It's nice when you have the kids around in a big house, it just doesnt feel so empty. Suyderoogh cabin had 3 rooms and it's feels so empty when you are the only person in the house. Both has it's plusses and drawbacks ...
It's still birdwatching as the main agenda, but in addition we planned to also just hangout and visit nearby interesting places. Amsterdam was on the cards but it didn't pan out too well on account of some demonstrations the same week on account of a police brutality incident earlier in the week in the city.
Aisya and Ali were equipped with a camera each, Ali on the EOS100D and Aisya on the Nikon P310 compact. I brought the 24, 300 and 600. And I hardly use the 300 except for the Aquazoo trip, almost always dragging out the 600 instead. The scope stayed home this time.
Stormy nite at Esonstad from our porch.
My first downy chicks Common Coot.
Ruff, almost out of season mane.
Godwit
My 1st juvvy Great Crested Grebe.
Cute baby lemur and an even cuter auburn haired sweaty 6 footer female keeper.
Our first Binturong ever ... unfortunately in a zoo in Holland.
Ali spotted this leucistic Mallard at Aquazoo, Leeuwarden.
Quite a commotion (by the 3 of us and 15 zoo staff) when this fella fell into the water. Nobody knew whether it knows how to swim!
Ali's shot
Aisya's shot with EOS100D+400mm
Ali's shot
Ali's shot
Ali's shot
Ali's shot
It was still Ramadhan the week we visited, since our schedule wasn't too heavy we fasted as per normal fasting month. Morning sahure before 3 am and iftar around 9pm. Every few days we'd go grocesry shopping for our daily needs. We ventured out to downtown Leuwarden one balmy day and with the impromptu help of two generous Muslim brothers (one from Saudi and another from Egypt) we met on a street corner, we were driven to the door of the one and only halal butcher shop (Turkish) perhaps in the whole of Friesland!
We also celebrated Aisya's 13th birthday while on this trip. We celebrated with a birthday cake, chips, cookies, candies and soft drinks after iftar. Took us a couple of days to finish the cake between the three of us. Mommy joined the celebration via Skype.
It was a pleasant, happy slow week to end the school term. Would've been much more fun if Mommy had been able to tag along. Maybe next trip.
Words by Nazeri Abghani (c) 2015
Images by Nazeri Abghani, Ali MdNazeri and Aisya MdNazeri
July 2015
Images by Nazeri Abghani, Ali MdNazeri and Aisya MdNazeri
July 2015
