GOING DUTCH(PART ONE)

Last week eighteen intrepid souls from Sandwich Bay Bird Observatory set sail on the good ship?Larkspur from Ramsgate to Ostend for a weeks birdwatching in southern Holland.From the deck on a calm sunny morning the main interest centered on the gannets which could be seen skimming the waves and diving for herrings or sprats in mid channel.Several guillemots and razorbills were seen and red throated divers were flying west on the french side.Only one bonxie or great skua was sighted.

GANNETS MID CHANNEL

MSC CARINA GOING DOWN CHANNEL

BEAM TRAWLER OUT OF ZEEBRUGGE

A couple of hours later we arrived in Bergen Op Zoom and eventually found our StayOK hostel after first visiting the local hospital by accident.Almost at once crested tits, nuthatches, siskins and treecreepers were seen in the garden which was a good start to the week.

Next day we all set off for the coast at Brouersdam and quickly became separated on the road,but eventually we ended up in the same place.On the sea were quite good numbers of red breasted mergansers,near the large sluice gates about a dozen grey seals were playing,courting in the swirling outfall and purple sandpipers,turnstones,oystercatchers and a few knot were spotted on the foreshore.

RED BREASTED MERGANSER DIVING

PURPLE SANDPIPER

GREY SEALS

OYSTERCATCHERS AND KNOT FLYING BY

After a healthy lunch of chips and mayonaisse and a mass feeding for the local gull population we explored the water sports lake on the land side of the dyke,apart from a few brent geese and lots of coot a distant egyptian goose and a pair of goldeneye were the only birds of note.

GOLDENEYE 

SPOTTED REDSHANK

Later that afternoon we explored some pools inside the sea wall ,the first bird found was a spotted redshank,quickly followed by smew and spoonbill,pintail and peregrine.At the end of the track a large group of barnacle geese were feeding. 

OYSTERCATCHER

BARNACLE GEESE