2024 Bird Photography Round-up

1. IJmuiden Beach and Pier, North Holland

Two trips to IJmuiden, one in the winter and one in early spring, resulted in some of my absolute favorite images of this year, 2 of which have made it to the 2025 Wall Calendar/Planner. Also, I brought handwarmers with me, and was clad in extra layers, allowing me to stay in the field longer. An obvious but important lesson, that has taken me 2 years to finally learn!

2. Tbilisi Botanical Garden, Georgia

I hesitated to bring my wildlife lens on this trip, but I am glad I did. I managed to do only one excursion during my stay, but the soft light lent itself to several beautiful images that I am very pleased with.

3. Scheveningen Pier, South Holland

The year started with a visit down to Scheveningen, right on 1st January. This was my first time photographing birds after a 3 month break. It was rather windy and cold, but I was quite happy at having photographed the Common Loon in the beautiful afternoon light, despite my hands freezing in the cold.

4. Het Ilperveld, North Holland

Just a short bike ride away from Amsterdam, this nature area offers excellent bird spotting opportunities. Though, the conditions for bird photography can be a bit of a hit-and-miss. I made 2 trips up to Het Ilperveld this year, and got some beautiful and unexpected images, 2 of which have made it into the 2025 Wall Calendar/Planner.

5. Lepelaarsplassen, Almere, Flevoland

A late afternoon, winter visit to Lepelaarsplassen, resulted in very few usable images despite there being plenty of birds around. This year that has been my only visit to Lepelaarsplassen, and have made no visits to Oostvaardersplassen at all thus far.

6. Polder IJdoorn, North Holland

Polder IJdoorn is one of my favorite summer morning / summer evening bird photography places because it is only a short bike ride away from Amsterdam. Great Crested Grebes breed there, however it is not ideal for photographing their mating behavior because tall reeds get in the way, occluding the action.

7. Marker Wadden, Flevoland

It is always a treat to visit Marker Wadden, which is truly a bird paradise. This year I made 3 trips in relatively quick succession, though 2 of those trips were with the intention of introducing my friends to this wonderful, and slightly off-the-beaten-path place. Many of the photos in the 2025 Wall Calendar/Planner were shot in Marker Wadden, over the course of a month in early summer.

8. Marken, North Holland

Marken is a former island in Markermeer, a bit north of Amsterdam. Every year, I make multiple trips to Marken, particularly to photograph the lighthouse there. This year there has only been 1 so far, in late spring. I did manage to capture some images that I am quite pleased with.

9. Vogelplas Starrevaart, South Holland

Vogelpas Starrevaart is one of my absolute favorite locations for photographing birds, though I've only managed to make 1 trip down there so far this year. On cold mornings, there is a beautiful mist hanging on the water, and it interacts beautifully with the light of the rising sun. The photo of the Great Crested Grebe is the cover photo of the 2025 Wall Calendar/Planner.

10. Zanderij Crailoo, North Holland

This was my first visit to the woods around Hilversum. I had gone with the intention of finding Roe deer, but didn't spot any. I did spot this Cormorant however. Despite the sun being still relatively high in the sky, the light and the environment colors were gorgeous, and the bird was unbothered by my presence, allowing me to experiment with different viewpoints.

(Bonus) My backyard, Amsterdam

Of course, you don't need to stray too far to spot and photograph birds. Sometimes interesting opportunities present themselves right outside your window, as you are sitting in the kitchen, drinking tea and thinking about life.