Bird-watching screen Alloo - De Koog

The Alloo is a low-lying nature reserve along the inner dune edge, just south of De Koog, opposite pole 17 and the road towards Ecomare. For centuries, this was a marshy landscape with a dune lake, which in the 19th century was drained via a ditch, the current dune ditch. As a result, the lake slowly grew dense and a damp grassland was created.

To restore the original landscape, the Forestry Commission started flattening meadows next to the marsh a few years ago. This created a transition from wet to wet terrain, which is favourable for rare plants and animals. Horses graze in the meadows, and spotted orchids and other unusual flora flourish.

At the edge of the forest, a Bird Watching Screen has been installed from where you have a good view of the open water. Here you can spot birds such as wheatears, white wagtails, lapwings, black-tailed godwits and redshanks. There are also plants such as crow heather, tormentil, water sedge and beaked seagrass.