The month of May is pre-eminently a month for bird watching on Texel. May is considered one of the most bird-rich months on the island.

Bird watching in may

This month the night swallow and woodcock are expected, on a quiet evening they can be clearly seen and heard in De Dennen.

In May the colonies of large terns return to strength on the Wadden side. They breed in both Wagejot and Utopia and can be seen very well there.

The ruff also appears again. This bird has an impressive collar and often uses Texel as a resting place for migrating to Poland, among others. The ruff can be seen beautifully from the Wadwachtershut at Dijkmanshuizen and in Waalenburg.

With a little luck, bee-eaters will also be seen on Texel in May. Everyone thinks these can only be seen in Southern Europe, but nothing could be further from the truth!

Tip: look up

Also pay attention to the sky. Often many birds of prey are seen with east wind. The larger migratory birds are being driven towards the coast by the east wind. The first wasp thieves are expected to show themselves in the coming weeks. The osprey set sail for Scandinavia and also regularly fly over Texel.

On the Wad, the groups of waders of canoes and red-tailed godwits are getting bigger and bigger. Especially with high tide you can see them at Volharding at Cocksdorp and at Schorren. Here the numbers can go up to 10,000 birds!

Watten Vogelfestival

The Wadden Bird Festival takes place in May. The initiators are the Vogelinformatiecentrum and the National Park Duinen van Texel. It promises to be plenty of bird-related activities for a weekend. Guides are available at the bird watching points to tell you everything about the birds and the area. Bird excursions are also organized, there is a binoculars show and a Bird market. The event is not only fun for bird lovers, but also for anyone who wants to get acquainted with the bird species on Texel.

More spring on Texel