The province of Zeeland – photography tour
The province of Zeeland is a great location and it’s easy to travel around in, offers lots of birds and photo opportunities. We have always come back with loads of great photos and very happy customers (who often returned or wished they could have stayed longer). The province of Zeeland is undoubtebly the best location in The Netherlands to see and photograph waders, ducks, geese and raptors like Hen Harrier, Marsh Harrier and Short-eared Owl.
Spring and summer
The Southwestern part of The Netherlands is dominated by tidal coastlines, dunes and cultivated fields. The last few years more and more cultivated land has been returned to nature by flooding these fields, which has the positive side effect of becoming a paradise for breeding and migrating waders. Black-tailed Godwits, Redshanks, Avocets, Lapwings, Oystercatchers, Ringed and Little Ringed Plovers are common breeding birds and the population of Kentish Plovers is gradually growing. During migration one can find Dunlin, Knot, Curlew Sandpiper, Grey Plover and Bar-tailed Godwit in their breeding plumage, while at the North Sea coast Sanderlings, Turnstones and Purple Sandpipers are fattening up for the migration north.
There’s more to enjoy here than just waders: imagine groups of foraging Spoonbills, Little Egrets and a Peregrine hunting these waders. On (artificial) sandbanks and islands birds like Sandwich Tern, Common Tern, ArcticTern and Little Tern have found suitable breeding grounds and they are joined by Black-headed Gulls and Mediterranean Gulls. In early spring it’s not uncommon to find five species of grebes in their breeding plumage and with luck a Red-throated Diver or Black-throated Diver can be seen foraging close to shore.
May is the best period for photography tours when the summer breeding birds are returning from their wintering grounds. In the dunes we’ll find singing Common Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat, Blackcap, Stonechat, Reed Bunting, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler, Icterine Warbler and the wonderful Bluethroat.
Around the farms Barn Swallows, White Wagtails and Tree Sparrows are foraging and in the surrounding fields Sky Larks, Yellow Wagtails and Partridges occur while Kestrels and Common Buzzards are hunting for mice.
Even at the beginning of May we can find Barnacle Geese, Brent and sometimes Short-eared Owls in places where they’ve stayed during the winter.
Autumn and winter
Winter is actually the best time to visit this part The Netherlands as thousands of ducks and geese spend the winter here. Imagine the cackling when flocks of tens of thousands of Barnacle Geese take off. You would not be the first photographer we take out who completely forgets about taking pictures…
Imagine Brent Geese foraging next to the car;
imagine Purple Sandpipers and Turnstones within focussing distance;
imagine hunting Short-eared Owls during daytime;
imagine a Peregrine chasing Wigeons;
imagine Grey Seals so close that you can hear them breathe
Better still: stop imagining and simply join us for a visit to this wonderful area!
Just some of the species we hope to see (depending on the time of year):
(depending on the time of year)
- Great Crested Grebe
- Red-necked Grebe
- Slavonian Grebe
- Eared Grebe
- Little Grebe
- Common Snipe
- Jack Snipe
- Woodcock
- Barnacle Goose
- Brent Goose
- Greater White-fronted Goose
- Peregrine
- Merlin
- Hen Harrier
- Marsh Harrier
- Short-eared Owl
- Dunlin
- Purple Sandpiper
- Knot
- Curlew Sandpiper
- Oystercatcher
- Greenshank
- Redshank
- Spotted Redshank
- Avocet
- Curlew
- Lapwing
- 1 person: Euro 250
- 2 people: Euro 125
- 3 people: Euro 95
- More than 3 people: CONTACT US
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Pick up and drop off possibilities
