Red-breasted merganser and avocets

This photo shows a red-breasted merganser male, swimming near a harbour in Kerkwerve village on Schouwen island in the Netherlands.

Before we reached that bird on 18 January 2014, we went from the Brouwersdam south through Schouwen.

Near Zonnemaire village, on a field, scores of Bewick’s and whooper swans. Hundreds of tundra bean geese surrounded the swans.

Further south, a small lake where scores of mallards and shoveler ducks swam.

We arrived at Kerkwerve harbour, on the Oosterschelde estuary. A little egret on a mudflat. A kestrel flying. Two shelducks flying.

And red-breasted mergansers swimming, which I already mentioned.

More to the west, an avocet. Tufted ducks. A barnacle goose.

Redshanks on a mudflat.

On the bank of a lakelet, a merlin sitting.

Teal swimming. Hundreds of golden plovers flying.

An Egyptian geese couple.

A female smew climbed out of the water.

On the other side of the road, a spoonbill looking for food. Unlike other spoonbills, it had not migrated to Africa.

We continued to a hide, called Turegluren. That name is a wordplay on the Dutch words for redshank and peeking.

Big flocks of golden plovers fly around.

On the other bank of the lake, a peregrine falcon sitting on a pole.

Near a muddy islet, a flock of avocets.

Sometimes, they are flying.

Sometimes, they are looking for food.

Black-tailed godwits join the avocets; and a few shelducks.

See also here.

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