20220604 100 species

Before the tour started Peter asked how many species of birds we could see. We estimated that it would be max 80 species for a summer day but it would turn out to be a bit more.

After I’ve picked up Peter and his wife at Amsterdam we drove to the Oostvaardersplassen. We started with a walk in the reserve at sunrise for the song birds and to be the first in the area.

At the parking lot we were welcomed by a singing Nightingale, Garden Warbler, Blackcap, Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler. At the first bridge a nice Marsh Warbler was singing which turned out to be one out of many.

On the concrete path a Song Thrush smashed a snail of its shell to feed the young. In the reeds Marsh, Sedge, Cetti’s and Reed Warblers were singing out loud from their song posts. We got lucky with a family of Bearded Reedlings and a Great Bittern flying by.

Back at the parking lot a couple of Common Redstarts were busy feeding their young which allowed us to take some nice photos. It was getting warmer so time to keep an eye out for the White-tailed Eagles.

From all the tree lookout points over the Oostvaardersplassen we saw immature White-tailed Eagles and got to a total of 10 birds which have plenty to feed on with the thousands of Greylag Geese and carcasses of the Red Deer, on of these was claimed by a pair of Raven.

A Short-toed Eagle had found the local Grass Snakes and decided to stay in the area, not to the liking of the local Buzzard. At this site we heard a Golden Oriole singing from the trees. This place also offered a nice sight of a Black-crowned Night Heron and a family of Little Grebes whilst a Honey Buzzard flew overhead.

We did well both in quality and quantity of the sightings and we got over the 90 species at lunch. Even during the lunch break we were treated with two Mediterranean and a Caspian Gull flying by. So the challenge was to get to 100. A lost stop added Garganey, Icterine Warbler, Common and Little Ringed Plover but got stuck at 99. Only on our way back into Amsterdam did we got lucky with a Sparrowhawk flying over the road, BOOM… 100!