More Helgoland

Helgoland

Autumn migration is ending, a last try on Helgoland for this season. Fair numbers of migrants including the long-staying(?) OB-Pipit, a confiding Little Bunting, several small flocks of Waxwing and of course the Rose-coloured Starling. A beautifull species! That is, if in fresh adult pumage, healthy, clean and dry:-)

More pictures later, including not the Eastern-crowned Warbler, not the Isabelline Shrike and not a Raddes Warbler.

And more birding Sein

Some highlights of the week;

Impressive movement of Balearic Shearwaters, several 100-s were cruising around Sein in the beginning of the week, together with 1000s Gannet. We also recorded 2 Manx and 25 Sooties, a Grey Phalarope, 10s Mediteranean Gulls and 4 Great Skuas. The Long-tailed Skua of which Jan was able to get a Belegfoto is one of the very few records on the island.

Interesting passerine migrants were 1-2 Wrynecks, 3-4 Yellow-browed Warblers, Red-breasted Flycatcher, Red-backed Shrike, Richard's Pipit and several Serins, Firecrests, Ring Ouzels, Crossbills, Stonechats and late Whinchat and Reed Warbler.

Spectaculair was the Bottlenose-Dolphin named Randi, who regularly visits the harbour to scratch his back:-)

The smell of rotting seaweed and the flies in your ears, priceless!

Alors Ouessant prochaine annee!

more Ile de Sein

Usual birds in unusual habitat, I am not sure if they like it but I do!

Ile de Sein - revisited

Last year we had a good taster of this great small island, so we had another try. A longer stay with more eyes and weather forecast looked promising. Shortly summerized; we had a great week with many birds on some days, and big storm on others. The combined dutch-french team tried hard but the really rare birds all missed the island. You will probably know what happened on Helgoland and the Azores, and even on nearby Ile de cr'Ouessant (of which we could see the lighthouse in the distance) they got their share with Cliff Swallow, White's Thrush, Solitary Sandpiper, Paddyfield & Sykes Warbler etc. etc. Island birding can be hard and disappointing, but is always exciting, and as long as the Yellow-broweds are there life is good!

I will add some more pictures later this week.

Wykel is in the air!

I needed to start my own company to apply for it, and recieved it today; the official Ministry-of-Defense permit for aerial photography. Below some examples of the possibilities with a hexacopter and small camera, more later.

Seawatching - dogfight

Northwest today. Strong enough to break the mast of Big Twin, not strong enough to bring Sabines and Leaches to Lauwersoog. After a Gannet, a distant Great Skua and 2 even more distant Arctics I decided to try my luck at Eemshaven.

An Arctic Skua suddenly appeared, and while chasing the terns it came so close I could almost reach and touch it! Bad light, but luckily I got a second chance when it returned later to get some more fish.

 

Stealing is not OK, but these birds are really cool:-) Remember his big brother in the video?