I started birding shortly after my brother joined a 'nature study group' Aristoteles (Aristotel) on the Praedinius Gymnasium in Groningen. This was in the year 1976. At first by walking around in the neighborhood (local parks), then, slowly, expanding the birding territory by bicycling and by train. We birded as a family, both brothers (Bert and Sybrand) and their parent (Pia and Iwe).
We visited (by bycicle and/or bus) the Lauwersmeer, Oostpolder, Eemshaven etc. 'Local patches', of wich Lauwersmeer is a nature reserve of world fame.
Holiday visits were to France (the Alps, Brittany, the Camarque, La Crau), England.
We started birding more and more. Summer holidays were spent to bird weeks on end. Nearly every spare moment was spent on birding (in the field, or by 'reading' bird guides). We visited countries like Austria, Spain, Norway, Sweden, Denmark.
From 1982 to 1986 there was a turning point, or rather, a turning period: from birder to twitcher. The need to see more bird species grew. Finding new bird species ourselves became rather difficult. Our knowledge of bird identification grew with those years, theoretically by reading quite a lot (it's quite a complicated study in itself) and by watching and studying birds in the field.
Father Iwe, Bert (my brother) and I became quite well known twitchers. Known faces. De de Bruintjes. Turning up at every possible new species for us.
From 1986 on we became full fletched twitchers. In those early years of twitching it was not surprising for us to 'get called away' a lot. Ticking off species seen in remote parts of the Netherlands like Zeeuws Vlaanderen, Maasvlakte, Texel etc. Not once a week, but sometimes three, four times.
The 'need' to see new species, and the need to study different species in the field, also extended to our 'holidays'. In fact those holidays became trips 'working' on our lists: Western Palearctic and the whole world. Countries visited (apart from those allready mentioned): Oman, Israel, Peru, Costa Rica, Colombia, South Africa. Costa Rica and South Africa we visited as the family, the others were visited by the brothers.
From 2006 on I became a little tired of twitching. Twitching is a lifestyle you do full hearted (or fool heartedly ;)), or you don't. At least I think so.
Well, here's some pictures of me, obviously shot by other people than me.
(top of the page): South Africa. A Jackass Penguin, and me. Boulder's Beach, South Africa.
My brother and me at Harold Porter (obviously NOT Harry Potter) gardens, South Africa.
A picture taken by my brother Bert. We took pictures of each other after having seen Hottentot Buttonquail, in South Africa.
Yet another pic from South Africa. Road side birding, me checking something with the telescope. My father (Iwe) and brother (Bert) in the background. Picture taken by my mother (Pia).
Bert and me at Karoopoort, South Africa. Don't worry about the red shirts. I put on a clean one every day (especially during those trips to 'hot' countries).
I can fly ;-) .. from Norway ;-)
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