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Netherlands: birds, wildlife, tulips?
Hi All.
How are the tulips in the Netherlands doing now? Are there any good birding/wildlife locations in the area From Amsterdam to the Hague? Further away from these areas? Roger |
#2
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Netherlands: birds, wildlife, tulips?
"Roger N. Clark (change username to rnclark)" wrote in message ... Hi All. How are the tulips in the Netherlands doing now? The place to be (75,000 visitors last weekend, 800,000 visitors/year) if you want to see a lot in a single location: http://www.keukenhof.com , http://www.europebyphoto.com/keukenhofgardens-tour.html Are there any good birding/wildlife locations in the area From Amsterdam to the Hague? Further away from these areas? I am not an ornithologist but, from what I've read, there are some 99 "Important Bird Areas" in the Netherlands (not all open to the public during breeding season). In the area you are visiting, most are of a pools, marshland, wet meadows and ditches type (I could find a Dutch language map of the bird protection organization http://www.vogelbescherming.nl/content.aspx?cid=116 , or an international site locator http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/sea...&Reg=7&Cty=149 ) Especially regions "Eilands polder"=NL068, "Naardermeer"=NL074, "De Wilck"=NL089, Nieuwkoopse plassen"=NL076 seem close to your intended region of interest. There are also parks along the coast, sandy dune areas. Wildlife locations are a bit harder to describe, because it depends on the type of habitat and the animal size you're looking for. Larger game (deer, wild horse, 'wild' ox, wild pig, fox, etc.) is more likely to be found a bit more to the east. The Prezwalski horses (in NL066 on the above Birdlife IBA Factsheet) may be interesting, some were caught and reintroduced in their original habitat in Mongolia where they are extinct. If you want to see different kinds of deer, the best chance (approx.100% if you know the feeding spots ;-)) is in the eastern provinces in the National Park "De Hoge Veluwe", and especially in the Royal Domains the deer are easy to encounter. Due to the population density in the western provinces, and the need to protect these animals, you'll need a permit for many of these areas. Local tourist info (VVV) can assist in obtaining such permits. It may also be worthwile to establish a contact with a forester/gamekeeper for better access to restricted areas. So it really depends on what you are looking for, but since everything in this country is rather small scale most of it is usually reachable within a 90 minute drive (outside the rush hours). If you need more specific info, feel free to ask. Bart |
#3
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Netherlands: birds, wildlife, tulips?
Bart,
Thanks for the info. I just got back from my 11-day trip. I had a wonderful time. I did get to Keukenhof. Despite lots of people, it is about the most beautiful park I have ever seen. The flowers were at peak and there were many stunning arrangements. With patience, I got many pictures without people in them. The pictures at http://www.europebyphoto.com/keukenhofgardens-tour.html do not do it justice. I'll have to go back sometime with my 4x5. I did see many birds in local ponds and waterways. How about the National Parks? I have yet to visit any. I'll visit many times in the future. The Netherlands is a wonderful country, everyone I've met is very nice, and the food is great. This has been true every time I've visited. Roger Bart van der Wolf wrote: "Roger N. Clark (change username to rnclark)" wrote in message ... Hi All. How are the tulips in the Netherlands doing now? The place to be (75,000 visitors last weekend, 800,000 visitors/year) if you want to see a lot in a single location: http://www.keukenhof.com , http://www.europebyphoto.com/keukenhofgardens-tour.html Are there any good birding/wildlife locations in the area From Amsterdam to the Hague? Further away from these areas? I am not an ornithologist but, from what I've read, there are some 99 "Important Bird Areas" in the Netherlands (not all open to the public during breeding season). In the area you are visiting, most are of a pools, marshland, wet meadows and ditches type (I could find a Dutch language map of the bird protection organization http://www.vogelbescherming.nl/content.aspx?cid=116 , or an international site locator http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/sea...&Reg=7&Cty=149 ) Especially regions "Eilands polder"=NL068, "Naardermeer"=NL074, "De Wilck"=NL089, Nieuwkoopse plassen"=NL076 seem close to your intended region of interest. There are also parks along the coast, sandy dune areas. Wildlife locations are a bit harder to describe, because it depends on the type of habitat and the animal size you're looking for. Larger game (deer, wild horse, 'wild' ox, wild pig, fox, etc.) is more likely to be found a bit more to the east. The Prezwalski horses (in NL066 on the above Birdlife IBA Factsheet) may be interesting, some were caught and reintroduced in their original habitat in Mongolia where they are extinct. If you want to see different kinds of deer, the best chance (approx.100% if you know the feeding spots ;-)) is in the eastern provinces in the National Park "De Hoge Veluwe", and especially in the Royal Domains the deer are easy to encounter. Due to the population density in the western provinces, and the need to protect these animals, you'll need a permit for many of these areas. Local tourist info (VVV) can assist in obtaining such permits. It may also be worthwile to establish a contact with a forester/gamekeeper for better access to restricted areas. So it really depends on what you are looking for, but since everything in this country is rather small scale most of it is usually reachable within a 90 minute drive (outside the rush hours). If you need more specific info, feel free to ask. Bart |
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