From sand extraction to nature reserve
De Banen is a nature reserve in Nederweert that was created by former mineral extraction. Close to the street, just a few minutes' walk away, is a birdwatching hut with its foundations in the water. If you are staying for a longer period at Holiday Home De Luysmolen, this hut is definitely worth a visit for bird photographers.

Bustle on a small island
During the breeding season, a small colony of spoonbills lives together with cormorants on an island opposite the hut. This is also a popular foraging spot for herons. You can spot blue herons, great white egrets, little egrets and cattle egrets. The latter are regularly seen grazing on the young cows in the adjacent meadows of the nature reserve. Black storks and common storks are also frequent visitors. Kingfishers and little grebes come within a few metres of the viewing holes.

Please note! The height of the water table greatly determines the view from this birdwatching hut. We visited it several times in 2024 when the water level was very high and reached the hut. During prolonged droughts, such as in previous years, the water receded to the deeper pool further away from this spot, making it impossible to take photographs at close range.