Seasonal calendar · The Netherlands
From wintering geese to the red deer rut on the Veluwe: this is the year in Dutch nature, month by month. For each month you can also see what is in season at the poulterer and the fishmonger.
Nature does not follow the calendar: depending on the weather, everything can happen a few weeks earlier or later. Ask your poulterer or fishmonger what is fresh right now.
Winter
| Month | In nature | In the kitchen |
|---|---|---|
| December | Grey seals give birth on the sandbanks of the Wadden Sea; wild boar mating season; hundreds of thousands of geese spend the winter here | Game on the Christmas menu; mussels and Zeeland oysters |
| January | The largest flocks of geese in Friesland, Groningen and Zeeland; beaver mating season | Wild boar stews; zander |
| February | Young badgers are born in the sett; pike start to spawn; harbour porpoises often come close to the coast | Mussels and oysters, still into spring |
Spring
| Month | In nature | In the kitchen |
|---|---|---|
| March | Male moor frogs turn blue for a few days; the spoonbill is back from Africa; the first wild boar piglets | Sole and other North Sea flatfish |
| April | The adder emerges from hibernation; the kingfisher digs its nest tunnel; greylag geese nest | Sea bass and sole |
| May | Roe deer fawns lie hidden in the grass: do not touch; ducklings follow their mother | North Sea brown shrimp and edible crab |
Summer
| Month | In nature | In the kitchen |
|---|---|---|
| June | Harbour seal pups are born on the sandbanks; fallow deer fawns in the dunes | Hollandse Nieuwe: new-season herring |
| July | Roe deer rut; male ducks moult | Start of the new mussel season; red mullet |
| August | The roe deer rut continues; seals moult on the sandbanks | Mussels, shrimp and red mullet |
Autumn
| Month | In nature | In the kitchen |
|---|---|---|
| September | Start of the red deer rut on the Veluwe; the first geese arrive from the north | Start of the game season at the poulterer; the oyster season begins |
| October | Peak and end of the red deer rut; fallow deer rut; adult eels migrate to the sea | Roe deer, hare, pheasant and mallard |
| November | Geese reach their highest numbers; the first grey seal pups | Venison and wild boar stews; whelk |
Out and about: read where to go seal spotting in Zeeland, see seals in the Wadden Sea, watch white-tailed eagles and wintering geese, experience the rut on the Veluwe and spot wildlife on the Veluwe all year round. More about the wolf in the Netherlands.
Frequently asked questions
Questions about the seasons in the Netherlands
When can you see the most geese in the Netherlands?
From November to February, with the highest numbers in midwinter.
When are seal pups born in the Netherlands?
Harbour seals give birth in June and July. Grey seals give birth in winter, from about late November to January.
When is the red deer rut on the Veluwe?
From about mid-September to mid-October. Read all about it in our guide to the rut on the Veluwe.
When is mussel season?
The season for Zeeland mussels starts in July and runs into spring.
Other countries: Belgium · Germany · France · Spain. Or see the general seasonal calendar and all animals in the Netherlands.
