Holland and Flanders by train
Eurostar to Brussels followed by great birding
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More than one million geese winter in Holland, together with high numbers of waders, swans, divers, grebes and seaduck. Goose species should include Red-breasted, White-fronted, Lesser White-Fronted, Dark-bellied Brent, and 'Tundra' Bean Goose with Snow Goose a distinct possibility. Seaduck include Smew, and other water birds should include all three egrets, Eurasian Spoonbill and the first returning Black-tailed Godwits.
In the Netherlands whole areas are developed specially for birds, including Plan Tureluur in Schouwen-Duiveland and the Oostvaarderse Plassen in Flevo-Holland. We will visit the best places in
Schouwen-Duiveland for the geese, and Flevo-polders for White-tailed Eagle, Marsh and Hen Harrier, Bearded Tit, Bittern, Great White Egret and much more.
This holiday is about much more than just waterbirds however, with woodlands holding five species of woodpecker, Crested Tit and Firecrest, and many raptors including White-tailed Eagle, Marsh and Hen Harrier, Short-eared Owl and rarities perhaps including Rough-legged Buzzard. Other birds of note might include Caspian Gull, Crested Lark and Serin.
One of the most important features of this holiday will be the way we travel. There are no air flights involved! The group will travel by Eurostar from London to Brussels, where you will be met by our guide. The rest of the holiday will be by minibus travel, returning to Brussels for the train back to London on the final day.
Our guide is Flanders native Jozef Leestmans. Josef now lives in Scotland, working as a
Heatherlea guide from the Mountview Hotel. Josef was formerly a Reserve manager at Bootjesven in Flanders-Belgium, and still has daily contact with local birders here, not least his son, who organises bird surveys in the area. Bootjesven is a woodland area with lakes and ponds, and here we can expect all the woodpeckers including Black, and both Middle- and Lesser-spotted. Great Grey Shrike and Woodlark overwinter, and a whole host of other species can be expected.
Day 1 Sat 9 February
We travel by Eurostar from London to Brussels, where Heatherlea guide Josef Leestmans will meet the group. Next we drive to the area of Schouwen-Duiveland where goose concentrations are at their highest. We should have time to investigate local goose flocks today, before arriving at our comfortable hotel.
Day 2 Sun 10 February
We are based in the part of south-west Holland which contains the highest concentration of wintering geese in Europe, and spend our first full day in Schouwen-Duiveland and Zeeland investigating these birds. Expect thousands of wintering Barnacles, with several Red-breasted likely to be mixed in, and Bewick and Whooper Swans nearby. Flocks of Whitefronts will probably contain Lesser Whitefronts, and all these birds attract raptors including Peregrine. White-tailed Eagle and Short-eared Owl are also found here.
Day 3 Mon 11 February
Today we travel to the Oostvaarderse Plassen in Flevoland near Amsterdam. This wetland of over 5500 ha is situated below sea level, and consists mainly of reedbeds and shallow lakes and pools. Locally the area is called the 'new wilderness', because nature itself is still deciding how the landscape will evolve. Birds here might include White-tailed Eagle, Smew, Scaup, Marsh and Hen Harriers, Bearded Tit, Bittern, Great White Egret, Gadwall, Pintail and Shoveler. As we walk through the nature reserve we should see large herds of Konik-horses and Heck-cattle, wild creatures which exist without interference or regulation from humans.
Day 4 Tues 12 February
Our destination today is Noord-Brabant and Flanders in Belgium, where we look out for 5 kind of Woodpeckers: Black, Green, Greater, Lesser and Middle Spotted Woodpecker. This is also a good area for Tundra Bean Goose and White-fronted Goose, and our guide Josef will also be hoping to find Woodlark, Goshawk, Great Grey Shrike, Crested Tit and Peregrine. Josef helped develop the nature reserves in this area, so you should be in very good hands!
Days 5 - 7 Wed 13 - Fri 15 February
Back to Zeeland where we again search the goose flocks. All four divers are possible here, and we should see Long-tailed Duck, Common and Velvet Scoter and wintering grebes on the open sea. In the Mudflats we will search for waders including Greenshank, Avocet, Grey Plover, Golden Plover, Dunlin, Redshank and both Bar-tailed and Black-tailed Godwit. On the shore we look for Sanderling, Snow Bunting, Lapland Bunting and Shore Lark.
Day 8 Sat 16 February
If we have time, a final search for wintering specialities before returning to the railway station and our Eurostar back to London.
Price includes return Eurostar travel London – Brussels, ground transportation, accommodation and all meals, incidental tips, and the services of experienced Heatherlea leader Josef Leestmans, joined by another from our main guiding team with more than 7 clients. Max 14 clients.
Please note: all itineraries are given as a guide only. Actual holiday content may vary according to the judgement of your guide, and elements beyond our control (eg weather).
Price excludes: holiday insurance, drinks and other personal expenses.