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For several years now, I’ve had the habit of publishing a selection of photos with my highlights of the year on my personal Facebook page at the end of the year. This year, I also started publishing more of the photos I took in the Netherlands on my website. That started with the Spectacled Eider on Texel in January, and my first monthly overview covered May 2025. Recently, I also published an overview of autumn 2025. It seemed nice to also publish a full year overview here now. For readers who are not familiar with the Netherlands: the places I write about are located in the Netherlands unless stated otherwise.
3 January 2025: Pacific Loon Neeltje Jans
The year 2025 started at an unprecedented high for Dutch birders when Sven Valkenburg discovered a genuine Pacific Loon in the harbour of Neeltje Jans! At that moment, it was still a new species for the Netherlands. I was able to go there the same day, just like many other birders. The next day was Saturday, and that’s when it really got busy—only the bird was no longer present. Together with Arie-Willem van der Wal, I headed towards Neeltje Jans a bit later. We decided to check another harbour first and, unbelievably, rediscovered the bird there. It was funny to see all the cars suddenly driving in our direction.
14 January 2025: Spectacled Eider Texel
Could the year start any better than with a Pacific Loon? It turned out it could, when a Spectacled Eider was discovered off the coast of Texel. Superlatives fall short to describe how special this find was. Fortunately, I was able to go to Texel the very next day and managed to see the bird at a reasonable distance. Given the exceptional nature of the record, I returned a few weeks later for a weekend to try for better photos. That worked out unexpectedly well when the bird came very close to shore. The bird would do this more often later on, but experiencing it for the first time was very special. The full story of the Spectacled Eider can also be found separately on my website.
15 February 2025: Common Scoter Brouwersdam
After such exceptionally high-quality birds, the level could only drop—and it did. For me at least, the rest of the year would not bring birds as special as those in the first month. Although: in December, Texel struck again… Still, my next highlight was a relatively tame Common Scoter that allowed much closer views than I was used to for this species. I finally managed to get a nice photo of it.
27 February 2025: Tawny Owl Limburg
At the end of February, we spent two nights searching for Wildcat in Limburg. Together with Arie-Willem van der Wal and Jacob and Albert Molenaar, we went out two nights in a row. I myself had already searched for Wildcat about nine times before, with mixed success, but I had never been able to take really good photos. On the first night we did see a European wildcat, but photographing it didn’t work. A Tawny Owl, however, did allow itself to be photographed—and that is always something to enjoy.
28 February 2025: White-throated Dipper Limburg
While birding during the day, we encountered a pair of White-throated Dippers busy building a nest. It was an exceptionally beautiful nest site in a very natural spot along a small stream. That resulted in some lovely photos!
28 February 2025: European Wildcat Limburg
Early in the evening of that same day, we had a fantastic observation of a European wildcat. This cat allowed prolonged views, much longer than we are used to with European wildcat, and for the first time I managed to get some decent photos. It could still have been better, but I was already very happy with this result.
29 March 2025: Bluethroat Groot Eiland
During a spring morning of birding, I spent some time with a Bluethroat performing song flights. I was happy with the result, showing everything: both the blue throat and the beautiful, characteristic tail. It was still a bit far away, but with a crop it doesn’t look bad at all.
8 april 2025: Marsh Sandpiper Crezéepolder
This Marsh Sandpiper showed itself quite well for a few days so I decided to go because I had never been able to photograph it well. The evening offered some nice opportunities, although I would have liked it to come even closer.
12 April 2025: Black-crowned Night Heron Nieuwvliet
Seeing these two Black-crowned Night Herons on migration was certainly a highlight of spring migration: a rare sight in the Netherlands!
21 April 2025: Sedge Warbler Nieuwe Driemanspolder
2025 was also the year I purchased the new Canon R1. Honestly, it was quite expensive, but I felt I needed a second body and it did offer extra possibilities. Photographing birds in flight reached a new level, and a displaying Sedge Warbler was a great subject to practise with.
26 April 2025: Red-throated Pipit Tienen (Belgium)
In spring, no fewer than three Red-throated Pipits were present at an inland site in Belgium. As they were in beautiful breeding plumage, I couldn’t resist going to see them. In hindsight, this did cost me a Caspian Stonechat in the Netherlands. You win some, you lose some…
30 April 2025: European Red-rumped Swallow Nieuwvliet
For me, European Red-rumped Swallow remains the ultimate species of spring migration in the Netherlands. I had already seen about five migrating birds fly past, but I had never managed to photograph one. My big goal is to photograph this species nicely in flight during migration. So during spring migration, I carefully check every swallow. I picked up my first European Red-rumped Swallow of the spring on 12 April, but that one was too fast for a photo. This bird didn’t fly ideally either—on the inside with backlight—but I managed a record shot! Now the quality still needs to improve… just keep trying!
3 May 2025: Western House Martin Hoedekenskerke
Photographing swallows is one of my favourite activities anyway. Their fast and erratic movements make them a challenge to photograph well. I was therefore very happy with this photo of a Western House Martin.
5 May 2025: Sand Martin Sophiapolder
The same was true for Sand Martin at the Sophiapolder in Zeeuws-Vlaanderen. I had never photographed this species well before either.
5 May 2025: Barn Swallow Baarland
I also managed to photograph Barn Swallow well multiple times that spring. Near Baarland, a small group regularly flew over cow parsley—a great opportunity for flight shots!
10 May 2025: Collared Pratincole Itteren
My observation of the Collared Pratincole at Itteren was also an absolute highlight of the year. By Dutch standards, it was unprecedented that such a beautiful and rare bird allowed such close views. I had seen the species before, but that didn’t stop me from leaving early in the morning for Limburg to enjoy this stunning bird in the rising sun. After several hours of patience, the bird walked past beautifully—what an incredible moment!
13 May 2025: Whiskered Tern De Blikken
On a beautiful weekday evening, I was in Zeeuws-Vlaanderen when two Whiskered Terns were found in front of the bird hide at De Blikken. I didn’t pass up that opportunity, and the birds showed themselves absolutely beautifully.
17 May 2025: Red-footed Falcon Dwingelderveld
Sometimes you have to drive quite a distance for a good observation, and that was the case with several Red-footed Falcons at Dwingelderveld. I had already seen this species well before, and it isn’t extremely rare in the Netherlands, but I find these falcons so beautiful that I was willing to make the effort. After all, why else do we have free Saturdays? Eventually, the female Red-footed Falcon hunted cockchafers at fairly close range—that’s what I came for!
17 May 2025: Cockchafer Dwingelderveld
The cockchafers themselves were also a rewarding subject to photograph. I really enjoy seeing them.
17 May 2025: Common Swift Nieuwe Driemanspolder
On the way back, I stopped by the Nieuwe Driemanspolder because I felt like spending a few hours photographing swifts. Initially, they stayed quite high in the sky, but fortunately they gradually came lower until they were more or less foraging around me. Photographing swifts is often a matter of taking lots of photos and hoping there’s a good action shot among them. One such moment came when a small group flew past in display flight, and I managed to take a few shots more or less blindly that happened to capture the group beautifully. I was very happy with that!
24 May 2025: Little Owl Kalmthout (Belgium)
This year I decided to spend more time in photography hides. I had planned to do so for a long time, but it never quite happened. The Little Owls in one of Glenn Vermeersch’s hides proved to be a rewarding subject for flight photography. More from the month of May can be found here.
7 June 2025: Middle Spotted Woodpecker Kalmthout (Belgium)
A few weeks later, I visited another photography hide. I was pleasantly surprised by the presence of a Middle Spotted Woodpecker. I had never photographed this species well before, so I was glad it finally worked out.
14 June 2025: Stag Beetle Veluwe
A morning spent searching for wolves on the Veluwe ended, as usual, in disappointment—but I was very happy to finally see my first Stag Beetle! I was even treated to a flight display. Well, “smooth” might be an overstatement, but it was great to see how this beetle attempted to fly. During take-off, all wings were spread, which immediately gave a very different appearance.
16 June 2025: Black Guillemot Borssele
Seeing a Black Guillemot in breeding plumage at close range was another highlight. The bird was moulting, so its wings didn’t look great, but with a bit of cropping you don’t notice that… I went there with batteries that were almost empty, but fortunately 30 minutes of photography were enough for some nice results!
21 June 2025: Green Frog Kalmthout
During another session in one of Glenn Vermeersch’s hides, I noticed how Green Frogs were hunting insects. That provided a fun new challenge for the day. The result certainly didn’t disappoint me: how frogs turn into little crocodiles! More from the month of June can be found here.
20 July 2025: Shoebill Mabamba Swamp (Uganda)
My only major trip this year was to Uganda. One of the highlights of the trip came right at the beginning: seeing the mythical Shoebill. More Shoebill can be found here.
21 July 2025: African Finfoot Lake Mburo (Uganda)
Another special bird we saw was the African Finfoot. The species is not supposed to be difficult at Lake Mburo, but it still took quite some time before we had a truly good observation.
24 July 2025: Grauer’s Broadbill Bwindi National Park (Uganda)
One of the most special birds we managed to see on this trip was Grauer’s Broadbill. We were very happy that it worked out! More of this species can be found here.
26 July 2025: Gorillas Bwindi National Park (Uganda)
The absolute highlight of the Uganda trip was the experience with gorillas in Bwindi National Park. What an impressive experience that was! For more gorillas, see here.
29 July 2025: Lion Queen Elizabeth National Park (Uganda)
Lions remain magnificent animals! The fact that lions in this park climb trees should make it extra special, but they do that elsewhere too. Still, it was nice that the lions we saw were actually sitting in a tree. For more Ugandan savannah, see here.
31 July 2025: Green-breasted Pitta Kibale (Uganda)
Green-breasted Pitta is also one of Uganda’s specialties. We entered the forest early, which resulted in a beautiful observation.
31 July 2025: Chimpanzees Kibale (Uganda)
The chimpanzee experience that same day was, on the one hand, comparable to the gorillas and, on the other hand, completely different. The noise the chimpanzees made, the size of the group, the chasing each other—it was an amazing experience in its own right! More from this day can be found here.
1 August 2025: White-spotted Flufftail Bigodi Swamp (Uganda)
A day later, we saw a beautiful White-spotted Flufftail. These birds are known for their secretive behaviour, so we were very happy with this sighting!
3 August 2025: Lord Derby’s Anomalure Semliki Wildlife Reserve (Uganda)
Lord Derby’s Anomalure is a flying squirrel, but of a very different kind from the flying squirrels I had already seen in Asia. I was therefore very happy when it turned out there was a regular roosting spot where we could see the animal early in the morning! Around the anomalure, there were also individuals of a new bat species for me: the Cyclops Roundleaf Bat.
3 August 2025: De Brazza’s Monkey Semliki Wildlife Reserve (Uganda)
De Brazza’s Monkey is a very special-looking monkey and also not easy to see. I was therefore glad that we managed to get good views.
5 August 2025: Pin-tailed Whydah near Murchison Falls National Park (Uganda)
Not rare, but beautiful: male Pin-tailed Whydahs were an absolute joy to watch!
6 August 2025: Abyssinian Ground Hornbill Murchison Falls National Park (Uganda)
These ground hornbills are truly iconic birds and very special to see. We were therefore happy with the beautiful group we encountered in Murchison Falls National Park.
6 August 2025: Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl Murchison Falls National Park (Uganda)
Ever since my first trip to Africa in 2018, I had really wanted to see this owl. Now it finally worked, right at the start of our night drive.
6 August 2025: Leopard Murchison Falls National Park (Uganda)
A large male Leopard just three metres from the car was a fantastic way to end our time in Murchison Falls National Park! More from Murchison Falls can be found here.
9 August 2025: Cape Buffalo Kidepo National Park (Uganda)
Seeing the Big Five is a “thing” for people who don’t know much about animals and go on holiday to Africa. It’s actually a rather strange collection of animals, mainly inspired by how huntable they were. As serious birders or mammal enthusiasts, we don’t really care about that—but still, I don’t want to miss anything either! During my visit to Africa in 2018, I managed to see everything except the buffalo. That had to be corrected, and it was. My favourite photo of this species was taken in a rainy Kidepo National Park.
9 August 2025: Patas Monkey Kidepo National Park (Uganda)
Also photographed in the rain was the Patas Monkey: the fastest monkey in the world on the ground. Something different again—and a beautiful monkey as well!
6 September 2025: Peregrine Falcon Kwade Hoek
Back in the Netherlands, seeing this young Peregrine Falcon at close range on the beach of Kwade Hoek was a new highlight. I already guided several excursions for Dagje in de Natuur in this area, but a bird of prey sitting on the beach always remains special. This time, it was the Peregrine’s turn.
27 September 2025: Bonaparte’s Gull Den Helder
During a pelagic trip for Dagje in de Natuur, we discovered a Bonaparte’s Gull. This gull is very rare in the Netherlands, so encountering it like this was very special.
4 October 2025: Snow Bunting Westkapelle
The interaction between this Snow Bunting and a few Ruddy Turnstones was great to watch. That resulted in some different photos again!
18 October 2025: Northern Fulmar North Sea
During another pelagic trip for Dagje in de Natuur, we saw a beautiful Northern Fulmar. This is truly a species you want to see from a boat, as they rarely pass close from shore.
18 October 2025: Great Skua North Sea
A young Great Skua was another highlight of that day.
28 October 2025: Sabine’s Gull Maasvlakte
A young Sabine’s Gull stayed at the Maasvlakte for several days. At the end of a working day, I drove there and managed to photograph the bird at close range.
8 November 2025: Eastern Subalpine Warbler Maasvlakte
An Eastern Subalpine Warbler was found relatively late in the season at the Maasvlakte. As I was already birding nearby, I went to have a look. The bird was difficult to see, but fortunately I managed to get a few record shots in flight.
8 November 2025: Pallas’s Leaf Warbler Maasvlakte
In a complex of bushes and scrub, there was also a Pallas’s Leaf Warbler. I had missed this species during the autumn, even though many were seen. I wasn’t entirely satisfied with the photos, but it remains a very beautiful species.
22 November 2025: Hume’s Leaf Warbler Vlissingen
A species I hadn’t seen for many years was Hume’s Leaf Warbler. It was therefore nice to see the species again—and now also photograph it.
26 November 2025: Desert Wheatear Noordwijk
Towards the end of the autumn migration season, this Desert Wheatear was found. I had long wanted to photograph this species properly, and with this bird it worked out. Fortunately, I had a moment during the week when I could go.
20 December 2025: Black-faced Bunting Texel
Towards the end of the year came the bird many birders in the Netherlands had been hoping for and searching for: Black-faced Bunting! This autumn, there were strikingly many records of this species in Western Europe, raising expectations for the Netherlands. These expectations were further fuelled by several trapped and ringed birds and even a field observation of a bird passing a migration watchpoint at Westenschouwen. I had hoped there might still be a winter record—and luckily that came true when this bird was found on Texel. I’m curious whether this will be the only bird of the winter or if more will turn up. This one is in the bag, at least!
20 December 2025: Spectacled Eider Texel
A visit to Texel naturally also means a visit to the Spectacled Eider, which is still faithfully holding its position after briefly disappearing in summer together with the eiders. The bird went through its moult period along—and often on—the shore. It kept that habit afterwards, and so we were able to see it up close again. Sadly, about a week after my visit, the bird was found visibly weakend and taken into care. We hope the bird will recover!
But the year did start and end with the Spectacled Eider! And hopefully, thanks to the good care of Ecomare Texel, it will still be there in 2026. In between, many things happened, but it was clear that the emphasis, bird-wise, lay at the beginning of the year. I’m curious to see what next year will bring. My intention is to spend more time on my cat list again and add a few new species.
