Thu 31 May 2012
An 11.30pm departure from Wallingford to drive down to Folkestone to catch the 03:27 Eurotunnel train to Calais.
Fri 1 Jun 2012
We tried to get some sleep during the journey “sous la Manche” but only managed an uncomfortable doze. Emerging into France just after 5.00am (having put our watches forward an hour) our first destination was the Réserve Naturelle du Platier d’Oye, a mere 18km from the Chunnel terminal. This was chosen because it was so close and would give us the chance, if needed, for a bit of a rest before the four-and-a-half hour drive to Zwanenwater in the Netherlands.
As we started our walk an unfamiliar bird song was heard from the bushes. We never saw the bird and it remained unidentified, but I suspect that it may have been our first Icterine warbler of the trip.
We spent a couple of hours exploring around this reserve and noted about 30 species including avocet, little egret, Cetti’s warbler and nightingale (last two heard only). There was one other bird singing from the top of a shrub that we did not recognise. Pondering this after the trip I wondered if this may have been a marsh warbler.
There was a lot more to explore at this area, but as we wanted to press on with our journey we would have to leave this to another time.
We broke the journey for coffee and a bite to eat on the A18 10km south-west of Oostende (where all the vehicles in the car park had British registration plates!). The satnav lead us via Gent, Antwerp, Utrecht and Amsterdam to Zwanenwater on the north-west coast of the Netherlands, arriving just after mid-day. Steve claimed black-tailed godwit and a possible hobby during the journey, but David and I missed them as we were asleep.
A short break for a sandwich and a drink and then we set out on a 4.5km walk around this reserve. An impressive display of wild flowers greeted us as we began. None of us are expert on flowers but we did recognise common spotted orchid, ragged robin, yellow rattle and flag iris. Roughly 45 bird species were seen/heard during our three-and-a-half hours here, including our first bluethroats of the trip, marsh harrier, tree pipit, kestrel (which had caught a small lizard), grasshopper warbler and garden warbler (last two heard only).
We left at 4pm as we still had a two-hour drive to the Hotel de Smittenberg in Beekbergen (near Appeldoorn) where we would be staying. On arriving and checking-in we took ten minutes to get all our gear in our rooms and then headed straight to the restaurant for dinner. Then a shower and an early night to try and catch up on some missed sleep before the another early start next morning.
Sat 2 Jun 2012
Steve and I were ready in plenty of time for our 5.00am departure, but where was David? I knocked on his door just after 4.50 to find him still asleep as his alarm had failed to go off. We still managed to set off in time though!
Nationaal Park Veluwezoom
We were due to meet Henk Ruissen at 5.30, a local birder that we had contacted via Birdingpal, who had kindly offered to show us around. With the rendezvous point programmed into the satnav we drove straight there without problem to find Henk waiting for us at the appointed place. After introducing ourselves we headed into the forest to get on with the birding.
The early morning light in the woods was rather dull, so seeing the birds was quite difficult, but there was plenty to be heard. Chiffchaff, chaffinch, wren, blackcap, song thrush, blackbird, cuckoo, robin were all singing, and all eventually seen. The yickering call of a sparrowhawk was heard in the distance, and the song of treecreeper was heard many times, but a sighting of the bird eluded us, much to our disappointment as this was the short-toed variety which would be a new tick for all of us. The distant drumming of a lesser spotted woodpecker and possibly that of a middle spotted was heard tantalisingly in the distance, but too far away for any chance of finding the source (these were two of our target species for the trip).
From the woodland we emerged into open heathland. An elevated viewpoint gave us an opportunity for a break as we scanned the landscape. An unidentified bird of prey flew below us and disappeared into clump of trees. A couple of tree pipits were singing from the top of nearby trees and a garden warbler was also about. As we moved off a bird of prey flew over – a honey buzzard (possibly the bird seen a few minutes before). A new tick for all of us.
We moved on and found a stonechat. As we approached a road and the edge of more woodland, Steve announced that he could hear a hawfinch (how does he remember all these seldom heard calls?). And he was right – a hawfinch flew from the top of one tree to another. Only a brief view, but a nice tick nonetheless.
We descended into the valley of this rather strange looking landscape (the result of glaciation). At the edge of the woodland we heard and found a redstart (we had heard these earlier but had not succeeded in seeing them).
A lone tree on the valley bottom had a bird softly calling from it. We searched around for fifteen minutes trying to find the bird, but without success. We gave up and began to move away, and as we did so saw a couple of hawfinch fly into the tree. Probably what we had heard was a fledgling hawfinch waiting to be fed and the two adults had been silently watching us until we had moved to a safe distance. Hawfinch seem to be easier to find here than in the UK. Before we had walked much further the sweet song of a woodlark was heard.
Once back in the woodland we caught glimpses of a few wild boar and found a spotted flycatcher. At last we managed to get views off a short-toed treecreeper. Dave, Steve and Henk glimpsed a goshawk gliding above the trees, but I missed it as I was a few metres ahead and had no view through the canopy of trees. Grrrrr!
After six-and-a-half hours we arrived back at the car. We followed Henk (on his bicycle) back to his home where we had coffee and sampled his daughter’s freshly baked blueberry muffins (delicious). Took lunch in his garden, feasting on some of the huge quantity of croissant, rolls and sandwiches provided for us by our hotel.
Westervoort
After lunch Henk took us a couple of kilometres from his home, to an area that is designed to hold flood water from the River Ijssel. In the two small lakes here we found waders such as redshank, black-tailed godwit, little ringed plover and oystercatcher (the latter on someone’s lawn). A few ducks, the ubiquitous greylag, and the only lesser whitethroat heard on the trip. Most notable bird here was a yellow wagtail of the European sub-species with the blue-grey head.
Loo
A short stop at this village to take a look at the small lake from the road. A greenshank and a wood sandpiper found here. As we drove on to the next destination we stopped to view a white stork sat in a nest with a chick.
De Jezuiten Waai
This is a lake south of Groessen between Zevenaar and the Pannerdensch Canal. Spoonbill, black tern and peregrine added to our list here. The black tern were nesting on small rafts in the lake, the peregrine on a platform near the top of an electricity pylon (we though we could see a chick in this nest, but it was at a considerable distance). A good selection of warblers about – chiffchaff, reed, sedge, whitethroat and willow. Also an Icterine warbler was singing well, but despite searching long and hard we did not succeed in seeing it as it delivered its song well hidden high up in the tall hedgerow. The song is loud and fast with repeated phrases, reminiscent of a song thrush. It also includes a nasal, and very distinctive, “gie gie gie”. Also seen of note were hobby and marsh harrier.
At about 5pm we called it a day so that we could take Henk home and get back to our hotel for dinner and a shower. In fact we gave dinner a miss and took some drinks from the bar up to David’s room and finished off the rest of the sandwiches and fruit that the hotel had provided for us.
Nightjars
A late rendezvous with Henk in the Veluwe to go looking for nightjars. During the two kilometre walk to our chosen spot we found tree pipit, stonechat and a couple of cuckoos. The first nightjar began churring just after 10.00pm and while we waited for them to show a large unidentified bat was seen swooping over a small pond (Daubenton’s?). After a twenty-five minute wait the nightjars at last began to fly and we saw a couple before calling it a day and beginning the long walk back to the car. Tawny owl were heard in the wood near the car park – probably a young family being fed.
Click here for a map of today’s locations.
Sun 3 Jun 2012
Not such an early start this morning, so a chance to take a fairly leisurely breakfast in the hotel before the one hour drive to the Oostvaardersplassen nature reserve in Flevoland. The weather was not so good today and when we arrived it was raining. Calling into the visitor centre to get a reserve map and ask where to find the white-tailed eagles, we were surprised to learn that there was no entry fee. As we left a Dutch lady, hearing us speak English, asked if we had come all the way from England. We had a chat with her, discussing the weather (as English people are wont to do) etc. Her parting words were to remind us that it was Springwatch on the BBC at 8.00pm. Apparently it is a popular programme in the Netherlands.
As it was still raining we walked the short distance to the first hide and hoped that it would clear up while we sat in there. Best birds seen from here were a splendid male hen harrier, both male and female marsh harriers, and later a female hen harrier. Many house martins feeding over the lake, but only the odd sand martin.
We decided that we would have to move on and brave the weather, so we made our way to the next hide. The song of a short-toed treecreeper was heard from a stand of willows, but we failed to find it. Sheltering from the rain in the leaky second hide, we had great views of a bluethroat singing from the top of the reeds. An Icterine warbler sang from the trees behind the hide, but true to form it remained well hidden. We thought we heard a marsh warbler as well, but this remained unconfirmed.
The rain began to ease and we moved on. Another elusive “icky” and a more obliging garden warbler. Then we stumbled upon a bluethroat singing out in the open at the top of a reed. As Steve was photographing this bird it took flight, circled around above us, and then parachuted down, calling as it descended with its feathers spread displaying its colourful plumage. It alighted less than five metres distant at the top of another reed and continued singing oblivious to our presence. A memorable experience.
With the weather now much improved we crossed a waterway and moved into what was once a woodland area. But now most of the trees were either standing dead or had fallen. We discovered later that this was due to the local red deer and ponies stripping off the bark. Spotted flycatchers seemed to like this habitat though as there were many present. A bird of prey perching in the top of one of the dead trees caused us puzzlement. Much debate followed, but we eventually decided that it was just a buzzard.
We reached the two-storey Observatory where a couple of Dutch birders pointed out a pair of sea-eagles (more properly white-tailed eagles) to us, resting on the ground in the distance. We had been there only moments when these huge birds took flight, circled around mobbed by a few waders and corvids, and then flew off into the distance with a solitary plucky lapwing finally seeing them off. We reflected on how lucky we were to see these, as if we had arrived just five minutes later we would have missed them. After the eagles everything else could have been an anti-climax, but there were other good birds to be seen e.g. white stork, avocet, Med gull, ringed plover, great white egret, grey plover and male hen harrier.
Continuing through the “dead” forest, Steve and David were puzzling over “that” buzzard again whilst I went slightly ahead. I had to beckon them to me as I found myself surrounded by a young family of willow tits being fed by their parents. A lifer for me, but I was pleased to note that I easily identified them as willow and not marsh tit. The shape was completely different with a decidedly bull-necked appearance.
The hedge-lined corridor leading to the fourth hide held another family – this time redstarts. We had good close views of both the fledglings and the adults as they brought food for their youngsters.
The long walk back to the car park added raven and more invisible Icterine warblers. The day was not done though, as almost back at the visitor centre we found a marsh warbler singing in full view from the top the reeds.
It was beginning to rain again, so we adjourned to the visitor centre for a cup of tea (coffee for David of course). Our stomachs began to remind us that we had had nothing to eat all day, so we retrieved the cool-box full of sandwiches provided by our hotel and sat in the first hide eating them (with a swallow circling around inside the hide).
This was a great day’s birding (70+ species, including two lifers for me). We had intended to visit other sites in the area, but this reserve was so good that we spent the whole day there.
Mon 4 Jun 2012
Henk was able to be with us again today and had suggested we visit Tiengemeten. This is an island of about 1,050 hectares south west of Rotterdam in the delta where the Rhine, Meuse and Scheldt rivers flow into the sea. As recently as 2007 it was agricultural land, but it has now been given back to nature by breaching the dike and allowing a large part of the island to flood.
It is only accessible by ferry which sails on the hour. The satnav predicted our arrival at 9.30 so we thought we would arrive in plenty of time, but it had not allowed for the horrendous traffic jam on the A15 approaching Rotterdam. The ETA slipped back to beyond 10.00, but as were neared Henk phoned ahead to the ferry captain, who agreed to wait for us. What service!
We pulled up into the car park just after ten and had to hurriedly get our gear from the car and put on our boots and waterproofs (it was pouring!) while the ferry waited. The crossing took only ten minutes, and once on the island we headed for the shelter of the visitor centre were we had coffee and ate some of the generous supply of sandwiches/rolls provided again by our hotel.
Sadly, the weather showed no sign of improving and we had to set off in the cold wind and the rain. The conditions made observing birds through bins and scopes very difficult, and the list of species seen was made back at the hotel in the evening from memory. Additions to our trip list were garganey, pochard, red-crested pochard, and snipe.
We caught the 1.00pm sailing back to the mainland. The entrance fee was collected on board – €3.50 each less €0.50 for Natuurmonumenten members. We were generously allowed the discount for being RSPB members (or was it because they took pity on our wet and bedraggled state!). It was a shame that the weather was so awful, as this was certainly a great birding spot, but it would have been the same wherever we had gone today.
On the way back we stopped in a restaurant for some delicious Hollandsche appel koek (Dutch apple cake) as a small token of thanks to Henk for giving up his time to show us around.
Tues 5 Jun 2012
Departure day. Our plan had been to head for The Zwin, a reserve just over the border in Belgium, but Henk had suggested a couple of other sites that we could visit en-route. Therefore our first destination was Hoofdplaat on the south coast of the Westerschelde estuary, a journey of 250km which included travelling through the 6.6km tunnel under the Westerschelde. The main attraction here was the tern colony which held both common and the rarer little tern (another new species for us). Also found were avocet, a small flock of bar-tailed godwit, grey plover and a solitary bar-headed goose.
After munching some of the hotel’s sandwiches we moved on a few kilometres to the Ringdijk (north of Oostburg). A few small lakes here which held many black-necked grebe with young, Egyptian goose, barnacle geese and a marsh harrier in the distance.
And on into Belgium and our final site, the Zwin. A quote from David’s email to Henk:
“Unfortunately we arrived too late at the Zwin to allow us to stay more than 30 minutes, but in that time we were lucky enough to find a very bold Icterine warbler, singing and showing very well in a small bush by the roadside! It obviously hadn't read the Icterine warbler Rule Number 1, i.e. that it should always skulk, just out of sight, on the far side of a leafy tree! It was good to make a positive sighting of this tricky bird.
“Also at the Zwin were white storks - lots of them! Another time we will have to make sure we have plenty of time to explore this very large reserve, as I'm sure there would have been lots to enjoy.”
And so the birding came to an end and we made our way to the Eurotunnel terminal for our return journey to England.
The Bird List |
|
| Mute Swan | Greylag Goose |
| Canada Goose | Barnacle Goose |
| Egyptian Goose | Bar-headed Goose |
| Shelduck | Gadwall |
| Mallard | Garganey |
| Shoveler | Red-crested Pochard |
| Pochard | Tufted Duck |
| Red-legged Partridge | Pheasant |
| Great Crested Grebe | Black-necked Grebe |
| Cormorant | Little Egret |
| Great White Egret | Grey Heron |
| White Stork | Spoonbill |
| Honey-buzzard | White-tailed Eagle |
| Marsh Harrier | Hen Harrier |
| Goshawk | Sparrowhawk |
| Buzzard | Kestrel |
| Hobby | Peregrine |
| Moorhen | Coot |
| Oystercatcher | Black-winged Stilt |
| Avocet | Little Ringed Plover |
| Ringed Plover | Grey Plover |
| Lapwing | Dunlin |
| Snipe | Black-tailed Godwit |
| Bar-tailed Godwit | Curlew |
| Greenshank | Wood Sandpiper |
| Redshank | Black-headed Gull |
| Mediterranean Gull | Common Gull |
| Lesser Black-backed Gull | Herring Gull |
| Great Black-backed Gull | Little Tern |
| Black Tern | Common Tern |
| Feral Pigeon | Stock Dove |
| Woodpigeon | Collared Dove |
| Cuckoo | Tawny Owl (h) |
| Nightjar | Swift |
| Green Woodpecker | Great Spotted Woodpecker |
| Middle Spotted Woodpecker (h)? | Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (h)? |
| Woodlark (h) | Skylark |
| Sand Martin | Swallow |
| House Martin | Tree Pipit |
| Meadow Pipit | Yellow Wagtail (ssp flava) |
| White Wagtail | Wren |
| Dunnock | Robin |
| Nightingale (h) | Bluethroat |
| Redstart | Stonechat |
| Blackbird | Song Thrush |
| Cetti’s Warbler (h) | Grasshopper Warbler (h) |
| Sedge Warbler | Marsh Warbler |
| Reed Warbler | Icterine Warbler |
| Blackcap | Garden Warbler |
| Lesser Whitethroat (h) | Whitethroat |
| Wood Warbler (h) | Chiffchaff |
| Willow Warbler | Goldcrest |
| Spotted Flycatcher | Long-tailed Tit |
| Blue Tit | Great Tit |
| Crested Tit | Willow Tit |
| Nuthatch | Short-toed Treecreeper |
| Jay | Magpie |
| Jackdaw | Rook |
| Carrion Crow | Raven |
| Starling | House Sparrow |
| Chaffinch | Greenfinch |
| Goldfinch | Linnet |
| Hawfinch | Yellowhammer |
| Reed Bunting | |
| Total 127 |
In Conclusion
Once again Steve and I are indebted to David for taking on the task of making all the arrangements for this trip. We appreciate all the work done on research, sorting out our accommodation and the Eurotunnel, and finding a great local guide (Henk), and not least, for the use of the car. Many, many thanks David for all that you did to make this such a successful trip.
And, of course, a very big thank you to Henk for generously giving his time to show us around. Without your help we would not have seen half as much as we did, so thanks very much Henk, we are all extremely grateful.
