Oostvaardersplassen
- May 20, 2009
- Rated 5 of 5 by
slingerland from amsterdam, Netherlands
This reserve lies approximately 60 kilometres from Amsterdam and is quiet difficult to reach without car or scooter. It is a for Western European standards very large wilderness area with a couple of thousands wild deer, wild horses and wild cows. Foxes are seen quiet easily here! It is also a birders paradise with huge lakes and swampes inhabiting a couple of thousand of couples of commorants, hundreds of beautifull white herons, in total more than 5 species of heron, spoonbills, many birds of prey among them the huge European Sea Eagle which breeds here for the fourth consecutive year, thousands of more than species of duck and thousands of geese and many beautifull smaller birds. There is a nice little museum with exhibition about the park and the animals that live here. The whole area is around 70 square kilometres, there are a lot of observatory huts, one quiet far in the park and accessible after a walk of approximately half an hour from the visitor´s center-little museum.
In the fall it is possible to observe the hundreds of deer during their matingrituals. This is done as an excursion with the park rangers. One of the nicest reserve areas of Western Europe and not that far from Amsterdam. You can take the train to Lelystad, rent a bike at the station, head for Oostvaardersplassen, drive around it, see the massive lakes and swampes, visit one of the many observatory huts, experience the quietness unique in this part of the world, visit the visitor´s centre with the explanation about the park, walk in the terrain to the Zeearend observatory which is deeper in the Park or take one of the excursions into the park with one of the rangers. By car or scooter it is even easier.
Flevo Birdwatching
- May 16, 2007
- Rated 4 of 5 by
ingea from Perth, Australia
I stayed in Amsterdam for six days. It was not to be supposed a birding trip. But I have discovered Flevo Birdwatching on the internet.
(www.birdsnetherlands.nl)
I spent two stimulating days of birding with Rik and Taco, one at Oostvaardersplassen, a polder near Almere, just 40km outside Amsterdam. The other day was spent around Haarlem, 20km outside Amsterdam, in woods and fields. Both men are birders with a thorough knowledge of their subject, identifying birds on the wing, by voice, in the tree, or on the water. They were very patient with me, a birder with very limited knowledge of European birds, using scopes to help me identify distant species. These two birders speak excellent English so there is no communication problem and they supply snacks, coffee, tea, soup, and lunch. We birded in many different habitats; the pace was brisk but with time to relax. Each day proved to be full of interest and surprises and I heartily recommend Flevo Birdwatching to anyone wanting a thorough introduction to the birds of the Netherlands.
From journal Birdwatching close to Amsterdam