20220925 Oostvaardersplassen

On Sunday 25 September I had guided a half day tour to the Oostvaardersplassen with Priya. Priya
has lived in the Netherlands for a number of years but has never been birding in the Netherlands. At 7:00 am I picked her up in Amstelveen and we left for the Oostvaardersplassen. The weather looked good for this morning.

Arriving at the visitor center we visited the first bird hide where in beautiful morning light a large
group of Spoonbills stood, a target for Priya. Apart from the Spoonbills, there were still
some Teals, Gray Goose and various duck species present.

After this we continued on foot and followed the path to our next destination. On the way it was
quite, quiet in terms of birds, but some Konik horses. Arriving at the bird hide De Zeearend we
heard the Red Deer bellowing loudly. At the top of the hut you have a wide view over the area and
saw several groups of Red Deer where the antlers did their best to keep the hinds together and chase
any intruders away. What was also striking was the large number of Great Egrets that were on site.
We continued our journey through the area and came across a nice group of Bearded reedlings who
were nice to watch. Other birds included Whinchat, Reed bunting and various warblers.

Back to the visitor center by car towards the Grote Praambult. Two White-tailed Eagles circled here
and they were nice to observe. Also a Buzzard and Kestrel.

Our next stop was at the hide the Poelruiter. Upon entering, we were immediately pointed to two White-
tailed Eagles that were sitting quietly in a dead tree. As a result, there was little swimming around on
the lake. Suddenly both White-tailed Eagles flew out of the tree and one of the birds managed to
catch a duck. After this spectacle we continued on our way and on the way we enjoyed the well-
known snack "de stroopwafel".

In the meantime it was time to drive back to Amstelveen via the Oostvaardersdijk where large groups
of ducks, cormorants and Grebes swam around at the various stops. At 12:45 pm we arrived back in
Amstelveen where we said goodbye.