Last years were rather busy with only limited time for birding and even less time to edit photos and update this blog. But times may change:-) Yesterday evening I was on my bike riding towards the Heemskerk "waterberging" to have a check on the waders. But to my surpise I found a ringtail harrier hunting over the fields. The first observations were rather stressfull due to strong winds and heavy backlight and it was a challenge to follow the moving bird, make pictures, check the pictures for ID and give updates on the local newsgroup simultaneously. In the end the bird showed well and instead of the expected Pallid it turned out to be a Montagu's (which is even rarer in the region!). It was seen by several local birders in the last hour before dark.
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| Montagu's Harrier, 23 May 2020 between Heemskerk and Castricum |
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| note that the bird is colour-ringed (but there is not enough resolution to read the inscription) |
And there is more; 2 weeks ago I went for a short birding-walk on the parking at Castricum aan Zee and found a Tawny Pipit. These birds are rarely seen on the ground here in the west. Luckily it stayed just long enough to make a decent picture.
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| Tawny Pipit, 10 May 2020 Castricum aan Zee. The poles limit the amount of parking spaces (Corona restriction). |
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| Tawny Pipit, 20 May 2020 parking Castricum aan Zee |
