Visiting Belgium in July/August (1 Viewer)

Hey,

I´m going to spend about one week this year in North Belgium and the area of the Netherlands border. We are searching for a bungalow home near Antwerpen.
Are there any interesting places for birdwatching to see in the surrounding?
I have a good book about the South of the Netherlands, so I´m more looking for information about the Belgium area, but would also be thankful about information about the other country.

Not far from Antwerp, you have the biggest nature reserve, in belgium: De Kalmthoutse Heide. You can even take the train from Antwerp Central to Kalmthout (30 minutes).
All information on:
http://waarnemingen.be/gebied/info/32500?lang=en&local=be

Thank´s for the information,

so there is at least one living birder in Belgium.

Do you know any other spots worth visiting, because the list on the page contains over 9000 gebieds?



greets,

Fabian

Not really, I know only Blokkersdijk in Antwerp (for the moment there is a White-headed Duck). I live on the coast of Belgium. The best areas for birds at the Kalmthoutse Heide are: Stappersven, Kriekelaarsven (evening at dusk you can hear and see Nightjar). On the dead trees you find the Black Woodpecker. All the information is on the website www.waarnemingen.be go to overviews -> areas -> type stappersven or kriekelaarsven or kalmthoutse heide and you find all the information you need and a species list of the area. You can translate the website to german language.


Have fun,

Stijn

Hi,

now I´ve got it. And if you see a tall, blonde, good-looking guy with blue eyes in the summer in the area with a scope and camera, you know: That´s me.
[I´m not blonde, have brown eyes and just go jogging once a week, so... just for fun|:d|]



Thanks for the information,

Fabian

Gunner92 said:

And if you see a tall, blonde, good-looking guy with blue eyes in the summer in the area with a scope and camera, you know: That´s me.

Click to expand...

Hi Fabian, my wife says I've got to reply to this guy.
Can't help you yet but we may be visiting Belgium in September so if you find anything good let us know.

Dave

and (you did ask) ... your English is very good but ...

Gunner92 said:

Are there any interesting places for birdwatching to see in the surrounding?

Click to expand...

"Surrounding" is an adjective so we would say "surrounding area" or something like that.

Gunner92 said:

Do you know any other spots worth visiting, because the list on the page contains over 9000 gebieds?

Click to expand...

I guess the best word here is "sites".

And, in your signature, it should be "thanks" not "thank's".

check www.norbertwillaert.net for birding places.
First click in the upper menu on:
> vogelgebieden
Then click in the left menu on either the following two:
> Oost Vlaanderen: Vogelgebieden in de omgeving van Antwerpen Linkeroever
> Antwerpen: Vogelgebieden in de omgeving van Antwerpen

Or click in that left menu on:
> Zeeland: here you will see a map of different areas. Depending on whether you have own transport you can wander as far as Brouwersdam in one day (this is the most northern part on the map, just above 'Schouwen').

August should be good for waders etc. Check Waarneming.nl also:
Go to: http://waarneming.nl/planner.php?lang=en&local=nl
And put an arrow on the map. You will see what birds have been seen in a radius of 10kms (you can change the radius). It's dead easy this way to find the birds. Also check the Belgian equivalent: http://waarnemingen.be/planner.php?lang=en&local=be

So how was your trip?

Trip results

Hi,

unfortunately my trip wasn´t as I expected.
I try to make it short. I bought a Canon 100-400 from a German guy, who isn´t able until today to send me the lens, although I have send him the money more than one month before now. I sold my scope to buy this lens, so I only went with my old Eschenbach binoculars...

Although it was a nice trip (simply love the landscapes up there) and visit most towns in the area, I couldn`t really get an impression of the bird watching areas there.
But for sure I came along beautiful landscapes like the Kalmthoutse Heide, Oisterwijkse Bossen en Vennen and Kampina, which was one of my favourites. (we don´t have such moor in Austria)

The greatest places are all those (polders, and little lakes) along the roads, which connect the islands of Zeeland. We drove along them on our last day and every five minutes my dad had to stop, but Dutch drivers are really nice and have no problem with tourists stopping at the roadside.
I will not mention the exact name of the areas where I found each bird, but some species: enormous numbers of oystercatchers and grey leg goose, as well as canada and barnacle goose. (my first)

There were also a few waders but with my equipment I had no chance to identify most of them. I was a bit confused when I noticed two black swans, but for sure they escaped somewhere.
Another good polder was near Terneuzen, about 10km west, with ducks, goose and Slavonian grebe.

I´m sorry that I have to mention but for me Het Zwin was a complete waste of time and sadly also money. I don´t pay 6,35 euros to get into a reservation which is more like a zoo than a area for bird watching. Maybe just took the wrong entrance, or it´s just because I prefer bird watching on my own and not with hundreds of others, who seem even not to care about the wildlife.

Anyway, except Het Zwin surely there are many great areas.
@ temmie: Really like your page, unfortunately I didn´t see your post before I left. If I look at it now I eat my face, you really do a great job on it! Keep going, it´s quite informing

But so I have at least a reason to return to Zuid-Holland and test the advices form your page.


Due to the fact that I am still travelling with my family I could spend "only" about one and a half day bird watching if my list of areas seems a bit short to you, which was also negative influenced by the missing equipment. (so I won't give you the short list of my seen arts here)

We lived in a bungalow in Scheldeoord, so the Schelde was only five minutes away, which provided great sceneries also without birds.


All the best,

Fabian


Attachments: sea at low tide - part of a group of oysterncatchers - polder near Terneuzen - goose next to the road N59 on Schouwen-Duiveland - group of sandwitch terns