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Wednesday 29 January to Sunday 30 January 2011 Wednesday 2 February to Sunday 6 February 2011 Wednesday 9 February to Sunday 13 February 2011 with James Lidster as leader Cost: £820 Please click here for explanation of price breakdown Maximum group size: 7 with 1 leader |
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As northern Europe and Siberia sit under blankets of snow, quiet and relatively bird less, the low lying polders of The Netherlands are awash with wintering wildfowl. Geese are the main attraction and with all the species that winter in Europe we stand a great chance of seeing both Red-breasted and Lesser White-fronted Geese among the teeming thousands of Eurasian White-fronted, Tundra Bean and Barnacle Geese. The open polders are also great for raptors in the winter months and we should encounter White-tailed Eagle, Rough-legged Buzzard and Hen Harrier among other species. Add to that Smew, Eurasian Bittern, Lesser Spotted and Black Woodpeckers, and some large flocks of classic winter passerines - not to mention the best apple pie and hot chocolate - it’s clear to see why winter birding in The Netherlands is so impressive.
The tour begins and ends at Amsterdam's Schiphol airport thereby allowing participants to take advantage of the various ways of getting there - budget airlines, ferry, Eurostar etc. - or to take time before or after the tour to visit other places on their own. The website http://www.seat61.com/Netherlands.tm#train+ferry has useful information about getting to The Netherlands by means other than flying. Day 1: After meeting at Schiphol airport we’ll set off across the famously flat and water-filled landscape of The Netherlands. Close to the airport we may see our first flocks of geese and the numbers of wintering wildfowl can be very impressive. In some winters there may be a Great Grey Shrike or Rough-legged Buzzard between the airport and our first hotel. Night near Flevoland. Day 2: After a hearty breakfast we’ll start our wild goose chase! It won't take us long to find large flocks with Greylag and Eurasian White-fronted being the dominant species. Barnacle Geese are also abundant, with flocks flying overhead making their almost dog-like barking call. The Netherlands is a great place for raptors and we have more chances of seeing Rough-legged Buzzard as well as many pale Common Buzzards for comparison. In addition Peregrine, Merlin, Goshawk and Hen Harrier are all possible. Although known to local birders for many years, the reserve of Oostvaardersplassen rose to fame a few years ago when the first pair of White-tailed Eagles bred in the country. We’ll keep our eyes open for one of these giant raptors, whose presence is usually given away by a mass panic among the waterfowl. Although not the best time of year for waders, Ruff should be present and we may bump into a Eurasian Woodcock or Jack Snipe. Driving around the polders and farmland we could see winter finch flocks, with Brambling, Tree Sparrow and Yellowhammer all possible, and there maybe a roosting Long-eared Owl or two. Areas of open water should hold Greater Scaup in large numbers (over 20,000 birds on the Waddenzee in some years) as well as Goosander and the exquisite Smew. The latter species seem to fluctuate in numbers from year to year but groups can be found every winter. Night near Flevoland. Day 3: After breakfast we’ll leave Flevoland and make our way north to the provinces of Friesland and Groningen. This is yet another fantastic area for swans and geese and we’ll spend time searching for Whooper and Bewick’s Swans, Tundra Bean, Pink-footed and Eurasian White-fronted Geese or maybe even a vagrant Snow, Lesser White-fronted, Black Brant or Red-breasted Goose among the many thousands of geese present. The reedbeds and wetlands here are home to shy Eurasian Bitterns and Water Rails, which can often be a lot less shy in the winter months, and we’ll listen out for the tell-tale calls of Bearded Tits. Along the coast there should be Red-throated Diver, Common Eider, Purple Sandpiper, Hooded Crow, Twite, Snow and Lapland Buntings, and Horned Larks. Numbers do vary from year to year but we are sure to see a good selection of these classic coastal winter birds. Day 4: We start the morning early by searching for Black Grouse at their last remaining breeding site in The Netherlands. Moving inland we hope to see Great Egrets, Black and Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers, Short-toed Treecreeper, Wood Lark, Crested, Marsh and Willow Tits, Firecrest and Great Grey Shrike at a variety of locations. The geese flocks will always be nearby and there will be further chances for White-tailed Eagle, or maybe a look at Caspian Gulls. Night in Drenthe. Day 5: If time allows we’ll look for more geese and raptors before making our way to the Schiphol airport, where the tour ends. There are regular trains which run from the airport into the centre of Amsterdam for those who want to take some time to explore the museums and sights of this vibrant city.
E-mail or phone +44 (0)1767 262522 for availability.
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