Back from Africa!

And building a nest again, they don't seem to be interested in using the nest from last year.
Bird migration is fascinating, just imagine the effort it took to make the trip; find your way south through Belgium and France, crossing the Pyrenees, the Mediteranean Sea, avoiding Eleonora's Falcon, over the Sahara, wintering between Elephants and Lions, and finding the way back north again to a barn in a remote village somewhere in Groningen:-) Welcome!

That's the good news. The other news is that I have been very busy last weeks, there were no eastern winds and my CF-card crashed... Lauwersmeer was full of birds this weekend and I hope to recover and later present some pictures of Swifts, Osprey, Yellow Wagtail and others.

Meanwhile enjoy some from the archives, sorry!;

Noordkaap

Southeast today. A day were solution 5.03 for Hedwigepolder was presented, and rejected.... The day that an alternative implementation of partially flooding was presented; dry at low tide and wet at high tide:-)
A slow start due to rain made me leave Noordkaap shortly to search for Wrynecks, the only result is that I missed the highlight of the day... But it was a very entertaining day anyway with 5 early Dotterels (noticed by call), 2 Ospreys, 2 Black and a Red Kite, a Short-eared Owl, several Hen Harriers and fast-as-always Merlin, 3 Med Gulls and 100s of Swallows.

And one from Ezumakeeg few days ago, note the Icelandic;

 day

Finished, winds can turn east now :-)

Barn Swallow

Saw my first Barn Swallow today, rather late but except Switserland I haven't been birding for many weeks, because of the Barn Swallow. They bred in my barn last year, and I use the barn for working with wood and painting. I really do not want to disturb them if they will return so I need to be finished with construction works in advance. But I think I am on schedule!

Switserland

Driving 2500 kilometers in 3 days and still have time to enjoy friends, a Pygmy Owl, The Office UK, White-backed Woodpecker, the Alps and Armenian Cognac. It is possible!

Birding started at Gurnigel but after a long drive we arrived rather late. A walk at the best spot for Three-toed Woodpecker and Pygmy Owl produced only a calling Nutcracker, and a distant Golden Eagle.

So we decided to have a try further along the road, and one of the first birds was a Pygmy Owl! The bird gave an excellent show but stayed high in the trees so digiscoping was the only option;

Searching Wallcreeper at Beatushohlen and a twitching a Little Crake on a very very small ditch were unsuccesfull.

The next day we had a try on White-backed Woodpecker. This species is very difficult to find in Switserland, mainly because it's preferred breeding habitat is inaccessable steep forests. We tried a location were some birds were observed in the previous years, and were rewarded with good views of both a male and a female!

In the afternoon we tried to see the long-staying summer plumage Great Northern Diver on Bodensee and although the surface of the lake was completely flat we could not find it. But several summer plumaged Arctic Divers and Red-necked Grebes were a nice bonus.

Late afternoon brought us near the Rhine where another Little Crake was seen early in the day. The Crake did not reappear but I never saw a Water Rail this close! It completely ignored us as it was feeding on worms, and it was funny to see how it cleaned the catch in the water before swallowing.

The last morning we did some local birding; Katzensee produced a nice flock of Penduline Tits;

And I reeaaally enjoyed the Red Kites!!!