Over the past few weeks, it has started to become a fixed part of my Wednesday mornings: heading out birding together with a friend. Sometimes we visit familiar areas, sometimes a location where a special sighting has been reported. Generally, I’m not the type of birder who chases rare vagrants only to end up standing among a large group of camouflage-clad strangers. But when a notable sighting occurs relatively close by, it often turns out to be worth the effort. At the same time, I’m also the kind of birder who continues to thoroughly enjoy the more common species of an area — especially those I don’t encounter as often closer to home.
That’s why we headed to Almere and Lelystad today, first to the visitor centre of the Oostvaardersplassen on the Almere side. The ultimate nice-to-have would have been a grey kite, but these are currently only being observed at great distances, so I had promised myself not to be disappointed if I didn’t see or photograph one. This year, a great grey shrike has also settled in the area. Although I’ve seen this species closer to home before, it remains a beautiful bird to watch. From its regular hunting perch, it scans the surroundings, waiting for prey before swiftly striking and then returning to the same lookout.
In the end, we were able to fully enjoy the wide, open landscapes and the — for this area fairly common — white-tailed eagles. The bearded tits also made themselves clearly heard and eventually showed beautifully close to the path. It turned into a pleasant walk; the weather wasn’t entirely on our side, but we enjoyed it immensely nonetheless.
