March 2021 - 2 days birding in de Achterhoek

Still not being allowed to travel abroad due to the ongoing Corona restrictions, on 27 March 2021, I travelled to an area in the eastern part of The Netherlands called "De Achterhoek" to go birding for two days.
Knowing that a pair of Eurasian Eagle-Owls are nesting this time of year in a stone quarry in Winterswijk, I decided to visit them to see these magnificent birds for the first time in my own country.

In addition, I drove a little north to cross the border to Germany to have a look at the flamingos that come to breed every year in the Nature Reserve Zwillbrocker Venn.
I also paid a short visit to the Burlo-Vardingholter Venn Nature Reserve in Germany, just south of Winterswijk, which holds a magnificent peatland and wet meadows.