My OBT

What if you spent every day looking for One Beautiful Thing?

Blended Family

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Tanja Brandt

I clicked on a Bored Panda article a friend posted, and I was thoroughly enjoying the “Animals That Look Like They’re About to Drop the Hottest Albums of the Year” when I was stopped dead by the photo above. Those things are often unattributed, but there was the photographer’s name! I recognized her name immediately because I wrote about her back in 2016. I don’t often revisit an artist, but these striking photos and stories by bird and animal enthusiast Tanja Brandt are too good not to do a catch up.

Brandt seems to have branched out since my last post. Back then, she lived with an owl and a dog. Now, it seems she shares her home with an entire menagerie. She also makes mention of an aviary on her property. And as she tells it, wild animals are not afraid around her. What a magical skill! I am so glad to see her still so happy and at peace with nature. And peaceful (and beautiful) as her photos are, they are definitely not without a deep sense of humor.

I love the stories she tells about the animals’ day and mood changes. Turns out owls are every bit as cranky as they look. So funny! If you read the story beneath the first Insta post below, you’ll see why I decided to call this post Blended Families. Not only have the animals adopted Brandt; they also seem to have adopted each other!

You can follow the wonderful Tanja Brandt on her website and on Instagram.

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Phoenix is the smartest of all 😊 🦅 I call her: my little clever-buzzard 😊❤️ . She always sits on the roof at the highest point, because she hears me long before there's any food. . Anyway she always wants to know everything and she's not missing much 🙈😃 . But she also has many naughty ideas and I have to be careful with her 😬😱 . We met a walker and Ingo was right next to me and was in super behaviour but the man probably did not like dogs and hissed at Ingo and looked at us very contemptuously 🙁🙁 . Phoenix seemed to notice this and rushed out of a tree and wanted to give him a slap on the head 🙈😱 He noticed it and ducked. . I was very embarrassed and I screamed: „attention, the buzzards in the forest are wild today“ and I ran with Ingo on the way 🤭🙈😱 Phoenix waited for us down at a small tree trunk and wagged her tail funny as if she wanted to say: well…. only a bit fun ….. . And – she never did this again, so I think, the man … 🙁🤭🙈 . . ——————- Werbung/Advertisement da Nennung #animal #animals #animalphotograpy #tier #tiere #nature #dog #dogs #doglovers #tierfotografie #buzzard #followme #bird #birds #ourplanetdaily #birdsofprey #dogsofinsta #friends #cutecouple #master_shots #big_shotz #love #friendship #bestbirdshots #eizo #sirui #nikon #nikonphotography #nikondeutschland

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On my raft, I'm captain… 👩‍✈️ 😊🦉 . Wherever life takes you, just enjoy it and smile…❤️🦉 . . We still had the raft in the garage and took it yesterday. Ronja was totally interested and found the raft really great😊 Jessi was in the water with her. . Bärbel accompanied us with Huuuhuuuu and a swan always circled the raft. Ronja was totally bored by the swan and I was afraid he would come closer🙈😊 . Actually I wanted to take Gandalf with me but he sits outside in a corner, pulls the worst face ever and doesn't move a millimeter🙈🦉🤣 That's owlish and means: woe betide anyone who even thinks of taking me along in this weather? 🤣🤣 And so he was also more relaxed to sing the night songs 🤣🤣 . Afterwards we were with the dogs in the mud puddle and all looked like mud monsters. But we had a lot of fun 😃 I still showed the pics. . Good that Gandalf did not have to see this 🤣🤣 . ————– . Werbung/Advertisement da Nennung #animal #animals #animalphotograpy #nature #companions #tierfotografie #followme #owl #owllove #ourplanetdaily #friendship #raft #instragram #birds #funny #NikonDach #friends #owlsofinsta #master_shots #big_shotz #storm #eizo #sirui #nikon #captain #nikonphotography #water #nikondeutschland

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Back from Belarus 😊 I will report! . Waking up with Ingo is simply the most beautiful thing ever 😍😍 . A big surprise was Sir Gandalf 😊🦉🙈 First I thought there were pigeons in the house😱🙈🤣 No, Sir Gandalf 🙈😃 The Motzkopf calls for a woman. . So far he'd found everyone stupid and he's never even mated. But now he squats beside me and cackles and cackles….🙈🤣 . Not in a good mood, of course, but it sounds benevolent… 🤣🤣 . Wanted to go outside with Ingo and him but it is drizzling here and that would shoot down his mood. Therefore I leave it 😃 . ————– . Werbung/Advertisement da Nennung #animal #animals #animalphotograpy #nature #companions #tierfotografie #followme #owl #owllove #rain #ourplanetdaily #friendship #instragram #birds #funny #NikonDach #friends #owlsofinsta #master_shots #big_shotz #eizo #sirui #nikon #nikonphotography #nikondeutschland

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Yesterday I tested the new Nikon D780 @nikondach for the first time 😍 Great Cam and I am happy to be able to test it 😊😍 . The models were also great, the weather rather less 😬 But a bag of fleas would have been easier to photograph 😂 Little Friday, 9 weeks old, had a lot of ideas – only none of them were to sit with his buddy 😂😂❤️ . Then I made a lot of duck noises – which worked for 0,1 seconds and then he came rushing enthusiastically to lick me and inspect my backpack 😂😂❤️ . There's nothing better, to see a happy puppy (ok, also a happy owl 😃 ) . Who doesn't know that, when the puppies are so over the top? 😃🙈 Like little children 😃 Actually tired but…. 🙈😃 … and puppies smell so good but who should I tell? ❤️😃 . Will tell more about the cam soon – I got so many questions. . ————– . Werbung/Advertisement da Nennung #animal #animals #animalphotograpy #nature #companions #tierfotografie #followme #puppy #puppylove #ourplanetdaily #nikond780 #instragram #friends #dog #dogs #dogsofinsta #doglovers #NikonDach #master_shots #big_shotz #love #friendship #bestbirdshots #eizo #sirui #nikon #nikonphotography #nikondeutschland

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The most important thing is to understand each other – no matter how….. 😃 ———- . All animals are back in their aviaries and all are well. Too many storm victims did not arrive – that's good. . The walls in Martin and Finchen's cottage are finally out, which caused Poldi's accident and the 3 Little Owls have given us 2 sleepless nights here 😃 Sir Gandalf too – he is in deep sleep since he is alone again 😊 . Today I will mainly pack – I have already said goodbye to most of the owls❤️ Tomorrow I will leave very early to Russia. . If it is possible and if you like, I will contact you with stories from there 😊 . ————– . Werbung/Advertisement da Nennung #animal #animals #animalphotograpy #nature #companions #tierfotografie #followme #owl #owllove #ourplanetdaily #friendship #dog #dogs #instragram #birds #funny #NikonDach #friends #owlsofinsta #master_shots #big_shotz #storm #eizo #sirui #nikon #nikonphotography #nikondeutschland

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I'm always completely in awe when I look at Rüdi… ❤️🦉❤️ . All my owls are beautiful and in general, all animals in the world are beautiful (well, I really don't like some insects) but Rüdi has something that I can't describe at all 😍 . To his beauty comes something innocent. When he looks at you it is as if there is no evil in the world. . Today the roofer was here and has built a barn owl box in the roof, for the wild barn owls. Milla and Walter found it so creepy (the roofer, not the box 🙂 ) that they didn't want their breakfast and still sit in the corner for safety's sake ….🙈🦉🙈 . In contrast to Sir Gandalf. He doesn't mind such noise, nor screwing and sawing, but the fact that people are in the garden without being asked makes his mood slip down, and it's enormous……..😱🦉 . In addition Ingo races through the area (he is always so excited when someone is there) and that is nothing for Gandalf. That makes him really angry 😡🙈😱🦉 . . ————– . Werbung/Advertisement da Nennung #animal #animals #animalphotograpy #nature #companions #tierfotografie #followme #owl #owllove #ourplanetdaily #beauty #instragram #friends #flight #fmood #NikonDach #owlsofinsta #master_shots #big_shotz #love #friendship #bestbirdshots #eizo #sirui #nikon #nikonphotography #nikondeutschland

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He‘s like the wind …. . Yesterday I was at the Elos and drove home in the night. It was so much fog, that I really saw nothing – it was a hard drive with lot of accidents 🌫 🙁 . And I always was angry about my navigation, that it didn‘t showed me the route …. ähm, I forgot to give him a destination … 🙈😱😂😂😳 (oh my god, I am the most stupid Else ever 😂😂😂🙈) . Met so many nice people yesterday ❤️ Today I am totally dull, have a small shooting now and care for the animals – nothing more today 🙈 . ————– . Werbung/Advertisement da Nennung #animal #animals #animalphotograpy #nature #companions #tierfotografie #owl #followme #bird #birds #ourplanetdaily #owls #owlsofinsta #instragram #friends #dog #dogs #dogsofinsta #doglovers #NikonDach #master_shots #big_shotz #love #friendship #bestbirdshots #eizo #sirui #nikon #nikonphotography #nikondeutschland

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Sir Gandalf… … …yes, he can fly … 😃 . But when he gets in bad mood, he always walks, and that's where the problem is 😱🙈 . Earlier, I brought him his dinner. Sometimes he likes mice, sometimes he likes chicks, depending on his mood. . Unfortunately I never know the mood before and it can happen that I serve him the wrong one 😱🙈😱 . Then he stares at the food with a shocked look 😳 For minutes – as if it was poison 😱 Until I have removed it🙈🤣 Only then does he calm down again and I can bring him something else 🤣🤣🙈 Wrong food… it puts him in a really bad mood… 🙈😂 . . ————– . Werbung/Advertisement da Nennung #animal #animals #animalphotograpy #nature #companions #tierfotografie #followme #owl #owllove #ourplanetdaily #fly #instragram #friends #flight #fmood #NikonDach #owlsofinsta #master_shots #big_shotz #love #friendship #bestbirdshots #eizo #sirui #nikon #nikonphotography #nikondeutschland

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After midnight – post 😊 . Stop – this is my friend …..🦉 🐕 ❤️ . I was in search for a picture I need and that ends up in finding so many pictures that are not edited or that have been "forgotten" and Zack', I directly reminisce 🙈😃❤️ . I still remember every experience we had 😍 Most of them were embarrassing and there was a lot to laugh about 🙈😂😂 But this year there will be a lot of experiences again. We are looking forward 😊 . But now my experience is, to go to bed 🙈😊💤 . ————– . Werbung/Advertisement da Nennung #animal #animals #animalphotograpy #nature #companions #tierfotografie #owl #followme #bird #birds #ourplanetdaily #owls #owlsofinsta #instragram #friends #dog #dogs #dogsofinsta #doglovers #NikonDach #master_shots #big_shotz #love #friendship #bestbirdshots #eizo #sirui #nikon #nikonphotography #nikondeutschland

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Author: Donna from One Beautiful Thing

I have committed to spending part of every day looking for at least one beautiful thing, and sharing what I find with you lovelies!

11 thoughts on “Blended Family”

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  1. bcparkison's avatar
    bcparkison
    March 1, 2020 at 9:25 am

    I love animals but have never had the close relationship she seems to have. Must be fun.

    Liked by 1 person

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  2. bcparkison's avatar
    bcparkison
    March 1, 2020 at 2:35 pm

    My mother passed this morning. 97 years so I may be out of touch for awhile.

    Liked by 2 people

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  3. StellaKate Blue's avatar
    StellaKate Blue
    March 1, 2020 at 3:39 pm

    I love her photographs – indeed it looks like living in a fairytale! (And I saw that Bored Panda article too, so funny!)

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  4. janhaltn's avatar
    janhaltn
    March 1, 2020 at 5:55 pm

    Love it. Love it. Love it. I have always been an animal person. I grew up at the St. Louis Zoo. Got to know the keepers and even got to help feed a couple of the animals. Hal

    Liked by 1 person

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