Name of area visited: / Oostvaardersplassen, marshland and mainly willow woods between the towns Almere and Lelystad in the Flevopolder in the Netherlands
Guide(s): / Pim
Barnacle goose / Brandgans
Bearded reedling / Baardman
Black headed gull / Kokmeeuw
Blue tit / Pimpelmees
Brambling / Keep
Carrion crow / Zwarte kraai
Common blackbird / Merel
Common buzzard / Buizerd
Common chaffinch / Vink
Common chiffchaff / Tjiftjaf
Common kestrel / Torenvalk
Common Pochard / Tafeleend
Common shelduck / Bergeend
Common starling / Spreeuw
Common teal / Wintertaling
Common wood pigeon / Houtduif
Earasian collared dove / Turkse tortel
Earasian coot / Meerkoet
Earasian jay / Gaai
Earasian magpie / Ekster
Earasian sparrowhawk / Sperwer
Earasian wigeon / Smient
Egyptian goose / Nijlgans
European goldfinch / Putter
European greenfinch / Groenling
European robin / Roodborst
Fieldfare / Kramsvogel
Golden plover / Goudplevier
Great cormorant / Aalscholver
Great crested grebe / Fuut
Great egret / Grote zilverreiger
Great grey shrike / Klapekster
Great spotted woodpecker / Grote bonte specht
Great tit / Koolmees
Greater white fronted goose / Kolgans
Grey heron / Blauwe reiger
Greylag goose / Grauwe Gans
Hen harrier / Blauwe kiekendief
Herring gull / Zilvermeeuw
House sparrow / Huismus
Lesser black backed gull / Kleine mantelmeeuw
Little grebe / Dodaars
Long tailed tit / Staartmees
Mallard / Wilde eend
Marsh harrier / Bruine kiekendief
Meadow pipit / Graspieper
Mew gull / Stormmeeuw
Mute swan / Knobbelzwaan
Northern lapwing / Kievit
Northern pintail / Pijlstaart
Northern shoveler / Slobeend
Northern wheatear / Tapuit
Northern willow tit / Matkop
Redwing / Koperwiek
Skylark / Veldleeuwerik
Song trush / Zanglijster
Tufted duck / Kuifeend
Western Jackdaw / Kauw
White tailed eagle / Zeearend
White wagtail / Witte kwikstaart
Winter wren / Winterkoning
Woodlark / Boomleeuwerik
We met before sunrise in the Mickey Mousestreet, Almere. We first drove to a viewingpoint with a good view over the Oostvaardersplassen. In the first daylight we saw two white tailed sea eagles in a tree (a bit far away). This is the breeding pair of this area for the past six years. This year they raise two chicks. In the air a lot of birds were going south, like skylarks, woodlarks and song trushes.
We also saw lots of red deer walking on this dutch savannah. We drove to some farmland nearby to spot a female or young hen harrier. On the fields we saw a group of a few hindred greenfinches. The stock doves were unfindable at the moment. There were plenty of wood pigeons.
On the second stop at the Oostvaardersplassen we saw different sorts of ducks like: pintails, common teals, Earasian wigeons and northern shovelers. On the field we saw grazing greylag gooses, barnacle gooses and greater white fronted gooses.
In a treetop on the Oostvaardersveld (Oostvaardersfield) there sat a beautiful great grey shrike, later on we saw a second one next to the dike. Near the visitorcentre we made a shor walk and see and hear great tits, blue tits and norhern willow tits.
Our next goal was to see the pretty bearded reedlings. At the Julianapad (called after a dutch Queen that visited the Oostvaardersplassen frequently) we saw a lot of bearded reedlings, they fly like little helicopters. The Oostvaardersplassen was a very important area for the spreading of this sort over western Europe.
From the dike we saw a marsh harrier flying. This is a breeding bird in the area with at least 40-50 pairs. A few stay over the winter. On a parking place we saw a northern wheatear.
Our last stop was in Almere near the harbour, we saw there little grebe and common pochards.
The weather was excellent this morning, a clear blue sky and a bit cold. We have seen 62 birdspecies!