Although this year was different, Michael from Erkunde die Welt was not discouraged to start his annual Fotoparade. Of course, despite the Covid19 pandemic I'm more than happy to join this year again and share my best photographs of 2020.
I'm in the mood for traveling. Exploring new places. Photographing animals and write about them. Exactly like this I planned to continue with my blog this year. However, the coronavirus has upset my plans. But of course, I was not the only one who had to endure this new situation. Therefore, I'm more than happy that Michael from Erkunde die Welt has decided to still let the Fotoparade happen this year.
How did other bloggers spend their year during the Covid19 pandemic?
An exciting question I'm interested to know. As in my case I had to change some plans. For example, I had to cancel my journey to the Azores this year in spring, as my flight was cancelled. And anyway, I wouldn't have ventured to enter a plane in that situation...
The whole situation was just too serious!
Thus, I spent the whole year only in Germany!
In May, when they eased restrictions against the spread of the coronavirus, I decided to travel to Helgoland. Maybe I wouldn't have gone to Helgoland, if I wouldn't have booked my accommodation and train tickets already in January.
Nevertheless, it was again amazing on this North Sea island! I'm so thrilled about Helgoland and all the animals that live there! While in winter I enjoy to see all those grey seals, in the spring and summer months I'm fascinated by all the birds around the mainland and the harbor seals on the the Helgoländer Düne.
I took quite many photographs of northern gannets in May. Thus, it was not easy for me to choose the best one.
In general, the northern gannets were quite popular among all nature photographers. Usually, there was always at least one photographer taking pictures of the northern gannets on the cliffs close to the Lummenfelsen.
Anyway, at the end I have chosen the following photograph to share:
Besides all those northern gannets, other bird species that breed at the Lummenfelsen appear kind of inconspicuously. But not in my case! I noticed them! I was especially happy to spot twice a razorbill and once a northern fulmar. Other bird species which are also quite frequent at the Lummenfelsen are common guillemots (the German word for common guillemots - Trottellummen - gave the Lummenfelsen its name) and black-legged kittiwakes.
However, photographing all these birds - expect the northern gannets - was quite a challenge!
In one moment, nevertheless, I could take a picture of a common guillemot from close up. That was indeed a very special moment!
I had another special moment with a bird on the Helgoländer Düne. And this was with an oystercatcher. When I was sitting in the sand on the beach, one individual oystercatcher approached me. This bird was so trusting.
Other very photogenic and attractive animals on Helgoland are the two seal species: grey seals and harbor seals. While in winter only few harbor seals lie on the beach on the Helgoländer Düne, in spring chances to see them are much better.
As harbor seals are such great photo subjects, it was again not easy to choose the best one.
Only at the last minute I could decide to travel to Helgoland. Therefore, I'm more than grateful that I could go at the end and now I enjoy thinking back about this journey. Helgoland is just a very special place I wish to visit in other months again.
Nevertheless, in July I decided to venture another excursion. This excursion led me to the Allgäu Alps. To be more precisely, I went to the Kemptner Hütte to find some alpine marmots.
Although I had already very enjoyed my last time with the alpine marmots in the Berchtesgadener Land, this time I decided to visit another place - the Allgäu Alps - in order to spot some of these animals. The Allgäu Alps are indeed another great place to do that.
Soon you will find a blog entry about these alpine marmots in the Allgäu Alps here on this blog. But similar to the alpine marmots at the Königsbachalm in the Berchtesgadener Land, again I needed a lot of patience.
In one moment, however, I could take the following photograph of a marmot:
My journeys to Helgoland and the Allgäu Alps were my longest excursions this year. I didn't want to travel more this year during the Covid19 pandemic although it would have been possible to travel longer distances.
Apart from these two journeys, I went on day trips to wildlife parks in the vicinity of Berlin. I went to the wildlife park Schorfheide, the animal park Kunsterspring, and the wildlife park Johannismühle. I also went on a day trip to Linum to visit the white storks. Soon you can read more about all these day trips here on this blog.
Thus, it was not a boring year for me at all.
The two following two photographs are one of a wild rabbit and one of a great woodpecker. I spotted them early this year in the Tiergarten in Berlin.
As you can see, photographically, I still stick to animals. Although I also felt like trying out other areas in photography. Why not photographing at night?
When I heard about the Festival of Lights in the radio, I decided to exactly try out photographing at night. As the Naturkundemuseum was artistically lighted during the Festival of Lights, I went to this museum at the evening. And honestly, it was not quite without animals.
But see for yourself.
There would have been many more beautiful photo subjects during the Festival of Lights. However, either I was not motivated enough to photograph in the evening during the week, or because of the crowds of people (during the pandemic!) at the weekend I was not in the mood for doing something creative like photographing.
Thus, photographically, I only focused on the Naturkundemuseum and the Mauerbrunnen in the adjacent Invalidenpark during the Festival of Lights.
Anyway, I want to say THANK YOU to Michael from Erkunde die Welt. It is great that you organize every year the Fotoparade. I'm sure, there is so much effort and time involved!
I'm already looking forward to the next Fotoparade!
Please check the following links if you want to read my previous contributions to the Fotoparade:
Fotoparade – My best travel photos of the first half year of 2018
Fotoparade – My best travel photos of the second half-year of 2018
Fotoparade – My best travel photos of the year 2019
Fotoparade – My best photos of the year 2021
Have you participated in the Fotoparade? Or maybe you also had some nice encounters with animals? Please let me know in the comments!
