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White-tailed Eagle
N E T H E R L A N D S
Red-breasted and Brent Geese
a large area enclosed over 80 years ago to form
the enormous artificial shallow lake of the
IJsselmeer. This has now been drained and
further enclosed to form the well-known Dutch
“polders” of which the Flevopolder is the largest.
Depending on the weather (and birds present)
we can spend the first whole day focussing on
the wintering birds in the Flevopolder. Besides
the vast numbers of geese and ducks we will
focus on finding species like Great White Egret,
Smew, Red-crested Pochard, White-tailed Eagle,
Western Marsh and Hen Harriers, Rough-legged
Buzzard, Merlin, Great Grey Shrike, Water Pipit,
Bearded Tit and Great Bittern. In the afternoon
we visit the Veluwe, an extensive area of forest,
and try to find species like Crested and Willow
Tits, Short-toed Treecreeper and Black
Woodpecker.
On one day we will venture northwards to the
province of Friesland. This thinly populated area
of polders, with its characteristic windmills and
lovely villages, is the wintering ground for tens of
thousands of geese, including many Pink-footed.
We will try to find the rare Red-breasted Goose,
as well as Snow Goose which is also usually
present here, and which the Dutch treat as a
genuine vagrant species. Other raptor species
we will look out for are White-tailed Eagle,
Rough-legged Buzzard and Peregrine Falcon. If
they are present this winter we will also search
out sites for roosting Long-eared and Shorteared
Owls.
Depending on what we have seen we will head
southwest to the bird-filled Dutch ‘Delta’, in
Zeeland and Zuid-Holland. Being another
hotspot for wintering ducks and geese, we might
find Red-breasted Goose and we can look out for
one of the small wintering parties of Lesser
White-fronted Goose. The North Sea off
Brouwersdam usually holds good numbers of
Red-throated Diver, Common and Velvet Scoter
and usually a few Long-tailed Ducks are present
amongst the many Common Goldeneye.
Greater Scaup is also a possibility here.
Each year brings some vagrants in the winter
and depending on where they turn up we may be
looking for a Gyr Falcon, Ross’s Goose, Spotted
Nutcracker, Bohemian Waxwing, Caspian Gull or
an American wader or duck.
Day 5
This morning we head for the North Sea coast
where we try to look for some seabirds, waders
like Purple Sandpiper, Ruddy Turnstone and Red
Knot and hopefully one of the rarer wintering gull
species (Iceland or Glaucous). In the afternoon
we head back to Amsterdam where we catch the
flight back to London (or regional airports).
Outline Itinerary
Day 1 Fly to Amsterdam and
transfer to Harderwijk
Days 2-4 Harderwijk
Day 5 Depart Amsterdam
Party Size
Maximum of 12 clients (two leaders with
more than six clients).
Accommodation
Comfortable accommodation in twin/double
and single rooms, with private facilities.
Transport
By minibuses driven by the leaders.
Includes
All flights, meals, accommodation, transport,
entry fees, services of the leaders, VAT,
airport taxes and tips.
Gradings
Good
120
Cool
Low
Normal
Relaxed
Good
Easy
Scheduled
Northern Goshawk
Winter sunset over the polders
To make a booking please call Ornitholidays on 01794 519445
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