A short visit with many birds, this pipit being the rarest. And with a bit of fantasy it looked like something very rare indeed. Actually it was showing the same skulking behaviour and favoured exactly the same spot as the holy grail in 2007. But with many tourists and birders walking the beach it soon flew and confirmed it's identity by call; Red-throated.
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| Red-throated Pipit, 5-10-2013 Nordstrand |
A good number of Yellow-browed Warblers was remaining from last weekend, although many of them may have been fresh arrivals. With limited time I did not put to much effort in photography but this bird on Oberland was cooperative.
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| Yellow-browed Warbler, 5-10-2013 Oberland |
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| Yellow-browed Warbler, 5-10-2013 Oberland |
Several Mediteranean Gulls were on show with at least 3 together at Kringel.
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| MedGulls, 5-10-2013 Kringel |
Saturday was entertaining, but things changed overnight. No wind at all and just after 10pm clouds and fogg came in. Calls of Song Thrushes and Redwings broke the silence and migrating birds were starting to show in the beam of the lighthouse. First light at sunday-morning confirmed a major fall of thrushes and flocks of up to several 100s filled the sky. The first hour there must have been many 1000s migrating, landing and taking off again, very spectaculair! And indeed, there was a huge Thrush amongst them, but too far and not enough light for ID...
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| first light with excellent fall-conditions; a clear sky to the north and east with low clouds and rain on Helgoland |
After a few hours the weather cleared, most thrushes had left the island again but now Chiffchaffs started to wake up. At least 100 were estimated in Mittelland alone. A Raddes' Warbler was seen typically briefly. Several more Yellow-broweds, MedGulls, Firecrest, a flock of Shorelarks, a Crossbill and a late Turtle Dove were the highlights.
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| 1st.-winter MedGull, 6-10-2013 Dune Aade |
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| Redstart, 5-10-2013 Grosse Treppe |
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| Great-spotted Woodpecker, 6-10-2013 Dune Golfteich |
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| a late and contrasting Sedge Warbler in last light at Grosse Treppe, 5-10-2013 |
