The Changing Seasons – June 2020 & Corvid 2020 Wrap-Up

It’s time again for the wonderful challenge The Changing Seasons hosted by my dear friend Su from Zimmerbitch!

And also, because I failed to do so yet, I’m including my wrap-up for Tracy‘s wonderful Corvid 2020 Weekly Challenge, that, like all good things have to at one point, has come to an end.

 

I haven’t taken many pictures in June, mostly because I didn’t feel like it, and also because there wasn’t much to take pictures of in the first place.

Mainly I’ve been stalking bumblebees (do you think they’re going to sue me?), and tried taking pictures of them mid-flight.

 

Bumblebee mid-flight (June 2020)

 

 

 

Bumblebee investigating my snapdragon (June 2020)

 

Bumblebee approach (June 2020)

 

The best day of the month, well, of the whole year so far, was yesterday when I visited the Berlin Zoo again, and for the first time in my life saw our baby panda bears (Pit and Paule) for real (and not just on video)!!! (In case you want to have a look at one of the videos, click here) 

Berlin has been lucky in having one of the few zoos worldwide that are allowed by the Chinese Government to have pandas, and late last winter two panda babies were born here.

Because of the Corvid crisis however visitors were kept from seeing the pandas as it was feared too many people would stand too close to each other, and thus increase the risk of infection.

So imagine my surprise yesterday when I saw people waiting in line in front of the panda garden! Fortunately the line wasn’t very long, and after 15 minutes I was granted access.

Oh, the joy I felt! It came as a surprise to me that I was so giddy with excitement and happiness since, hey, I’ve been watching videos of them quite often recently. But it’s so very, very different to see them for real! I couldn’t stop smiling and ooh-ing and aww-ing at everything they did, which was surprisingly much because they were playing around with each other and their panda mama.

I was so giddy that I fear my pictures are lacking somewhat in their usual quality, like when I took pictures of them standing in front of the window with the sun behind my back! 😉

But I’m including them anyway, because they’re the only ones I got. 😀

 

Baby panda at Berlin Zoo (June 2020)

 

Baby panda (June 2020)

 

Mama bear and baby bear (2020)

 

Mama and baby panda (June 2020)

 

Baby panda having a splash in the water trough (June 2020)

 

 

Baby panda dripping wet (June 2020)

 

Papa bear (June 2020)

 

 

Maybe not as cuddly as the panda bears but I was fascinated to spot it anyway, a juvenile Bearded vulture!

 

Bearded vulture and juvenile bird (June 2020)

 

Bearded vulture juvenile bird (June 2020)

 

And the King vulture was beautifully posing for me and very patient:

 

King vulture (June 2020)

 

As always, I make sure to visit the sea lions when I’m at the zoo:

 

Californian sea lions (June 2020)

 

Californian sea lions taking a nap (June 2020)

 

And it is as if this White-necked raven knew, that I was planning a wrap-up for Tracy’s Corvid Challenge and put himself in the limelight:

 

White-necked raven (June 2020)

 

White-necked raven (June 2020)

 

White-necked raven (June 2020)

 

And this was it! Hope you enjoyed this post, and I look forward to reading yours!

 

If you would like to join in, here are the challenge guidelines:

The Changing Seasons Version One (photographic):

• Each month, post 5-20 photos in a gallery that you feel represent your month
• Don’t use photos from your archive. Only new shots.
• Tag your posts with #MonthlyPhotoChallenge and #TheChangingSeasons so that others can find them

The Changing Seasons Version Two (you choose the format):

• Each month, post a photo, recipe, painting, drawing, video, whatever that you feel says something about your month
• Don’t use archive stuff. Only new material!
• Tag your posts with #MonthlyPhotoChallenge and #TheChangingSeasons so others can find them.

If you do a ping-back to Su’s original post, she can update hers with links to all of yours.