The Netherlands summer 2017: Geese

It became cold. That is not a bad thing for birding in winter. But my body isn't used to these temperatures yet. I feel more comfortable at home, tidying up old files, like these summer photos.

In Isahaya birders stopped for just one bird, in the Netherlands they run away. Geese are everywhere and there are way too many! There are about 9 kinds, here are just the 3 most common:

 Barnacle Goose (Brandgans)

In city parks Egyptian Goose (Nijlgans)

 Greylag Goose (Grauwe Gans)

Not to forget the domestic ones and the hybrids!

Of course there are swans as well. Most common: Mute Swan (Knobbelzwaan)

in the canals

in the cities

in the nature reserves, too

With a young Spoonbill on the left

Holland 2016 - 2

From the rivers to the parks. Geese and ducks by the hundreds...

City Park in Kampen. Below 3 Barnacle Geese (Branta leucopsis, Brandganzen)

An odd collection in Staphorst: among wild and domestic ducks, one female Ruddy Shelduck (Tadorna ferruginea, Casarca)

fem Mandarin Duck (Aix Galericulata, Mandarijn eend)

At first I thought all 3 were female Mandarin Ducks. Up close the one in the middle looked quite different: Wood Duck (Aix sponsa, Caroline eend)

 escapees?

Below some of the old buildings in the city Amersfoort 

There were many Jackdaws (Corvus monedula, Kauw) roaming the streets and gardens, acting like real city birds.

 I don't remember them coming to the towns so much. The seemed to have replaced the Starlings (Sturnus vulgarus, Spreeuw)