Kraanvogels De Groote Peel

Why De Groote Peel is so special for crane photography

Every year in October and November, De Groote Peel draws thousands of cranes. They use the raised bog as a resting place during their migration south. That produces images you cannot make this close anywhere else in the Netherlands: large groups of birds flying low over the open peat, landing or taking off, all against a sky that on an early morning can still be pink or orange.

De Groote Peel sits on the border of Limburg and Noord-Brabant, near Ospel. It is a national park, so you stick to the paths. That is no restriction here. The paths run alongside open water and peatland with long sightlines, which actually helps when photographing birds in flight.

Light and timing

The golden moment is the first hour after sunrise. The cranes sleep on the large, open pools and take off as soon as it gets light. If you arrive on time, they are still close to the roost. Later in the morning they spread out over the surrounding farmland to feed.

Overcast mornings work surprisingly well. The light is even and you avoid harsh shadows. In mist it gets really interesting: cranes emerging from a grey void are a classic in crane photography.

Focal length and settings

Count on at least 400mm, preferably more. The birds are not particularly shy, but the distances are large in this open landscape. A teleconverter can help, especially when capturing stationary groups. For birds in flight you want a shutter speed of at least 1/1000 second, so adjust your ISO to suit the light. ISO 800 or ISO 1600 is perfectly normal on an early morning.

Practical information

There are several car parks around the park. Car park De Pelen on the Moostdijk near Ospel is a good base for reaching the roost sites. The park is freely accessible and you do not need a permit to photograph from the paths. Do arrive before sunrise, as the best action lasts only half an hour to an hour. In spring there are also cranes passing through on their way north, but the numbers are smaller than in autumn.

Sources and further reading

• Nationaal Park De Groote Peel
• Staatsbosbeheer – De Groote Peel
• Sovon Vogelonderzoek Nederland – Kraanvogel