Birding along the coast of the Netherlands

This National Park is situated along the coast of the North Sea just a half hour drive from Amsterdam. During spring and autumn birds tend to follow the coastline and hundreds thousands of birds will pass the Kennemerduinen while on migration to their breeding or wintering grounds. A visit just after sunrise is ideal to hear and see songbirds such as as Bluethroat, Grasshopper Warbler, Nightingale, Stonechat, Willow Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat and Sedge Warbler and also Red-necked Grebe. When spring or autumn migration is buzzing Ring Ouzel, Wryneck and Barred Warbler are seen here quite often. During a walk on the beach close to the dunes we can find birds such as Redshank, Black-Tailed Godwit, Sanderling and Dunlin while terns and gulls rest on the beach. The forests in the dunes contain species such as Crested Tit, Goshawk, Firecrest, Hawfich and Crossbill.

During migration in autumn big flocks, sometimes hundreds of thousands a day, migrate south along the coastline and over the dunes. Starlings, Chaffinches, Redwings, Fieldfares, Skylarks, Siskins and Bramblings are seen often and in big amounts while you can find Ortolan Bunting, Lapland Bunting, Little Bunting, Richard’s and Tawny Pipit, Snow Bunting and Yellowhammer among them. The start of winter brings us Goldeneye, Smew, Goosander and Great Grey Shrike.