April 26, 2014
Wildlife Park Rheingoenheim Revisited
A friend of mine got a new camera and wanted to do some testing with it. A good chance for me to tag along and visit the park again.
Before even entering the wildlife park a bushel of grass caught my attention. I am really a fan of dew on plants so I could not waste that opportunity.
Once inside we followed the path that follows a rough circle through the forested area. What's quite amazing is the peacefulness of that little forest. Even though it is very close to town the only thing you hear is the twittering of birds and the sounds of the animals.
First stop - compound of the wild boars where we the first thing we saw was...
... a duck.
The boars were napping cuddled up against each other in shallow ditches.
On its way up a tree was this snail. The soft body of the snail as well as its colorful house made for a nice contrast with the rough bark of the tree.
We passed a meadow full of fallow deer. They looked a bit shaggy with the remnants of their winter coats. The antlers of the stag looked soft and velvety. Not sure if he is just young or if the antlers are re-growing every year.
Between the rough boards of a wooden bench this delicate plant was growing. The contrast between the juicy green of the plant and the rough wood of the bench was the eye-catcher for me.
In the foliage next to the path there were not only dew drops on leaves but also insects and a snail.
Up in a tree was something that looked like a cobweb at first glance. But then it turned out to be the home of many caterpillars.
On a wooden bridge that led across a small waterway was this Roman snail.
This is the waterway I mentioned and once again I am amazed by the difference between the color shot and the black and white one. I actually like both versions.
Following the path across the bridge we came to a the lake that is basically the center of the park.
A duck was sitting at the shore and its bearing looked a bit strange from the side.
From the front it was clear why. The mother duck had ducklings under her wings.
The lake is also the home of quite a few Canada geese.
You better be careful though when Mrs. Goose is on the warpath.
Later she was floating serenely on the lake.
Speaking of serenity - this was a rest area with a stunning view across the lake.
On the other side of the lake we found some more geese.
Some were enjoying a noisy splashy bath...
... others were more responsible.
Up in a tree was a woodpecker.
The next meadow was occupied by a whole kindergarden of goslings - closely watched by mother geese.
And this is how the kids looked when Mama Goose flew in.
The neighbors of the geese were some more deer. Both parties live peacefully next to each other.
It was interesting to see the difference in eye color between these deer and the fallow deer. While the fallow deer have yellowish eyes these here have brown eyes.
These ducks occupied the mud pool in the wild boar compound and seemed to be pretty happy with their decision.
This donkey was pretending to be well-behaved - until he decided to be an ass and snapped at the camera.
Maybe the black sheep in the neighboring paddock rubbed off. Although this is hard to imagine when you look at this innocently sleeping lamb.
The last stop on the way out was the goat compound.
All in all this was a really enjoyable photo tour in a very peaceful and relaxing environment.