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There is a German legend from the Middle Ages about a knight and his lady walking along the riverside. The knight picked a bunch of flowers but because of the weight of his armour he fell into the river. As he was drowning he threw the flowers to his loved one and shouted "forget me not". There are more legends in which this flower represents faithfulness and enduring love. Since I was little, I love legends and especially these little blue/pink flowers with their yellow heart. Unfortunately, the time of courteously knights is over but the forgot-me-nots return truly every year. And sometimes it happen that they got a visitor for one night......a small white knight!  Green-veined White - Canon 7DMKII, tripod, remote release, 180 mm, 1/125 sec, F 3.5, ISO100
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As there are less Cuckoo flowers in 'my' area nearby than the years before and because there are not much orange-tips to find yet, I visited an area further away where I photographed them some long time ago. I was happy to see that it is still a wet area full with meadows of blooming Cuckoo flowers. Despite the quantity of Cuckoo flowers, I searched for at least one hour without finding any butterfly. By the time I wanted to go home I found three butterflies in a row near a tree. Actually I had a complete other kind of photo in mind but with this sunset I couldn't resist.....to lie down in a stinky muddy ditch and to challenge the wind!  Orange-tip - Canon 7DMKII, tripod, remote release, 180 mm, 1/60 sec, F 3.5, ISO100 On the 15th of April, I visited the Cuckoo flower area and did not expect to find any butterfly as the complete area was still green. Surprisingly, I found one Orange-tip and walked back to my car to get my camera. When I looked through my lens, I noticed that it were two butterflies who liked each other very much. The next morning I returned as a beautiful sunrise was forcasted but unfortunately the fog became thicker and thicker.  Orange-tip - Canon 7DMKII, tripod, remote release, 180 mm, 1/100 sec, F 3.5, ISO100 When I returned the next day, I found two male butterflies on almost the same place and one of them was sitting perfect for the setting sun and finally I could make some photos which I had in mind for years.  Orange-tip - Canon 7DMKII, tripod, remote release, 180 mm, 1/50 sec, F 3.5, ISO100 Photographing Orange-tips is very addictive, so my alarm clock went off early today. I checked the sky and drove to the area again. As it was a cold night the complete grassland turned white from the frost. Although it looks very different, on the third photo it is the same butterfly on the same flower. As this little fellow was resting near a tree, the frost and ice crystals spared him.  Orange-tip - Canon 7DMKII, tripod, remote release, 180 mm, 1/85 sec, F 3.5, ISO250 Soon I will return again as I have a photo in mind with a lot of flowering Cuckoo flowers!
The only thing left are memories and some pictures! The first photo is from 7 April with the male and female owl and the second photo from the female is taken on the 8th of April.  My Little Owls are definitively gone. I hope that the season is not lost for them and that they have found an alternative/other breeding place. I’m very sure now that the destruction of the grassland (near the birdhouse) is the reason for their departure. On 27th March, the complete grassland was treated with Glyphosate; by that time I did not know it was Glyphosate as the farmer is treating the land with a poisonous substance more often. On the 7th and 8th of April both owls came together and stayed much longer around the birdhouse. I could read the females owl complete ring number and learned that she was born in 2010 in a small village nearby. Their behaviour was obviously, they were mating and very busy in the birdhouse so I took it for granted that they would moving in soon. But, on Thursday 9 April the complete farmland was ploughed and changed from a green into a brown field and with this action it lost its function as food resource. In the night from the 9th to the 10th April I heard them for the last time and since then they did not return.   Wood Anemone - Canon 7DMKII, tripod, remote release, 180 mm, 1/85 sec, F 3.5, ISO100 Finally spring weather has arrived and last Friday the thermometer measured 23 degrees! In the evening I noticed that all my plants had grown a lot and I was sure that the time had come that the Little Owls would move in. Instead and very surprisingly no owl came. A little bit worried, I waited for them the next evening but again there was nog sign of life from a owl which confirms my misgiving that they decided to breed somewhere else. What happened? On Wednesday evening they both stayed for a while in and near the birdhouse; on Thursday the complete farmland (next to the birdhouse) was ploughed after it was treated with glyphosate one week earlier. I'm not sure if the landscape alteration or the destruction of one of their food sources is the reason? I'm in a very sad mood now as I was very happy to have them that close....I miss them!
Depending on the weather, this little fellow, also known as male Little Owl, always comes first to the birdhouse to call the female. As I photograph them from behind a curtain with the window a little bit open, I hear her answers and within one minut she normally appears.
 Male Little Owl - Canon 7DMKII, tripod, remote release, 600 mm, 0.6 sec, F 6.3, ISO1000 OWL YOU NEED IS LOVE! Yesterday evening it was different. The female Little Owl flew up from my garden and as soon she landed on the birdhouse I heard a kind of welcome sound. Immediately I knew that the other owl was inside the house. As they become active when it's almost dark, I could not see the other owl. Later, when I changed the brightness in the RAW-converter, I noticed that the male owl was sitting and welcoming her at the entrance of the birdhouse.  Little Owls - Canon 7DMKII, tripod, remote release, 600 mm, 1.3 sec, F 6.3, ISO1000 I hope that this story will continue......
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Jibt dir dit Leben mal een Buff, denn weene keene Träne. Lach Dir'n Ast und setz Dir druff und baumle mit de Beene.
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