Gulls at al

young Great Crested Grebes are free riders

a pair of Great Crested Grebes perform the age-old mating rituals

a pair of Common Gulls check for worms in the wet grass

lately, Caspian Gulls show up more frequently in the Netherlands

in winter, the head of Black-headed Gulls can be anything between brown and almost white

but they are ferocious hunters

Birds of the uiterwaarden: Gulls, Grebes, Coot, Moorhen, Cormorant, Kingfisher

With sheltered, nutrient-rich ponds located on either side of the River Maas, the nature reserves Hedelse Bovenwaard and Empelse Waard offer a healthy biotope for birds that live on or around these waters.

Several gull species can be seen here all year round, such as the Lesser Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull, Black-headed Gull, Caspian Gull, and Common Tern.
These clever but noisy birds feed mainly on fish and shellfish, but worms and young birds are also on the menu.

Another common bird is the Great Crested Grebe. Young Great Crested Grebes enjoy riding on the backs of their parents.

Coots like to live in large flocks but are surprisingly caring parents. Unfortunately, many of their chicks fall prey to herons and pike.

Other water birds present here include shy Moorhen, ever-hungryCormorants, and small, colorful Kingfishers.

The photos date from 2021 onwards.

a young Lesser Black-backed Gull feasts on a dead fish washed ashore

a wary Herring Gull paddles quickly away

Common Terns are small and have short feet

a Great Crested Grebe tends to the eggs in the nest

a Great Cormorant hangs out its wings to dry

Moorhens are very shy and immediately seek cover when perceiving danger

Ma Coot feeds her young

a Coot with her just hatched chicks

this Cormorant has swallowed a fish hook, that does not bode well

a Kingfisher on the lookout