"Tails" of a New Birder's Journey

I’ve embarked on a month-long trip to Europe that begins at a EuroParc in Amsterdam and will finish at the end of a birding tour of the Scottish Highlands!

A couple things led to this trip. The first is that my niece who lives in Scotland just had a baby. The second is that one of my favorite singers, Agnes Obel, is on tour in the EU and UK, which I discovered when searching for things to do on my birthday. She performed in Germany on my actual birthday and I had no desire to go there. However, her dates in the Netherlands were highly appealing as this is a country I’ve always wanted to go back to. So, I decided to stay an entire week in the Amsterdam area.

While researching where to stay, I happened upon the “EuroParcs” website and discovered that there is a camping area just 20 minutes outside of Amsterdam that happens to be next to one of the best birding areas in Amsterdam: the Amsterdamse Bos. I saw that they had little cabins right on the water for less than a cheap hotel in the city and said, “TAKE MY MONEY!” Look at the view from my adorable little cabin!!

After a long day of travel, I was instantly rejuvenated and a second wind kicked in after checking in. I sat at the table outside my cabin and started studying the local birds. One of first birds that I saw was a “Common” Kingfisher, a bird with the worst name because this guy is anything but common! With teal and copper feathers, he winged it across the pond, the sun shining on his jewel-tone feathers. I also saw Great Cormorants, Gray Herons, Mallards, Gadwalls, Eurasian Coots, and Eurasian Moorhens. The air was filled with the almost-constant cackling of Graylag Geese who flew in singles at times, but mostly in small flocks overhead. There were also a lot of domestic ducks in various greens, browns, blacks, and whites.

After exploring the area, I picked up some basic groceries at the mini-mart on site at the EuroParc. The store is well-equipped with anything anyone might need while camping: groceries, toiletries, even things like s’mores kits, board games, and postcards. I bought cheese, bread, and wine for my dinner which I ate outside at my little table overlooking the water.

I managed to stay up until 9:00 PM EU time, then fell promptly asleep after being up for more than 24 hours. Not only that, but I slept entirely through the night and woke up at 6:00 AM, and felt no jetlag. I was excited to get birding!

I turned on Merlin and it picked up Great Tits, Blue Tits, Eurasian Magpies, European Robins, and of course, the noisy waterfowl. I explored the Bos for several hours on foot. The EuroParc rents bikes which would be great for exploring the many acres that the Bos encompasses. Apparently. there are paths that lead all the way to the city center.

Although I could hear Tits, Chaffinches, Robins and could see lots of movement from the trees their sounds were coming from, I couldn’t see them so I didn’t count them. The Rose-ringed Parakeets were easy to spot despite how well they blended into the canopy, sometimes sitting atop branches. Here is my first list for Europe!

Graylag Goose
Egyptian Goose
Mallard
Mallard (domestic type)
Tufted Duck
Wood Pigeon
Eurasian Coot
Great-crested Grebe
Gray Heron
Common Kingfisher
Rose-winged Parakeets