A slight delay in the publication, but it is still summer today! Below images from a visit to Rottumerplaat during the last days of september. A rather strong northwesterly wind resulted in some nice observation of seabirds; 2 Long-tailed Skua's, some Arctic and Great Skua's, several Leach's Petrels and a Sooty Shearwater. Passerine migration was low but we still saw some Yellow-browed Warblers. And plenty of waders of course!
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| small skua swimming next to the ship in rough sea |
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| Long-tailed! |
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| Same bird in flight; note the cold tones, nicely barred under and upper tail feathers, white in primaries restricted to the 2 outermost. |
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| Gulls - high tide roost |
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| Waders gathering for high tide. We counted good numbers of Knot, Grey Plover and Bar-tailed Godwit. |
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| Counting the other island (Rottumeroog) |
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| One of the 2 Yellow-browed Warblers in the garden, later one of them gained height over the Wadden Sea and departed. |
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| Yellow-browed Warbler |
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| Adult and immature Great Skua. They both spent some days on the beach and caused major panic over the saltmarshes. The Shellduck was caught by surprise and killed brutally by the adult. I will add some more pictures of this mean duo later. |
