Near the naval shipyard, behind the wadden dike, is a unique resting area for water and shore birds. With the mudflats close by for food, there is a freshwater lake here in the lee of the dike.
Landschap Noord-Holland has created a beautiful location here for nature photographers. A kind of concrete bunker buried in a small dike and with a low view of the lake.
Water and shore birds are never a certainty. Sometimes you have those days when nothing happens and a day in such a hut falls completely in the water. This is in contrast to most of the forest huts, where there is a large supply in the summer. But on 6 May this year, I had such a lucky moment. It was extremely busy in front of the hut, with various species such as shoveler, little ringed plover, redshank, lapwing etc. And on the other side of the road, on the right, a large group of spoonbills from a considerable distance. Then suddenly, from the right, along the bank, a group of spoonbills came foraging from a few metres distance. And not just once, but several times to and fro. How often do you see a spoonbill at such a short distance?
Hiding behind the camouflage curtains, wrapped up in black clothes, hat, gloves and even camouflage face coverings, I kept quiet and was able to take some great pictures.