Winter impressions from Bonn's city park

It's already been a few days since the first month of the new year. In January, I was lucky that it snowed an unusual amount in my home town of Bonn, turning the whole city into a white winter wonderland. A whole ~20 cm of powder snow fell from the sky in just one day. Knowing that the white splendour would only last a few more days, I spent as much time as possible outside with my camera.

The closed snow cover in the city parks provided a good opportunity to take "clean" minimalist pictures. Especially in our rather grey and dreary winter, this was a refreshing change. The closed snow cover and cold temperatures of up to -7 degrees Celsius were not only a challenge for the numerous animals in the city, but also for me when taking photos.

But being outside for hours, trudging through the snow (with the heavy equipment) and lying on the icy and wet ground was worth it. I was able to capture numerous moments with my camera. The robins were particularly trusting and curious, and one even flew onto my back when I was lying quietly on the ground taking photos of its fellow birds!

Bonn’s city park “Rheinaue” covered in snow after a heavy snowfall in January 2024.

Robins were my favorite subject during these days. This one interrupts its search for food on the snow-covered ground.

Dunnok perches on a branch sticking out of the snow. Despite in this setting, it is still quite well camouflaged thanks to its plumage.

Even for larger birds, like this carrion crow trudging through the deep snow, the circumstances don't make foraging any easier.

The cold weather creates fascinating subjects, such as this frozen flower in front of the snow glistening in the sun.

This curious robin watches me attentively before venturing even closer and flying onto my back as I lie on the ground to photograph it.