Have you been birding if you did not see a single bird, even if you were looking for them? If so, I have been birding and fishing:-) by boat the last 2 days on Lauwersmeer. Excellent autumn weather and the arriving Bewick's Swans provide the typical end-of-october atmosphere. Their trumpeting and barking calls are priceless!
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| Bewick's Swans in very bad light |
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| Bewick's Swans in perfect light |
After a loudly calling Yellow-browed Warber in the vegetation between Vlinderbalg and Oude Robbengat, the greatest surprise of saturday was a flock of intermediate-sized black birds approaching over the water. Their flight with fast wingbeats alternated with short glides is typical of cormorants but without a close look I called them Ibis, for fun. Seconds later we realised that indeed 11 Glossy Ibisses were approaching!
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| cormorants? |
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| ibis! |
The birds continued eastwards and what might have been the same flock; 10 birds turned up sunday afternoon in Wremen (close to Cuxhaven). Many Ibisses were seen in the western part of the Netherland last weeks but this flock is the biggest ever in Groningen.
Barnacle Geese were mass-arriving and other interesting birds were several Hen Harriers, Peregrines, and a Merlin chasing prey above the boat. I like october.
