While en route to Denmark we have arranged to spend a few
days with AvA, our ringing friend, that we first met during our ringing
expedition to Georgia in 2014.
We were struck by how green everything seemed a sense that everything is well cared for and of course the amount of canals, rivers and lakes.
On returning to Andre’s we met his wife, Evelyn, for the first time. Then after a good meal of steak, salad and fried potatoes a L’Andre we had an early night ready for an early start.
Day two at VRS van Lennep was a little better, though we still had moderate NW wind with odd showers, which though slightly busier than the previous day, bird numbers at the site were still low. We had a full team of seven so there were plenty of people to open the 36 nets, nestled between the sea buckthorn and other dune plants.
Totals:
Sunday 6 September: 7 (5)
Ringed Plover - 2
Dunnock - 2 (2)
Nightingale - 1
Blackbird - 0 (1)
Garden Warbler - 1
Blackcap - 1 (2)
Monday September: 12 (4)
Ringed Plover - 2
Turnstone - 2
Dunnock - 1
Robin - 1
Garden Warbler - 0 (1)
Blackcap - 4 (3)
Willow Warbler - 1
Pied Flycatcher - 1
Tuesday 8 September: 58 (3)
Wryneck - 1
Dunnock - 5
Robin - 7
Nightingale - 1
Bluethroat - 1
Stonechat - 3
Song Thrush - 1
Grasshopper Warbler - 1
Sedge Warbler - 1
Reed Warbler - 6
Barred Warbler - 1
Garden Warbler - 5
Blackcap - 22 (1)
Blue Tit - 3 (1)
Ringing results are available on Trektellen daily.
After a last lunch with Andre and Evelyn we were on our way to Rhein – Nord, just across the German border with a 5 hour journey to Rostock, ahead of us the next dat where we’ll get the ferry to Gedser on Wednesday.
The Satnav kept our journey from the ferry at the Hook of
Holland to his home in Heemstede relatively stress free. On arrival we spent
some time catching up, then he took us to the best fish restaurant in Holland
where we thoroughly enjoyed the cod and found it much better than the battered
variety we are used to in the UK.
The next day was a leisurely 8am start to go and see his
usual ringing site, VRS van Lennep in the Zuid-Kennemerland National Park. We
had heard a lot about the set up and were looking forward to seeing it first-hand.
Unfortunately the weather was very windy, from the NW, with intermittent
showers, and hence only a handful of birds were caught that day.
We were very impressed with the ringing cabin, wired for sound and with its own array of four clap nets. The cabin itself had electricity, facilities to make tea and coffee, a bank of holding cages and there were even a couple of bunks.
We were very impressed with the ringing cabin, wired for sound and with its own array of four clap nets. The cabin itself had electricity, facilities to make tea and coffee, a bank of holding cages and there were even a couple of bunks.
The ringing cabin
Decoys galore!
Holding cages
Clap net controls
Better still it was fenced and some distance from the public
paths and cycle trails, in what is the most extensive coastal dune system we
have ever seen in Northern Europe. The area is called Parnassia, after a wild
flower that grows in the area.
Parnassia
After a visit to the best beach café we had ever visited, where
the apfeltaart was delightful and the toilets maintained, from the wash basins,
a unique outlook across the sands to the sea via a transparent wall, we
had a little down time before being
shown some of the birding spots around Haarlem.
Spoonbills
We were struck by how green everything seemed a sense that everything is well cared for and of course the amount of canals, rivers and lakes.
On returning to Andre’s we met his wife, Evelyn, for the first time. Then after a good meal of steak, salad and fried potatoes a L’Andre we had an early night ready for an early start.
Day two at VRS van Lennep was a little better, though we still had moderate NW wind with odd showers, which though slightly busier than the previous day, bird numbers at the site were still low. We had a full team of seven so there were plenty of people to open the 36 nets, nestled between the sea buckthorn and other dune plants.
High and standard nets
We saw the clap nets in action as some Ringed Plover and
Turnstone were captured.
Resetting clap nets
Turnstone
Ring Plover no 1
Ring Plover no 2
There was also a Pied Flycatcher along with the more
regularly caught Blackcaps, or Zwartkop in Dutch.
This time we returned to Andre’s for some garden ringing. His net is set within mature trees and shrubs and just like our garden net, the regulars know exactly where it is. However he has caught migrant warblers, and Hawfinch before. This time there were a few garden visitors and a Chiffchaff.
We ate at an extremely good Indonesian restaurant. There quite a few, although not all as good as this one, in Holland, indicative of Dutch concerns in their colonial past. Unlike the UK, there are very few Indian restaurants.
Day three at AvA’s site and another 6am start. Today it was just the three of us and the weather was improving so we hoped for 50+ birds. Though the wind was still Westerly, the strength had dropped, and over all the day was much brighter and warmer than the previous two days. The first round brought some 25 birds with some species rarely processed by us in the UK, including Nightingale and Grasshopper Warbler.
This time we returned to Andre’s for some garden ringing. His net is set within mature trees and shrubs and just like our garden net, the regulars know exactly where it is. However he has caught migrant warblers, and Hawfinch before. This time there were a few garden visitors and a Chiffchaff.
We ate at an extremely good Indonesian restaurant. There quite a few, although not all as good as this one, in Holland, indicative of Dutch concerns in their colonial past. Unlike the UK, there are very few Indian restaurants.
Day three at AvA’s site and another 6am start. Today it was just the three of us and the weather was improving so we hoped for 50+ birds. Though the wind was still Westerly, the strength had dropped, and over all the day was much brighter and warmer than the previous two days. The first round brought some 25 birds with some species rarely processed by us in the UK, including Nightingale and Grasshopper Warbler.
Nightingale juvenile
There were no waders today but
three Stonechats were caught with the clap net when they came to drink and
bathe. Water can be pumped in to raise the amount of wet or damp areas and
encourage birds in to visit. The best birds of the day were singles of Wryneck,
Bluethroat and Barred Warbler.
Wryneck
Bluethroat Juvenile male
Juvenile Barred Warbler
Totals:
Sunday 6 September: 7 (5)
Ringed Plover - 2
Dunnock - 2 (2)
Nightingale - 1
Blackbird - 0 (1)
Garden Warbler - 1
Blackcap - 1 (2)
Monday September: 12 (4)
Ringed Plover - 2
Turnstone - 2
Dunnock - 1
Robin - 1
Garden Warbler - 0 (1)
Blackcap - 4 (3)
Willow Warbler - 1
Pied Flycatcher - 1
Tuesday 8 September: 58 (3)
Wryneck - 1
Dunnock - 5
Robin - 7
Nightingale - 1
Bluethroat - 1
Stonechat - 3
Song Thrush - 1
Grasshopper Warbler - 1
Sedge Warbler - 1
Reed Warbler - 6
Barred Warbler - 1
Garden Warbler - 5
Blackcap - 22 (1)
Blue Tit - 3 (1)
Ringing results are available on Trektellen daily.
After a last lunch with Andre and Evelyn we were on our way to Rhein – Nord, just across the German border with a 5 hour journey to Rostock, ahead of us the next dat where we’ll get the ferry to Gedser on Wednesday.
Many thanks to all the Dutch team that joined Andre, Jasper,
Maark, Fred, Nico, Milynne and Martaan, and of course our hosts Andre and
Evelyn (apologies to anyone whose name spelling has been completely massacred!)
We were very impressed with Holland. Everywhere looks clean and the use of bicycles reduces pollution and congestion while encouraging an active lifestyle. Cycle routes are an integral part of development planning and the road networks better than in the UK. Green spaces are valued and space is optimised in home by building an additional floor into the roof, without areas of ceiling that are too low – there is also storage space right up at the roof apex. We definitely liked the Dutch way of living!
We were very impressed with Holland. Everywhere looks clean and the use of bicycles reduces pollution and congestion while encouraging an active lifestyle. Cycle routes are an integral part of development planning and the road networks better than in the UK. Green spaces are valued and space is optimised in home by building an additional floor into the roof, without areas of ceiling that are too low – there is also storage space right up at the roof apex. We definitely liked the Dutch way of living!