autumn dunes 1223 PM 231121_0640

Soft autumn drizzle in the middle of National Park Loonse and Drunense Duinen in the Netherlands. Construction is underway at the campsite 500 meters away. The sound of the city of Waalwijk comes 2 km away. Every now and then the squeak of a lost blue tit.

Reviews from international visitors: https://www.tripadvisor.nl/Attraction_Review-g1745456-d3198021-Reviews-National_Park_de_Loonse_en_Drunense_Duinen-Drunen_North_Brabant_Province.html
About the area, national park Loonse en Drunense Duinen

(Text by Irma de Potter,Ranger of this area) Dutch website: https://www.natuurmonumenten.nl/natuurgebieden/nationaal-park-loonse-en-drunense-duinen

In the Loonse en Drunense Duinen you will find forest, heathland and especially a lot of sand. It is one of the largest shifting sand areas in Western Europe. The wind can blow undisturbed in many places, resulting in an ever-changing landscape. By purchasing it in 1921, it has been protected for 100 years and we can still enjoy this Brabant Sahara today.

You can roam freely on the sand plain. So there is plenty of room to explore extensively. Marvel at the submerged trees, enjoy the chirping field crickets and quench your thirst at one of the many cafes or restaurants on the edge of this nature reserve. Walking, cycling or on horseback: it's all possible here. With the wind in your hair and the sand in your shoes. You may even come across the sheep herd. The sheep keep the heath short and eat away saplings. This is how they keep the area open.

The Loonse en Drunense Duinen still has 270 hectares of shifting sand. That sand creates rather extreme conditions: the soil is dry and nutrient-poor. The difference in temperature between day and night can be as much as 50 degrees Celsius. This ensures a unique flora and fauna. The animals and plants have adapted or feel at home in drought, aridity and temperature fluctuations. Sand sedge and various lichens, for example. And the viviparous lizard, sandpit beetles and sand bees. All species that love sand.

In the last Ice Age, the polar winds blew sand from the north to Brabant, where it remained in thick packages. For a long time this sandy plain was covered with primeval forests. Until the fourteenth century the trees were felled by people. They used the wood as fuel. The bare plain was filled with heather, where the farmers grazed their cattle. This intensive grazing and the sod cutting of the soil depleted the soil. This gave the sand free play. For a long time, the sand was a major problem for the residents. Villages and fields threatened to disappear under it. Trees were planted to stop the advancing sand. You can still see the traces of this today: find the submerged trees that only peak above the sand hills with their crowns.

Recordings today / More around here

Date/time: November 2st Thursday 2023, 1223 PM

Weather: 10c, clouded, wind NNE 1-3 bft with gusts to 27 km/h, 1017 hPa, humidity 89-97%, dew point 10c

Location; Loonse en Drunense duinen, Van Gogh Nationaal Park, Noord-Brabant, Netherlands (Holland), Europe. GPS: 51.65150 5.08140

Gear chain: Sennheiser mkh30/50 MS, in Rycote cyclone small, windjammer > Sound Devices 302 >Tascam dr-100 Mk2. Decoded Mid-side to STEREO. Mic direction: SSE

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