20230627 Flevoland

Full Day Birding in Flevoland with 63 species recorded.

Today, I am guiding Monique, a birder from the US. After picking her up in
Amsterdam, we drive smoothly to our first destination with the goal of spotting White
Storks. We are fortunate to see one up close and also have a nice view of several
storks sitting on their nests high up on an electricity power pylon. We then quickly
drive to a nature reserve where we are greeted by a male Redstart, a bird we will
later have a very close encounter with.

We make our way through a section filled with trees, where we get a good view of the
colorful European Goldfinch. We also hear and see many warblers, including the
Chiff-Chaff, Blackcap, and Willow Warbler, to name a few. Our luck continues as we
get a very good view of a Spotted Flycatcher.

We then move on to the reedbeds, with
Barn Swallows and House Martins flying overhead. Along the way, we are treated to
excellent views of a male Bluethroat, a loudly singing Sedge Warbler, Cuckoo,
Greenfinch, Linnets, and many more. Every now and then, we hear the loud call of
the many Cetti's Warblers in the area.

At one of the viewing points, we take a break,
enjoy our snacks and coffees that we brought along, and get to see Avocets,
Lapwings, and Common Reed Warblers.

A Marsh Harrier flies by so closely that it doesn't fit within the camera frame, but luckily one image captures the entire bird.

This, however, is not the main highlight of the day. The White-Tailed Eagle steals the
show as we are fortunate to witness the sight of seven of them together. We observe
them both perched and in flight, circling the area. It's truly a remarkable sight!

After completing our walk, we visit the next observation blind, where we spot Black-
tailed Godwits, Green Sandpipers, and Common Redshanks. The surprise of the day
comes in the form of a group of 15 Ruffs, displaying a stunning array of colors
including orange, black, and white. They are truly captivating birds!

Next, we head to the next viewpoint, where Monique gets an unusually close view of
a perched Buzzard. We then continue our search for Spoonbills, which we haven't
encountered so far. While parked at the Ijsselmeer, we finally spot one flying by,
giving us a nice view of itself.

After several other stops and adding Jackdaws, House Sparrows, and Great Crested
Grebes to our list, we embark on a final walk. Here, we are treated to nice views of a
Song Thrush and a Long-tailed Tit. And of course, we encounter many, many sheep
along the way...

With a total of 63 species observed, we consider it a successful day. It has been a
wonderful day, Monique has been great company – thanks for that ! I then drop
Monique off at her temporary home in Amsterdam.

Photos above from Hans Overduin and below of Monique van der Berg