Rotterdam is the one metropolis on the earth the place outlets promote shirts with the sleeves already rolled up. It’s a metropolis that prides itself on its exhausting work mentality, variety, fashionable structure, its completely unbelievable soccer membership Feyenoord, and its super-sized port. It’s this port we can be visiting.
The Rotterdam port stretches from its origin close to the St Laurens cathedral to the second Maasvlakte – a distance of 40 km because the Carrion Crow flies. Buried beneath the port: whole villages and fairly superior pure areas. All that’s gone however in return we now have “rocky shores”, limitless steppe-like areas and the province’s tallest mountain, a poisonous waste dump. Word – Dutch folks will name “mountain” something above the peak of a dike and I see no cause to vary that conference simply because a few of you reside within the Alps, Rockies, Andes, or Himalayas.
Town centre consists of procuring areas and plenty of harbours. These harbours have their inhabitants of Mute Swan, Mallard and Black-headed, Herring, Lesser Black-backed and Mew Gull. The bushes lining the harbours can include something from Home Sparrow (sure, they’re nonetheless right here!), European Blackbird, Chaffinch, Nice Tit, Rose-ringed Parakeet and different frequent birds. The birds are very approachable. You received’t be including “ticks” to your listing of lifers however you’d be capable to see a pair of Nice Crested Grebe care for his or her younger up shut and private. Whereas having fun with a chilly beer or a sizzling espresso.
Jackdaws and Carrion Crows eat discarded chips all through town. My award-winning image of a Feral Pigeon was in fact taken in Rotterdam. Even considerably unique birds like Purple-crested Pochard are all the time a risk.
If you need to depend on public transport there’s fairly a couple of choices. The metro can take you to the Kralingse Bos – a big and comparatively wild park and lake. The mix of woods and water will virtually assure a full slate of frequent Dutch birds, with an occasional much less frequent specimen thrown in for good measure. Alternatively, take the Water Bus out of town to Krimpen aan den IJssel. A brief stroll from the ferry’s quay – by way of a really unappealing industrial space – is the Stormpoldervloedbos, a tidal freshwater swamp. Amazingly, it’s not an eBird hotspot. After I lived on this village (clearly previous to my eBirding days) I visited usually, as a result of it is a very dependable place to see Marsh Warbler. The tides additionally create uncommon botanical circumstances. Do watch these tides – you do not need to be trapped right here because of the rising tide. If you happen to hire a motorbike in Rotterdam you may discover additional afield or proceed crusing to Kinderdijk for the windmills.
If you happen to had been to have a automobile you may observe the Village Individuals and go west. To the brand new ports – constructed within the second half of the final century. Large enough quays and deep sufficient water to obtain super-tankers and large container ships. The newer components of the port are huge and comparatively empty. Many species come right here to winter, breed or moult regardless of the presence of six refineries. As an illustration, Lesser Black-backed Gulls have a considerable breeding colony proper subsequent to a chemical plant. Heading west on the A15 you’ll quickly realise how far west you truly are: you’ll go an indication telling you to show proper for England! As a substitute you’ll proceed straight forward on the A15 for a lot of kilometres till exit 8, Oostvoorne-Brielle-Rockanje. Flip off, observe the parallel street in the direction of the Slufter, the mountain… There’s a disguise overlooking the Oostvoornse Meer and the just lately created Slikken van Voorne. After I visited in February a chilly sturdy wind prevented me from staying too lengthy, however I managed to see sizable flocks of Greylag Goose, Eurasian Oystercatcher, Eurasian Curlew, Sanderling, Dunlin and Herring Gull from the look-out level. A close-by little wetland allowed me some attractiveness of Greylag Goose, Canada Goose; Egyptian Goose, Mallard and Eurasian Teal. This place turns into very “ducky” when temperatures begin rising.
If you happen to proceed straight as an alternative of turning in the direction of the Slufter you’ll be getting into the Maasvlakte – a large open steppe-like space. More often than not it will likely be empty bar the occasional Widespread Kestrel or gull, however regulate the rarity alerts and eBird. Eurasian Dotterel could even be thought-about a “common” rarity. Lanceolated Warbler, Purple-breasted Flycatcher, Pink-footed Goose have all been noticed on this space. Searching to sea from one of many vantage factors could sometimes end in sightings of Sabine’s Gull or Sooty Shearwater. In brief: something can present up if you present up.
