Smews, such as this exquisite drake, winter in small flocks on open water in The Netherlands. Photo: James Lidster
As northern Europe and Siberia sit under blankets of snow, quiet and relatively birdless, 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 an excellent chance of seeing both Red-breasted and Lesser White-fronted 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 and Common Buzzard 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 cake and hot chocolate anywhere—and it’s easy to see why winter birding in the Netherlands is so impressive.
Day 1: The tour begins at 10 a.m. at Amsterdam’s Schiphol International Airport. We’ll set off immediately across the Netherlands’ famously flat and water-filled landscape. Close to the airport we may see our first flocks of geese, and the numbers of wintering wildfowl can be very impressive. Our first stop will be an area of woodland that is home to Black Woodpecker, Short-toed Treecreeper, Eurasian Nuthatch and Crested Tit, and we hope to catch up with some of these special species before lunch. In the afternoon we’ll check a wetland area close to our hotel where Ruff and Black-tailed Godwits should be present, among hundreds of Eurasian Wigeons and Tufted Ducks. Here we should also see our first Smew, a species that we might see every day, sometimes in large numbers, and a pre-roost gathering of gulls offers a great chance of seeing a Caspian Gull. Night near Flevoland.
Day 2: After a hearty breakfast we’ll start our wild goose chase! Three species predominate in the country: Greylag, Eurasian (Greater) White-fronted, and Barnacle. We’ll take time to scan the flocks, appreciating the different feeding behavior and perhaps learning the different vocalizations. Flevoland is a prime area for raptors, and in most years there is a Rough-legged Buzzard (a separate subspecies from our own Rough-legged Hawk) in residence—in good years there can be several in one small area. We should also see Hen (a potential split from Northern) and Marsh Harriers, Northern Goshawk, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Merlin, Peregrine, and Common Kestrel. Oostvaardersplassen is rightly famous in the Netherlands for hosting the first pair of breeding White-tailed Eagles in the country, and although the species is slowly expanding its range, this area offers our best chance of seeing this massive raptor. Throughout the day we’ll scan flocks of ducks for Smew, Common Pochard and maybe a Red-crested Pochard, and any sign of panic in the waterfowl is likely to relate to an eagle taking to the air.
Great Egrets have continued to increase in number here, and we could see dozens of this species, or maybe an early Eurasian Spoonbill or overwintering White Stork. The wet meadows are also popular with European Golden Plovers and Northern Lapwings, perhaps newly arrived after spending the winter even farther south. If the weather hasn’t been too cold, we may bump into small groups of Bearded Tits, while Great Grey Shrikes are present every winter (yet another species now regarded as distinct from its North American counterpart). Night near Flevoland.
Day 3: After breakfast we’ll start our journey north, stopping off at a reliable site for Hawfinch and maybe another chance for White-tailed Eagle. The peaty surrounds of Fochterloerveen usually hold a Common Crane or two, although this is a sizable area and it’s surprising how such a large bird can hide in such a flat landscape. This area is also good for both Bewick’s and Whooper Swans, as well as being one of the key sites in the country for Tundra Bean Geese. Although they leave very early, we may still chance on a Pink-footed Goose in among the Tundra Beans. This area is also favored by passerines and we could see Long-tailed Tit, Yellowhammer and hopefully Eurasian Bullfinch. By lunchtime we hope to be in the far north of the country, with one particular species on our minds: Red-breasted Goose. This species winters in variable numbers in the country, sometimes involving up to 20 birds. The task, of course, is to pick one out from the tens of thousands of Barnacle Geese, where the species’ bright plumage doesn’t really stand out. We’ll be in contact with the local birders and spend time scanning favored flocks, a treat in itself. This area is also great for Dark-bellied Brant, and with luck we may see as well both Black Brant and Pale-bellied Brant, the three “species” of Brent Goose if you follow the impressively proactive Dutch taxonomy, which is usually followed later on by the rest of Europe. If the weather is bad, or even if it isn’t, we can stop at a local restaurant and replenish ourselves with apple cake and hot chocolate, ready for a few more hours in the crisp winter air. Night near Assen.
Day 4: This morning we’ll check a Long-eared Owl roost near our hotel before returning north to Lauwersmeer and the Wadden coast. In some years there are groups of Bohemian Waxwings present, and we may take a slight detour to enjoy these true winter visitors. The lake-side vegetation may also host Eurasian Siskin, Brambling and Reed Bunting. Around Lauwersmeer we may see more Bewick’s and Whooper Swans and thousands more geese (surely no one will turn down a second look at a Red-breasted Goose). Large numbers of duck may also be present with Eurasian Wigeon predominating in addition to smaller numbers of Eurasian Green-winged Teal. Depending on the weather, we may take a walk “outside the dyke,” where the wet marsh can hold such species as Eurasian Curlew, Eurasian Oystercatcher, Common Redshank, Hooded Crow, Rock Pipit, Snow Bunting, and nervous groups of Twite. In the late afternoon we’ll return to the main goose areas to witness the magical sight and sound of tens of thousands of geese taking to the air as they head to their roost sites. Night near Assen.
Day 5: In some years a group of Lesser White-fronted Geese winters to the north of Amsterdam, and if they are present we’ll make a detour to look for them. This area can also hold Eurasian White-fronted and Barnacle Geese as well as Avocet and good numbers of ducks. If time allows, we’ll also check an area of nearby coastline, where we may see Purple Sandpipers, a wintering Spotted Redshank and more raptors. By late afternoon we’ll return to Schiphol Airport, where the tour ends at 6 p.m. Regular trains are available from the airport into the center of Amsterdam for those who plan to take some time to explore the museums and sights of this vibrant city.
Created: 17 February 2010
Prices
- 2013 Tour Price Not Yet Available : *
- (2012 Tour Price $1450) :
Notes
Maximum group size seven with one leader.
* Tour invoices paid by check carry a modest discount. Details here.
* This tour is organized by our British company, Sunbird. Please review the explanation of our Sunbird pricing here.