My buttocks are hurting, and I’m exhausted after biking for 4 hours. In fact, everybody recommends increase power after the winter break and slowly ramping up the biking. These folks clearly will not be doing a Massive Yr Rotterdam. I don’t have time to ramp up or I’ll miss the wintering birds. In addition to, why is my derrière hurting? It’s probably the most skilled a part of my anatomy: I sit on all of it day lengthy!
The actually huge port of Rotterdam lies between me within the metropolis centre, and the Tweede Maasvlakte – a reclaimed piece of business land jutting 10 kilometres into the North Sea, in the direction of England. The world options the very best level within the province (a poisonous sludge dump), seashores, deep seawater ports and plenty of open terrain. It’s tough and typically smelly, however I like this space rather a lot. I’ve seen seals and porpoises, numerous waders and large gull colonies. I used to go fishing right here too. Nonetheless, I’ve by no means cycled to the Maasvlakte. My sore bum explains that omission. Exceedingly properly.
The day earlier than had been a beautiful bicycle tour to De Tempel, an vintage stately house with surrounding gardens. There are plenty of very massive bushes, together with the oldest oak tree in Rotterdam. The property belongs to Natuurmonumenten (“monuments of nature”) – one of many senior nature NGOs within the nation.
I used to be out for wintering specials, and I managed to identify two of them: Fieldfare and Firecrest. An surprising couple of Inventory Dove accomplished the Massive Yr harvest, however the afternoon rely bumped into the 30-ies. I see (and listen to!) Firecrest in Portugal each time I take the canine out for a stroll, however I had by no means seen one within the Netherlands. Seeing two of them in Rotterdam was very gratifying.
As mentioned, the subsequent day I discovered myself on the Maasvlakte. First conclusion: the realm is just too large for the biking birder. I used to be looking for Hen Harrier and Quick-eared Owl, since each had been reported close to a particular port. After I arrived, it was clearly a transparent case of “an excessive amount of habitat” and whereas I scanned as a lot of the terrain as I might, I dipped on these two species. Biking to a greater vantage level would have been potential on a protracted summer time day, however not in winter. As a substitute, I paid a go to to the close by poisonous sludge dump. When the realm was developed, some farsighted civil servant had pencilled in a fowl reserve. A viewing display screen, named after the queen, gives sheltered views. I checked whether or not the queen is a birder by sending the query to the Rijksvoorlichtingdienst, the federal government division in control of all issues royal. They promised a solution in two days, got here again after three and fairly obtusely gave me a non-answer. I assume we are going to by no means know whether or not the queen is a birder until she writes a remark (please do, ma’am). Anyway, it was from the royal conceal, on the foot of a colossal mountain of heavy metals and polycyclic hydrocarbons that I noticed lots of of Frequent Pochards, accompanied by Smew, Tufted Duck, Northern Shoveler, Frequent Shelduck, Gadwall, Canada Geese, Greylag Geese, Mute Swan and Frequent Linnets. A Nice White Egret and a few pleasant Oystercatchers accomplished the record. The sheer abundance led me to my second conclusion: when you do discover a great place for birding on the Maasvlakte, there’ll each very particular birds and huge numbers to take pleasure in.
My ultimate conclusion should be to rethink my technique for the rest of the Massive Yr Rotterdam. Is it worthwhile to spend a lot time biking in an space that can ship solely a handful of contributions to the 12 months’s record? Take a look at that drake Smew earlier than you reply the query. A couple of black strokes on a white canvas, like a chic Japanese sketch… aesthetics over rationalism, I will probably be again.
Massive Yr Rotterdam, 15 February 2025, 73 species, 127 to go.