Encounters with animals in the wild can evoke a similar feeling. There is a difference between simply seeing an animal and truly experiencing an animal.
Bali is one of those places that hardly needs an introduction for most people. For years, it has been known as a haven for European vacationers looking to go a bit farther than the Spanish sun and perhaps also interested in learning the basics of yoga. But Bali also hosts a variety of fascinating bird species! For me, Bali was primarily a stopover en route to a place that dóes require an introduction for many: the country of Timor-Leste, or East Timor. In that country, I hoped to photograph blue whales underwater. But first, a stopover in Bali!
In February 2024, Arie-Willem van der Wal, Jacob Molenaar, and I went to Estonia for a week to search for Eurasian lynx. We planned to spend four days and four nights searching for the lynx, and on the fifth day, we would look for a special duck: the Steller’s eider. Now that the first four days had gone really well, it was time for the icing on the cake!
The Eurasian lynx is much more widely distributed than its Iberian cousin, but much harder to see! The Iberian lynx was the very first cat I ever saw back in 2018, and since then, my list of cat sightings has steadily grown. In Europe, there were only two new cats for me to see: the European wildcat and the Eurasian lynx. I never rushed to look for the Eurasian lynx so far, thinking it will surely happen someday! This year, the opportunity finally arose to seriously make an effort to see it, and with success!
Giant Panda is of course the iconic animal of China. However, the country is also known for another panda: the Red Panda or little panda. This animal actually isn’t even genetically close to the Giant Panda. They are both carnivores and that’s about it. Actually, this animal is genetically distinct not only from the Giant Panda, but also from just about every other animal on the planet. As one of the few animals, the Red Panda single-handedly represents both a genus and a family. That family falls under the superfamily Musteloidea, which also includes raccoons, skunks and weasels. Besides being genetically special, it is also a very attractive animal to look at. So I really wanted to see this one!
Of the several thousand mammal species in the world, the vast majority are not known to the general public. Mention an obscure rodent or bat species and most people don’t have the faintest idea of what you are talking about. The larger mammals are usually more in the picture, but also in that category there are plenty of examples of animals that are not so well known. Often when I am going to look for a special cat, I have to explain more than once which cat it is exactly and where it can be found. This is not so much the case for species such as Tiger, but a species like Rusty-spotted Cat doesn’t ring so many bells. The species I went to look for during Christmas and New Year 2023/2024 I didn’t have to introduce to anyone.
Last week I was awarded at the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition. For me this competition has always been like the Oscars of nature photography. This competition, organized by the Natural History Museum in London, is the oldest and most prestigious competition within this kind of photography. For many nature photographers it is a dream to be successful here. At least that was the case for me. I thought it would be could to tell the story behind the photo in more detail on my own website. So here goes!
In March 2023 I had been traveling through India for about three weeks. From an unexpected start at the Taj Mahal, I went to the high Himalayas where I saw Snow Leopards and Pallas’ Cats. We then headed to the forests on the foothills of the Himalayas in North East India, close to the Bhutanese border, where we had an interesting week at Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary. So we had already seen a lot of beautiful things, but one specialty of India was still missing: the Tiger! I felt like I just couldn’t miss this iconic big cat so I planned a few days at Pench Tiger Reserve to spend my last week. In this reserve we would have a good chance of seeing a Tiger, but there was also supposed to be a black Leopard around. We wanted to see that one too of course. After the hardcore mammalwatching, it was now time for some classic safaris!
My journey to India started on March 1, 2023. After some obstacles, I managed to get to the high Himalayas where the Snow Leopards cooperated fantastically. I even managed to see my favorite small cat: the Pallas’ Cat! On Monday morning, March 13, Andreas and I were ready again at the small airport of Leh. As we had already become accustomed to, the safety check was again very thorough and I had to put all my electronics in different boxes. Maneuvering six boxes of expensive equipment plus a jacket and two bags would remain to be the least favorite part of my trip in India, but unfortunately there was no avoiding it. Taking many domestic flights also enabled us to make the most of our stay in India. Luckily I came through it without major problems.
Earlier I wrote something about what led up to my trip to India and finally seeing the ‘grey ghost’ of the Himalayas: the Snow Leopard! However when I prepared for the trip, it turned out that it was also possible to see another new cat: the Pallas’ Cat! A friendly birder told me that there had been some very nice pictures of Pallas’ Cat taken in the town of Hanle last summer. This got my attention immediately because in my opinion Pallas’ Cat is the most special and attractive small cat in the world. I just love it with all the hair, the typical ‘grumpy look’ and the thick banded tail. The pictures from Hanle looked very nice indeed! However, it turned out to be difficult to get to Hanle as a non-Indian person and for a long time it was uncertain whether I would be actually able to get there. About a week before departure, however, I received confirmation that it would be possible to visit Hanle if we were to spend the night in another place called Nyoma. So that’s how the plan came together!
