You probably think I am crazy but if you had experienced what I am observing here you would probably understand.

Look at these pictures and then go and tell me that these birds do not love each other…

If you would like to see more of those you need to visit my other blog called “Pigeon Tales” - there you will find my diary about our pigeon family, their little stories and many funny photos…

Last year I showed you the blooms of my Epiphyllum cactus which were exceptionally beautiful - this year’s blooms are not open yet.

But imagine my surprise when I discovered that on my other epihyllum plant 4 buds were appearing, on a cactus that had not bloomed since 15 years!!! I don’t know why he does this year - I have simply no idea.

Even bigger was my surprise when I realized that it did not have that typical crimson red colour but was 2-coloured in a way that is absolutely devine. Yeah - I admit I am absolutely crazy to become so excited about a cactus bloom but it is just gorgeous - judge for yourself:

Nothing special you would probably say as many animals live in the city in the meanwhile because their habitats have been taken by the human 2-leggers. Well - that’s right. But nevertheless I wonder how many people really care to see wildlife within the city such as pheasants or these little rabbits and even real hares as we can see nearby where we live. Everyone is only hurrying from one date to another, even on the bike I see people with their earplugs or their cellphones, never looking to the side, never hearing the sounds of nature even when they cycle through the countryside. What a world are we living in?

I made a list of the living beings we have seen so far in the middle of the city :

  • rabbits
  • hares
  • pheasants
  • marten
  • weasel
  • various mice
  • harvest mouse
  • huge rat (dead)
  • hedgehogs
  • lapwings + hatchlings
  • brent geese (normally only in the arctic circle) and many others
  • wood ducks and many other species
  • seagulls
  • terns
  • great egret
  • herons
  • yellowhammer and larks and many other birds
  • blujays and cuckoo
  • sleeping!! swifts
  • peregrines and kestrels (many cycling above our house)
  • bussards
  • sparrow hawk
  • squirrels (black and red)
  • swimming grass snake (Isar river)
  • kingfisher
  • many different woodpeckers
  • bats around our balcony and during the day!
  • cormorans drying their feathers

I am sure I could list even more…

Today I want to make you aware about a photo blog with texts I started in April this year. I did not know at that point of time what would happen to the whole thing but now it’s end of June and it does not seem to have an end.

It all began with a pigeon couple that decided to nest on our balcony and choose one of our huge flower pots for their future hatchlings. The strange thing was that these pigeons were very shy at the beginning and as soon as I stepped out of the balcony door - they disappeared.

But one day in April I realized that one of the pigeons did not fly away any more but had laid an egg into the bare soil after it had collected a few dry sticks - 2 days later another egg was laid.

At first I was not sure whether I should take the eggs away or not, seeing huge piles of pigeon excrement before my inner eye, but then I thought what the heck - let’s wait and see what’s going to happen. Maybe there won’t be any hatchling and the story had an end very soon. Also I was curious to see how the pigeons which were so shy at the beginning would deal with the continuous presence of 2 human beings. I considered it a “scientific” experiment and maybe there would be even the opportunity to shoot some really nice pics.

And when the first hatchling digged it’s way into this world I was under a spell. Yes it was a magic spell! You can laugh about me and wonder how this is possible with some damn common pigeons. I can only tell you that I had the same opinion, like pigeons are just some birds you can see everywhere, nothing special, only there to make their poop everywhere.

I have changed my mind entirely. So completely that I would not miss this whole experience and watching them for a lifetime. They are very special birds and totally underestimated. They are not only extremely intelligent and learn very quickly - each of them has its own terrific personality - they are full of nonsense and charm and just enrich your life with so much fun when you care to observe them and take them what they are: living beings which can make your day so much nicer - despite the poop!

I decided to open a blog, called it “Pigeon Tales” and is meant as a kind of diary. Originally I did this for ourselves, to have a sort of memory and follow-up and I did not expect it to go beyond the adultery of the pigeon babies because I assumed (wrongly) that they would be gone when they were able to fly. But I was sooo wrong. You will see why when you read the blog. I am a bit behind the daily entries but I keep them manually so that I can enter the stories bit by bit. In the meanwhile I have collected hundreds of photos and I am not getting tired to shoot more. But this takes time to sort and upload. But I will do it day by day.

So if you are a pigeon hater I recommend you checking out my blog - I think you are going to change your mind. And I swear you - nothing in that blog is made up. It is all true.

And here they are as tiny funny little babies:

Today Willy, the sky diver - or rather “Shower Cap Willy” as we call him, looks like this (above he is the one to the right)

and Joey looks like this:

Would you have thought this????

Maybe you can remember the first series of photos I shot from the outer walls of a new shopping center (Mira Shopping Center) here in Munich a couple of weeks ago. I was so fascinated by these what I call “colour fields” which are reminiscent of the painting style that emerged in the 50’s that I returned to in these days and shot another series.

I cannot explain why I am so fascinated by these walls which do look like a huge legoland scenario if you look at it as a whole but very different when you get close and just take a crop of the whole thing. This is what I have come up with now:

Somehow these crops are floating because a reference point is missing at least on those photos where you cannot see a keyhole nor the shape of a door.

The opposite impression is in the following photo where you clearly find a relation to what the reality is. I find the spell is lost here. But that of course is only MY opinion.

Don’t forget to check out my photography website - I have uploaded a bunch of new photos about this theme.

Another of my favourite rose photos:

Shiny shiny Lady - shine forever…

I have never seen a rose such as this one - unearthly!!!!

I can only say it was early this morning when I discovered this beauty on my cycling tour through the neighbourhood…

These noble roses impress with their incredible detailed patterned petals - the majesties under the roses…

Next Page »