Maikel de BakkerWings Over Water — Zoutelande’s Coastal Birdlife<br>
<br>
What do you see when you’re at the sea? Some see waves and endless sky. I see movement, feathers, and stories. At Zoutelande, seabirds are more than background scenery — they are coastal sentinels, perfectly adapted to a life between land and sea.<br>
<br>
I photographed a mix of species: adult gulls perched on wave breakers, keeping a watchful eye on the tide, and a juvenile Larus cachinnans (Pontische Meeuw or Caspian Gull) resting quietly on a boardwalk, still growing into its adult plumage. These gulls are skilled opportunists — coastal recyclers playing a vital role in the ecosystem.<br>
<br>
Among them, a special guest: Haematopus longirostris, the Australian Pied Oystercatcher. A striking species with a powerful bill and strong personality, often mistaken for a local — but likely a rare visitor or misidentification (since they don't normally appear in Europe). Either way, a reminder of the magic of migration and the surprises nature offers.<br>
<br>
Shot with my Canon 5D Mark III and the Sigma 100–400mm lens, these images capture the texture of the coast: salt on the wind, waves on the shore, and wings in the sky.<br>
<br>
Where there are birds, there is life — and always something worth protecting.<br>
<br>
—<br>
<br>
<a href="https://pixelfed.social/discover/tags/zoutelande?src=hash" class="u-url hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#zoutelande</a> <a href="https://pixelfed.social/discover/tags/birdphotography?src=hash" class="u-url hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#birdphotography</a> <a href="https://pixelfed.social/discover/tags/seabirds?src=hash" class="u-url hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#seabirds</a> <a href="https://pixelfed.social/discover/tags/pontischemeeuw?src=hash" class="u-url hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#pontischemeeuw</a> <a href="https://pixelfed.social/discover/tags/laruscachinnans?src=hash" class="u-url hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#laruscachinnans</a> <a href="https://pixelfed.social/discover/tags/oystercatcher?src=hash" class="u-url hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#oystercatcher</a> <a href="https://pixelfed.social/discover/tags/haematopuslongirostris?src=hash" class="u-url hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#haematopuslongirostris</a> <a href="https://pixelfed.social/discover/tags/canonwildlife?src=hash" class="u-url hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#canonwildlife</a> <a href="https://pixelfed.social/discover/tags/sigma100400?src=hash" class="u-url hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#sigma100400</a> <a href="https://pixelfed.social/discover/tags/wildlifelens?src=hash" class="u-url hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#wildlifelens</a> <a href="https://pixelfed.social/discover/tags/coastallife?src=hash" class="u-url hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#coastallife</a> <a href="https://pixelfed.social/discover/tags/dutchcoast?src=hash" class="u-url hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#dutchcoast</a> <a href="https://pixelfed.social/discover/tags/vogelfotografie?src=hash" class="u-url hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#vogelfotografie</a> <a href="https://pixelfed.social/discover/tags/birdlovers?src=hash" class="u-url hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#birdlovers</a> <a href="https://pixelfed.social/discover/tags/coastalbirds?src=hash" class="u-url hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#coastalbirds</a> <a href="https://pixelfed.social/discover/tags/natuurfotografie?src=hash" class="u-url hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#natuurfotografie</a> <a href="https://pixelfed.social/discover/tags/naturejournalism?src=hash" class="u-url hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#naturejournalism</a> <a href="https://pixelfed.social/discover/tags/birdwatching?src=hash" class="u-url hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#birdwatching</a> <a href="https://pixelfed.social/discover/tags/oceanwildlife?src=hash" class="u-url hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#oceanwildlife</a> <a href="https://pixelfed.social/discover/tags/shorebirds?src=hash" class="u-url hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#shorebirds</a> <a href="https://pixelfed.social/discover/tags/ornithology?src=hash" class="u-url hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#ornithology</a> <a href="https://pixelfed.social/discover/tags/nederlandnature?src=hash" class="u-url hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#nederlandnature</a> <a href="https://pixelfed.social/discover/tags/featheredfriends?src=hash" class="u-url hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#featheredfriends</a> <a href="https://pixelfed.social/discover/tags/birdsoftheworld?src=hash" class="u-url hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#birdsoftheworld</a> <a href="https://pixelfed.social/discover/tags/gulls?src=hash" class="u-url hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#gulls</a> <a href="https://pixelfed.social/discover/tags/wildlifeinsight?src=hash" class="u-url hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#wildlifeinsight</a> <a href="https://pixelfed.social/discover/tags/ecologyawareness?src=hash" class="u-url hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#ecologyawareness</a> <a href="https://pixelfed.social/discover/tags/conservationphotography?src=hash" class="u-url hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#conservationphotography</a> <a href="https://pixelfed.social/discover/tags/maikeldebakker?src=hash" class="u-url hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#maikeldebakker</a> <a href="https://pixelfed.social/discover/tags/eurobirds?src=hash" class="u-url hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#eurobirds</a> <a href="https://pixelfed.social/discover/tags/lensbasedstories?src=hash" class="u-url hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#lensbasedstories</a>