March 23rd-24th, 2025, East-Belgium. The signal of spring is discrete: early daffodils start colouring the meadows of the higher valleys while insect-eating birds such as the white-throated dipper and the yellow wagtail are ready to care for their offsprings.
Feb. 1, 2025. Repeating a walk is never the same as it was. Winter is ideal to view the landscape from a different angle : everything seems quieter, more static, more desolate… The colours are, however, more vivid than in the summer, while the snow highlights the small bumps (called ‘pollen’) in the marshland.
High Fens, East-Belgium, Nov. 7th. We went on the wooden path in search of the remains of a former life-giving forest, these ghosts that rise above the horizontal landscape and appear as tortured souls waiting for redemption…
High Fens, East-Belgium, Nov. 3rd, 2024. There were thousands of them, gathered in the moors of the High Fens. The mist was thick and we could only hear them. After two hours of patiently waiting, the mist broke down and the cranes circled above us until they got into position.
Rocherath, Belgium, Aug. 29th, 2024. After an early start of the day, we headed to the border where we had spotted a red kite family a few weeks ago. With the farmer harvesting the fields, much to our astonishment, we observed a variety of preybirds aiming to catch a tasteful bite.
July 2024, East-Belgium. The purple digitalis purpurea can be seen in large numbers almost everywhere this year, amidst the forest and, most of all, in every clearing or broad path.
Kelmis (La Calamine), July 11th, 2024. The museum of “Vieille Montagne” or “Altenberg” tells the story of the extraction of zinc from the old mountain. A short stroll from there brings you to the riverbank where the ore was washed and sorted out. This created a hill of waste material, where the extremely rare viola calaminaria (NL = groeiend op galmeigrond) and other zinc-loving plants can grow…
May 15th, 2024. One of the many emblematic sites of the Sierra de Guara is named Los Pacos de Morrano, close to the village of Morrano. The stunning rock wall is home to many bird species, including swallows and different species of vultures. An interesting walk passes right below the impressive structure.
