Trip report from Max Waasdijk guiding a half day private tour at the delta south of Rotterdam

The day started well with a White-tailed Eagle flying straight over the car and then disappeared back into the mist.

On Sunday 25 September I had guided a half day tour to the Oostvaardersplassen with Priya. Priyahas 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.

Sunday morning September 18 I (Cor Visser) picked up Greg at 07:00 am for half a day toincrease his European species list. Greg had a list of 95 species he had seen in Europe.

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.

The parents of Costa were so kind to book a tour for their 7 year old fanatic birder. He kept on talking about all his birding experiences. It was so nice to be around such an energetic birder.

On Sunday morning we picked up Andy, a returning (and very experienced) birder, atUtrecht Central Station. The day would be windy, but mainly dry and the goal was to have anice day of birding during which Andy could hopefully add some ‘ticks’ to his alreadyextensive Dutch list.

Sunday morning I met Eileen again in the lobby of her hotel for a half day birding in the Biesbosch area.  From the car we looked at some Greenshanks, Common Sandpipers, Spoonbills and a Wheatear sitting on a bridge. 

I, Rein Genuït, met Eileen and her partner and her sister at the car park at the dunes of Wassenaar.  The weather looks good although it's a little bit cloudy and a rather cold wind from the north. 

Early in the morning I (Menno) meet Marianne and Richard in the lobby of the hotel. It’s a cold spring morning so hand warmers and gloves are necessary.

It’s cold, grey and misty when we arrive at Stellendam but when we first look over the dike we see thousands of Dunlins, Curlew, Redshanks, Oystercatchers, Wigeons and Shelducks on the mudflats.

On the 23rd of November 2022 John and his guide Menno recorded 86 species of birds on full day hunting target birds.