When you start the tour in Durgerdam you see the IJmeer (IJ Lake) on your right hand (direction south-west). The IJmeer is a shallow fresh water basin and part of the IJ, the natural port of Amsterdam. Because the IJ is connected via the Noordzee canal to the North Sea it is often a little brackish. Marine fishes and all kind invertebrates may migrate up to the IJmeer. The IJmeer is used as foraging site by many nesting water birds during Spring/Summer season as well as overwintering site by winter guests. Large numbers of birds nest in the nearby oldest Dutch national park the Naardermeer and in the Pen Island (Peneiland) reedbeds of the Diemerzeedike.
If you skate on the cycle-path on top of the IJsselmeer-dike the Markermeer is on your right and the Waterlandpolder is on your left. You look over the Waterlandpolder. Skating on the dike gives you a beautiful view of the birds in the water and near the shoreline, while other birds fly over the dike between the polder and the lake. In high Summer swallows may follow the cyclists and skaters on the dike. They fly just behind you or parallel with you, hoping to catch the swarming insects (e.g. lekking midges) around your head.
If you have passed the village Uitdam (7 km) and the small harbour you skate along some shrubs (willows and alders) and reed land. Other protected reedbeds are on your right hand on the shores of the Gouwzee; the third basin of the tour after the T-crossing (N518), direction Monnickendam. Here you can see birds of prey such as harriers and buzzards. Recently, the northern goshawk has returned; they breed in Pen Island near the Diemerzeedike. The common kestrel uses lampposts as lookouts. If you're very lucky you may seen the rare peregrine from a small breeding population in nearby Flevoland (polder). Although rare, ospreys and hobbies seem to be present (but not seen by me). Message for night skaters: the little owl and the tawny owl are the most common owls.
A large number of common, rare or shy birds occur in the reedbeds and bushes of the Markermeer and the Gouwzee, such as pipits, tits and warblers, finches, sparrows and buntings. However, I added only a few species to the list, because most of them are too cryptic to be spotted by skaters. If you're good at song identification you will certainly hear many other species. One of the most striking, but not commonly spotted is the bluethroat. The bearded tit usually breeds in Flevoland, but may be sometimes observed here.
The most beautiful panoramic view over the Markermeer is near the lighthouse of the former island of Marken (see tour description). It's an excellent place to observe migratory birds, but in Winter and early Spring it can be very cold here. So, this is not a really good place for a sweaty skater. For a nice view over the Gouwzee go back to the picturesque village of Marken (Kerkbuurt). If you don't like the crowded terraces on the boulevard go to the dike near Kerkbuurt; this is a nice place to stare at the Gouwzee (especially at summer's nightfall it's a place for lovers and dreamers).
The meadow birds can best be spotted in Waterland while skating from Zuiderwoude to Ransdorp, but they also occur in the meadows of Marken Island all the way up to the lighthouse (crowded on Sundays). Meadow birds can be best divided into breeding and migratory species. Some breeding species may be common for several months from early Spring until late-Summer. The black-tailed godwit is very abundant. The birds are hardly afraid of skaters and can be approached up to 4-5 meters as long as you're moving. Other common breeding birds are the grey heron, the oystercatcher, the northern lapwing, the ruff, the curlew, the common snipe, common redshank and the sky lark. Migratory birds such as the whimbrel, the common snipe, the common greenshank, the common sandpiper, the green sandpiper and the spotted redshank may locally be abundant for shorter times. They are often rather shy. Eurasian spoonbills are also shy. Waterland is one of the most nearby foraging sites of this species that breeds in the Naardermeer. If they choose not to go far from their nest they prey upon small fishes, especially sticklebacks, in the ditches of the polders near Amsterdam. The white stork was once extinct in The Netherlands, but has come back via successful breeding programs. Nowadays non-migrating offspring from these breedings may sometimes be seen again in the meadows hunting frogs and moles.
Finally, I have listed all kinds of common and less common smaller birds which are not associated with particular landscape elements or special habitats. They can be spotted in the villages or on a terrace, near the farms, in trees and shrubs and on the road. If you take a rest in one of the more quiet villages, e.g. Zuiderwoude or Ransdorp, you may see many of them. Be there at the right time and look in the gardens, stay near the church and feel happy in the graveyard.
HAPPY SKATING AND GOOD LUCK!
In early Spring the ringed grass snake (ringslang, Natrix natrix) may be
seen sunbathing on the basalt blocks in the dike or swimming in the water.
Both sexes of this non-venomous species often have a bright highly
contrasting yellow band or two spots just behind the head. The snake is a
typical faunal element of the wetland area preying on worms, small fishes
and amphibians, whereas itself is eaten by the marsh harrier. Length of the
adult female up to 1.25 m or even longer and the male much smaller 75 to 90
cm.
Once otters were common in The Netherlands, but now they are probably
completely wiped-out through a combination of water pollution, habitat loss
and destruction of small-scaled landscape elements, e.g. culverts under
dikes. Otters are well known victims of car accidents particularly because
they are unable to estimate the speed of cars. Probably the last Dutch
otter was killed on a road in 1987 (province of Drenthe). So, the chance to
see any otter, dead or alive, is close to zero. A few years ago people
started a rehabilitation progam aimed to reintroduce the otter in a number
of protected wetland reserves.
I thank the bird experts Jan Sevenster (also a skater) and Hans Slabbekoorn
and co-skater Just van den Broecke for comments and discussion.
The city-council of Amsterdam approved a nasty plan to build 18.000 houses
and apartments on six artificial islands in the IJmeer (IJ Lake). This new
suburban will be called IJburg. The plan will be realized in only 10 years
(between 2000 and 2010). Nature will be seriously threatened and ecologists
predict the disappearance of many bird species and holocausts of the grass
snake populations and amphibians including some rare mammals (shrews) and
other important underwater life flora and fauna. Why?
The coming suburban housing complex will take up 800 hectares or 1200
soccer pitches of the open water of the IJmeer. The municipal officers say
this is only 6% percent of the total surface of the lake, but the
supporting infrastructure will take another part of the land of the
Diemerzeedike up to the important Pen island where several bird species
nest. So, environmentalists and motivated citizens argue that the housing
complex will take up to 20% of the lake instead of 6% as indicated by the
propaganda machine of the Amsterdam municipality. If every apartment has 3
residents, on average, I calculate that about 54.000 people will live in
this concrete desert and use the IJmeer and its surroundings as recreation
area.
Another fact is that the people who are going to live in IJburg will
be motivated by the water sport facilities. So, it is expected that one day
2000 to 4000 yachts, sailing boats, surfboards, speedboats etc. will be on
the water. It is the end of the last quiet place so close to the city of
Amsterdam. The effect will be that migrating and thus shy water and reed
land birds coming from the northern tundra's or African shorelines will be
driven away from their foraging sites and will be banned to other uncertain
resorts. Other migrating and shy species such as grass snakes, toads and
salamanders will be prevented in their attempts to contact other local
subpopulations in closely connected areas. They will become extinct in a
short time. I do not known what will happen to the underwater life and
smaller mammals, such as rare shrews, or the arthropods because their
species and numbers have not been sufficiently monitored. The IJmeer is
part of a fine and subtle web of wetland ecosystems including Naardermeer,
Ankeveense Plassen, Loosdrechtse and Vinkeveense Plassen up to the Green
Hart of Holland (Mid-Holland). So, by building IJburg other wetlands will
also suffer with the disadvantageous consequences.
Besides IJburg more threatening future plans exist, such as the reclamation
of 90% of the much larger Markermeer into the Markerwaard(a huge polder).
Fortunately, the impoldering of the Markermeer will be a national decision=
,
but its future is not safe because of the shady and shifty roles of both
the Ministry of Transport and Public Works and that of Ministry for
Housing, Regional Development and the Environment as well as many national
concrete-loving representatives with a narrow outlook on nature as we know
so well from the Amsterdam city-councillors.
Bird List
Reptile look-out
Asphalt cadavers
Except for birds, a number of (rare or/and nocturnal) mammals, reptiles,
amphibians and fishes (e.g. eel=paling) can regularly be found dead and
flat on the road as victims of car accidents. Many animals migrate and
cross dangerous roads at night without a notion of speed traffic. If you're
skating on the IJsselmeerdike or Uitdammerdike look downstairs on the road.
Especially in the morning you will have a chance to see any object of
interest. Amphibians (toads), shrews and rodents are often too small to be
recognized, but a dead grass snake or a large eel, rabbits and hares and of
coarse, a hedgehog are all possibilities. Live hedgehogs may be seen at
dusk or in Autumn by day, be careful not to hit them with your skates as
they immediately stop walking and roll up. A dead pinemarten (boommarter)
forms a rare, but very special attraction. The pinemarten is a nocturnal
animal, that's why it is seldom seen alive. The species is not particularly
associated with a wetland fauna, but the males are known to migrate for
long distances and may become an asphalt victim in this way.
Buzzards and kites (not observed in Waterland so far) are known to be keen
on finding and eating asphalt cadavers.
Acknowledgements
EPILOGUE
THE IJ LAKE UNDER THREAT OF THE EXPANSION POLITICS OF THE CORPORATION OF
AMSTERDAM
A Nasty Plan