Birdwatching report private excursion Lauwersmeer May 12th 2018

Birdwatching report private excursion Lauwersmeer May 12th  2018

From 9.00-16.30 hrs Lauwersmeer was on the program for two gentlemen from Reeuwijk. They wanted to see the whole Lauwersmeer, both the Groningen side and the Frisian side. Because they had spent the night at Natuurkampeerterrein De Pomp, I picked them up by car. It promised to be a sunny day with 20-26 degrees Celsius.

Golden Oriole at the car and the Marsh Harrier over it

In the parking lot we could immediately start with the bird sounds. One of the first birds to hear a number of times was the oriole! Furthermore we heard the birds belonging to the forest as black head, blackbird, chiffchaff and finch. The cuckoo was already heard. On the way to the first stop we saw a number of birds: oystercatchers, buzzard and small black-backed gulls. The yellow legs of the lesser black-backed gulls were beautiful to see, especially through the telescope.

A little further on, a male kite harrier approached. When we stopped by the car, he came flying over us, a few meters away. Magnificently! Moments later we saw him with something in his legs flying towards the female, a bunch of angry lapwings behind him. He probably had one of their young in his claw …

When we turned our attention back down we saw a spout in the grass. This too was beautifully admired through the telescope. In the same field there were also meadow piper and redshank. And above us the summer sound of the skylark was heard.

Red-throated pond and bird-watching lodge Jaap Deensgat

When we walked to Roodkeelplasje, we saw a spoonbill and fagots. From the lookout hill we got a nice little carek in the scope, which also clearly showed itself. The mustache did its best, even though it was a bit further away. We had almost given up hope, but then a bearded man showed himself. In the meantime, we also heard the bitterns ‘hoempen’ a few times.

From the bird-watching hut Jaap Deensgat several ducks could be seen, and a good amount of ringed plovers. On the other side stood a red-tailed godwit and swam a teal. Much closer, a small plover showed up equally well. The barn swallows nestled above our heads, so they flew away through the open shutters of the hut.

A gray harrier!

After a cup of coffee with cake, it was time to move on. On the way to the next spot I suddenly saw a slender gray bird of prey. Fast the car on the side and the telescope on it. It turned out to be a male gray harrier. Cool! A lifer for the participants.

At the next stop we could add shorepeople, pochard and putter to the list. A little further away, a cuckoo was heard and we saw house martin. On our way to the harbor, we stumbled upon a greenling and a mockingbird in a bush. The stonecropper was present in the harbor, fortunately. On the fence was a black redstart, also nice.

Because it was already ample time for lunch, we did a flash stop at the Bantpolder: brent geese between the barnacle geese and a few godwits. Then through to the restaurant!

Waders at Ezumakeeg

After a good lunch it was time for the rest of the program. First to the lookout hill, Ezumakeeg-North. Here were a number of different waders: black horsemen, ruffs and rainworms. There were also two males of summer fall among the hundreds of other ducks.

At the bird-watching hut (Ezumakeeg-Zuid) a group of Temminck’s sandpipers found food, recognizable by the small size and the light legs. After some detective work, it also succeeded in getting a pintail in the telescope. We had already seen the rest of the species elsewhere that day.

Through the rookery (with another mocking bird) we drove to the Pomp, where we walked to the lookout hill. On a great Egret and two Egyptian geese after no new species. Still a brown harrier, but we had to observe it much closer today. However, the group Konikspaarden at the waterfront, also a beautiful face. In the forest we encountered two tailed titmice and a song thrush.

It was already a little later than planned, but that did not matter. The gentlemen were back at their camp, and it was time for shaking hands. At that moment the Oriole let itself be heard once again. A nice ending to a very pleasant excursion, with 76 species of birds and beautiful weather.

Observed species of birdwatching excursion

1 Brent goose – Branta bernicla
2 Barn Goose – Branta leucopsis
3 Greylag Goose – Anser anser
4 Mute swan – Cygnus olor
5 Egyptian goose – Alopochen aegyptiaca
6 Shelduck – Tadorna tadorna
7 Summer Fall – Spatula querquedula
8 Shoveler – Spatula clypeata
9 Gadwall – Mareca strepera
10 wigeon – Mareca penelope
11 Wild Duck – Anas platyrhynchos
12 Pintail – Anas acuta
13 Teal – Anas crecca
14 Pochard – Aythya ferina
15 Tufted duck – Aythya fuligula
16 Grebe – Podiceps cristatus
17 Spoonbill – Platalea leucorodia
18 Bittern – Botaurus stellaris
19 Blue Heron – Ardea cinerea
20 Great White Egret – Ardea alba
21 Cormorant – Phalacrocorax carbo
22 Marsh Harrier – Circus aeruginosus
23 Gray Harrier – Circus pygargus
24 Buzzard – Buteo buteo
25 Coot – Fulica atra
26 Oystercatcher – Haematopus ostralegus
27 Common Grebe – Recurvirostra avosetta
28 Lapwing – Vanellus vanellus
29 Ringed Plover – Charadrius hiaticula
30 Little Plover – Charadrius dubius
31 Whipweed – Numenius phaeopus
32 Red-tailed Godwit – Limosa lapponica
33 Godwit – Limosa limosa
34 Turnstone – Arenaria interpres
35 Ruff – Calidris pugnax
36 Temminck’s Sandpiper – Calidris temminckii
37 Sandpiper – Actitis hypoleucos
38 Redshank – Tringa totanus
39 Black Horseman – Tringa erythropus
40 Black-headed Gull – Chroicocephalus ridibundus
41 Herring Gull – Larus argentatus
42 Lesser Black-backed Gull – Larus fuscus
43 Common Tern – Sterna hirundo
44 Wood pigeon – Columba palumbus
45 Cuckoo – Cuculus canorus
46 Golden Oriole – Oriolus oriolus
47 Jackdaw – Coloeus monedula
48 Rook – Corvus frugilegus
49 Black Crow – Corvus corone
50 Great Tit – Parus major
51 Bearded man – Panurus biarmicus
52 Skylark – Alauda arvensis
53 Barn Swallow – Hirundo rustica
54 House Martin – Delichon urbicum
55 Long-tailed Tit – Aegithalos caudatus
56 Fitis – Phylloscopus trochilus
57 Chiffchaff – Phylloscopus collybita
58 Sedge Warbler – Acrocephalus schoenobaenus
59 Little Karekite – Acrocephalus scirpaceus
60 Mockingbird – Hippolais icterina
61 Mustache – Locustella luscinioides
62 Blackcap – Sylvia atricapilla
63 Warbler – Sylvia communis
64 Winter King – Troglodytes troglodytes
65 Blackbird – Turdus merula
66 Song Thrush – Turdus philomelos
67 European Robin – Erithacus rubecula
68 Black Redstart – Phoenicurus ochruros
69 Wheatear – Oenanthe oenanthe
70 House Sparrow – Passer domesticus
71 White Wagtail – Motacilla alba
72 Meadow Pipit – Anthus pratensis
73 Chaffinch – Fringilla coelebs
74 Groenling – Chloris chloris
75 Putter – Carduelis carduelis
76 Reed bunting – Emberiza schoeniclus