birds · Netherlands
Black-tailed gowid
Grutto · Limosa limosa
A Familiar Voice of Spring
From late February or early March, their familiar calls begin to return to the wet meadows and marshlands. Soon after, you start seeing them again across the landscape. The Black-tailed Godwit gets its Dutch name, Grutto, from its distinctive call, which sounds remarkably like “grutto, grutto.” In summer, the male is especially striking, with warm orange-brown colouring on the head, neck and breast.
Selected work
Featured photographs
Field notes
My encounters
Morning and evening are my favourite times to look for them, especially across flooded meadows and polders where they often gather in groups. For a short period, Icelandic Black-tailed Godwits can also be encountered around Breebaartpolder, Lauwersmeer and Ezumakeeg, making these wetlands particularly interesting places to visit with the camera.