Young Sanderling

Usually the island Terschelling is loaded with migrating birds in this season. However, for some unknown reason numbers are substantially lower this year. Luckily, small groups of Sanderlings (Calidris alba/Drieteenstrandloper) are already there.
I am very glad with this photo that clearly shows the beautiful juvenile plumage. It is a miracle that these birds, born last summer in Greenland, Siberia, or Canada, are now resting on the beach of Terschelling.

Seeryp

At the end of this month I stayed midweek with my friend Arie Ouwerkerk on Terschelling. Two impressions of the salting near Seeryp, the place where Arie makes his famous flying-wader pictures. The 1-st photo is taken at high tide. Note the
Common Cordgrass (Spartina anglica/Engels Slijkgras) in the foreground. This is a very young species of cordgrass that originated from southern England in about 1870. It is very valuable for coastal erosion control, assisting in land reclamation from the sea. The drawback is that it smothers natural eco-systems and prevents waders from feeding. The 2-nd photo shows the old wooden sea-defense wall at low tide.

31m25 N.A.P.

This year the ‘Indian summer’ brings sunny, warm weather. As a consequence the water level in the moorland lakes is very low.
Below the situation in the Mariapeel. Signs indicate a level of 31m25 N.A.P., a Dutch abbreviation meaning “Nieuw Amserdams Peil”.