Autumn storm @Lauwersoog

Slightly delayed due to a Helgoland-visit; an impression of the storm last week.
Although Sabine's Gull was missing it was an excellent day with all 4 species of Skua and several Leach's Petrels.

I arrived rather late and started with a Gannet, always promising

And then there was a fine Long-tailed Skua, and it was rather close!

same bird, a light-phase juvenile

the Long-tailed was escorted by 2 Arctic Skuas

note the difference in colour tone

2 adults and an immature Pomarine Skua. I do not see often adult birds of the dark phase 

Leach's Petrel, normally they stay rather far out but this one was close; it flew over the road in front of me but then turned around to the sea again

same bird

brilliant birds!

Helgoland report soon, including more petrels, skuas and Red-breasted Flycatchers

Great Skua

Many hundreds were seen during the storm last wednesday. This immature took a rest on the beach at Wijk aan Zee. It was still strong enough to steal several fish from the gulls.

Storm!

A few days after the strongest winds; Great Skua and impressive light at Wijk aan Zee.

More skua tomorrow

Sicily - more Red-footed Falcons

A small flock of 4 males and a female, probably forced down by the low temperature in combination with the strong winds. They were hunting for insects along a reed bed and sitting on the ground. Brilliant birds!

Sicily

The birding highlight of a non-birding holiday:-)
Messina was calm, the chicken was only heard but a small flock of these stunning falcons gave a nice show. I will add more soon.

adult male Red-footed Falcon, Trapani salt pans

Brown Shrike - Den Helder

A long-stayer; it is in urban/park area for several weeks now. The first addition to my Dutch list since long time (the Lauwersoog Chretzschmar's Bunting might actually be the previous)

feeding on the ground for insects and worms

and another image of wednesday's Iceland Gull

Winter has not ended yet; another Iceland Gull

A short late afternoon trip today, and I decided to bike on the beach in search of gulls. And succeeded! This boldly patterned 1st-winter was at Scheveningen and Meijendel during January and as far as I know has not been seen for several weeks now. Today it was at Heemskerk, and it is a beauty!

first-winter Iceland Gull - the primary pattern is exactly the same as the remarkable Scheveningen bird in January.

These are my first pictures with the D500 (that replaced a D3). I am very pleased with the autofocus accuracy and image quality (moderate crop on ISO1000, JPEG).

Another Iceland

Again a beautiful first-winter at Wijk aan Zee - Noordpier, a different one than 2 weeks ago (note the patterned primaries). Last week I saw a 2nd-winter at close range here but no camera..

Iceland Gull

one of the many that invaded the Netherlands last week @Wijk aan Zee

the recent storm resulted in millions of shells and starfish on the beach. many 1000's of large gulls have gathered in a huge feeding frenzy

same bird (a first-winter)

Another day at the office

But almost immediately after I left Kornwerderzand there was this strange bird flying above the Afsluitdijk. It reminded me shortly of a Green Sandpiper with the white belly and black underwings but the erratic flight soon confirmed it to be a pratincole!
The next exit was a few kilometers away so I needed some minutes to turn and take the secondary road but luckily the bird was still there, hunting for insects above the dike. No real camera so only some records shot with the phone, but it was really close! There was direct sunlight on the underwings frequently and they were clearly black; Black-winged Pratincole!

After a few minutes I lost the bird when I was checking if there were any useful images on the phone.

Afsluitdijk km 98.4

update soon

busy times, crashed computer and other priorities
Below is a Common Loon at Quabbin Reservoir, Boston, from last June.
Several of these brilliant birds showed really close, more soon!

and more Red-footed Falcons!

Another 4; a migrating female almost hit my car close to Makkum and late in the afternoon we found 3 hunting birds during an excursion along the IJsselmeer-coast (on the Makkumer Noordwaard, together with at least 2 Ospreys!).

more falcons from Fochteloerveen

Interesting small Kestrel with short rounded wings and short tail, this falcon also hunted on dragonflies while migrating east.

Apparently the length of the outer primaries are diagnostic for Common Kestrel, but it looks rather smaller (lesser:-)