Peter B's Second Big Year 2023

[BRACQUENE]

The morning walk ended with a general view over t' Zwin nature reserve when it started to rain slightly 

 

 

Oystercatchers and Curlew and also a wader in the middle of the second photo I would love to identify but picture quality is not good enough to be sure :

return in spring might not be a bad idea ! The rest of the day was mostly spend inside with a lunch at the harbor restaurant 

And dinner at the hotel so let's move to the next morning on Sunday : I read about a small nature reserve De Blikken at Groede close to Cadzand which could be interesting because the abundance of water attracts many ducks and geese in winter. Smient and Kolgans graze on the banks. Small waders scavenge their food along the muddy banks. In the spring, meadow birds such as Kievit and Grutto nest here. Hundreds of Kokmeeuw and dozens of Geoorde Fuut and Kluut breed on the centrally located islands. The number of breeding Brandgans is increasing every year ; Rare species are regularly seen for instance the Gyr Falcon 

 

Only problem was that you can only park at the bottom of the ring dike ( in the mud ) and walk to a hut between ground walls and hawthorn hedges to spot the birds ; getting close was impossible and photographing small waders very difficult ; but my short visit was not unsuccessful :

67° White-fronted Goose (Anser albifrons- Kolgans) De Blikken 5th of March 2023 : 

68° Northern Lapwing ( Vanillas vanillas- Kievit) De Blikken 5th of March 2023 : 

 

69° Avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta - Kluut) De Blikken 5th of March 2023 : 

70° Black-tailed Godwit ( Limosa limosa - Grutto ) De Blikken 5th of March 2023 : 

71° Black Swan (Cygnus stratus- Zwarte Zwaan ) De Blikken 5th of March 2023 : 

[BRACQUENE]

Thanks @Kitsafarifor your kind words and Anne's 60th birthday was in November but we planned this weekend at the time for early March 2023 

[PeterHG]

A name I’ve known for a long time : ‘t Zwin, but somehow I  never got round to actually visiting the place. As you say it might be very worthwhile in spring, so I’ll put it on the list. I’m glad you had a good time, despite the sub-optimal weather!

[BRACQUENE]

@PeterHG
When I was a kid I used to go there with my parents Peter being hpart of Knokke Heist but it was not the reserve but the Nature Park with cages  but I remember the white storks being around but even more the pancakes we used to eat So I think in April I might be heading for the reserve itself one day because 350 species of birds have been recorded there the highest number in Belgium and annually you can observe around 200 species if you are lucky 

[Galana]

Worth a look I would say. The Geoorde Fuut would be very nice to see.

[BRACQUENE]

I don't have to tell most of you living in the Low Countries or the UK that this was a week which birders will forget easily 

This is my garden on Wednesday and the following two days it rained almost without interruption ; still had a walk on Monday in Dilbeek and yesterday

Saturday with my son Willem who wanted to try his new video camera for our next safari to Kenya in August 

 

 

 

Another Firecrest on the Thaborberg on Monday and yesterday in Liedekerke Wood : 

 

 

Some Common Buzzards who made so much noise that even the woodpeckers didn't show up ( still looking for the Black one ! ) : I might go out later today but drizzle

and bad light keep me at home for the moment ... the good news is that spring is arriving because on Saturday the first Lapwing egg was found in Hasselt Overijssel in 

the Netherlands !

[BRACQUENE]

This morning I woke up with sunshine and with a sudden desire to visit Plateau Engeland , an area south of Brussels that has small woods and open areas and all the tit species present in Brussels : "Pimpelmees, Kuifmees, Koolmees, Staartmees, Zwarte Mees , Matkop and Glanskop "

As I commented yesterday on @Zim Girl 's excellent picture of the Zwarte Mees or Black Tit I was wondering if I could perhaps find it there or that other one the Crested Tit? 

 

 

 

And would you believe it just beside the cemetery of Ukkel , quiet place by definition :  

72° Crested Tit ( Parus cristatus- Kuifmees ) Plateau Engeland Ukkel 15th of March 2023 : 

 

 

No Black Tit found yet but just before leaving this one : 

73° Garden Warbler ( Sylvia born - Tuinfluiter) Plateau Engeland Ukkel 15th of March 2023 : 

[PeterHG]

A good find, that Crested Tit!

[Zim Girl]

Bravo on the Crested Tit, (not at all jealous)!

[Galana]

34 minutes ago, Zim Girl said:

Bravo on the Crested Tit, (not at all jealous)!

Me neither. I do admire the ease with which you suggested that you may get one and then it was there.

[BRACQUENE]

Second day in a row with sunshine : we are spoiled  and some activity early morning in my garden :

 

Went by bus to the Ganshoren marsh again hoping to see some early warblers or even the Kingfisher who is the number one bird in that area 

You could see that it had rained heavily lately and I stayed mostly on more accessible terrain 

I didn't think I saw something new though but when coming home , going through my pictures and trying to get something decent out of a photo taken with backlight I found this one  : 

74° Willow Warbler( Phylloscopus trochilus-Fitis ) Moeras van Ganshoren 16th of March 2023 : 

For a moment I thought and hoped it was a Chiffchaff but form of the head , the long yellow stripe above the eye , the longer bill and tail made me change my mind ! 

[BRACQUENE]

I usually visit one of my favorite places since January , Vogelzangbeek nature reserve in Anderlecht on Sunday morning but with a family visit on Saturday and a restaurant on Sunday for my son's 30th birthday in the pipeline , I decided to go on Friday instead .

Even if the sky was overcast there was definitely spring in the air and I went out very early at 7 walking all the way by Neerpede , up the hill to Erasmus hospital and then to the reserve :

 

 Some nice ones in the water : 

 

 

But also this new one just flying in on the bank : 

75° White Wagtail ( Motacilla Alba-Witte Kwikstaart ) Anderlecht Neerpede 17th of March 2023: 

 

Arriving by another entry as I was used to I heard two sounds : that of the woodpecker and my hart started to beat faster as it was the drumming of the lesser tailed I thought and the other sound was the characteristic sound of the Chiffchaff !

I suddenly remembered what Fred said on Wednesday: 

On 3/16/2023 at 1:11 PM, Galana said:

I do admire the ease with which you suggested that you may get one and then it was there.

 

I am perhaps sometimes lucky, but you have to work for your luck and since the first day of the year not counting the days I have been forced to stay at home because of the weather, I walked  643 km to look for birds and yesterday it was from 7 until 4 in the afternoon and I simply loved it ; by coincidence I met another birder from Itterbeek ( Dilbeek) when I arrived who told me he had never been in that reserve before but read that there had been on the 6th of March an observation of the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker ( exact location unknown) and that's why he came but that he was amazed of the number of Chiffchaff present:

 

76° Chiffchaff ( Phylloscopus collybita-Tjiftjaf ) Vogelzangbeek Anderlecht 17th of March 2023 : 

 

The guy from Itterbeek was late for work so he had to leave not before pointing to a bird of prey in the sky , local resident which I saw for the first time  : 

77° Eurasian Sparrowhawk ( Accipiter nisus-Sperwer) Vogelzangbeek Anderlecht 17th of March 2023 : 

I looked for hours to find that Lesser Spotted one but in vain ( for the moment at least and there is still Liedekerke Herdegem Forest as alternative )

and only found a few Greater Spotted : 

Returning home close to Erasmus I thought I heard the sound of a Cetti's Warbler in this perfect habitat : 

Probably wishful thinking because even if he was there and hiding , I only saw my usual friend the Wren 

And had a slightly better view of a bird I saw on my walk along the Dender a few weeks ago , the Grey Wagtail 

[Galana]

Glad to help out, if only in spirit!

[michael-ibk]

Very productive birding Peter, you´re doing great. Sorry to be a spoilsport but I have doubts about your Garden Warbler. That would really be very awfully early for that bird, the last ebird record for the Netherlands is from last October.

[BRACQUENE]

Thanks Michael a suggestion then what it might be ?

[michael-ibk]

Chiffchaff?

[Dave Williams]

Catching up on all the "big years" and enjoying seeing something different in that you are sharing your walks which is interesting to see. The weather you have isn't that much different from here in North Wales but your countryside is a lot different and so are the birds.

I was surprised to see some dubious additions so early in the year, I usually threaten them in desperation in December but if you were trying going under the radar by going early you failed!! Incidentally, as you probably already know, Canada Goose are apparently quite edible. You put a house brick in the roasting tin along with the goose and when the brick is tender the goose is ready to eat.

I think Michael could be correct about the Garden Warbler , I did think "early!" when I saw your post but you never know. Chiffchaff have just arrived back here now, or at least started singing. Some do stay over the winter.

[BRACQUENE]

5 hours ago, Dave Williams said:

I was surprised to see some dubious additions so early in the year, I usually threaten them in desperation in December but if you were trying going under the radar by going early you failed!! Incidentally, as you probably already know, Canada Goose are apparently quite edible. You put a house brick in the roasting tin along with the goose and when the brick is tender the goose is ready to eat.

 

I don't suppose Dave this part of your intervention was intended to be funny because it frankly didn't make me laugh whilst on a walk and doing what I like the most since last year : birding 

" Some dubious additions" and " trying to get under the radar" is not particularly friendly where I come from , the more because it is absolutely untrue as first of all the "edible and dubious" Canada Goose are also used by other members in their BY but you don't seem to mind ; secondly for having until now 2,6 K views my BY 2023 isn't particularly hidden and has been as you can see in the reactions strictly followed by senior birders and where necessary corrections have been made as errors are possible and I am always open for a "constructive " debate .

And lastly I remember you told me last year when I started only in September : better late than never , so to please you I started on the first day of the year 

[TonyQ]

You are putting a lot of (enjoyable) work in Peter. Well done with the Crested Tit - I have only ever seen one!

[Galana]

2 hours ago, BRACQUENE said:

the "edible and dubious"

If we were to exclude a bird for being edible all our lists would be much shorter. Geese, Ducks, Waders, Doves, "Game" birds and even Corvids.  Exits singing "Four and Twenty blackbirds baked in a Pie!"

[Dave Williams]

2 hours ago, BRACQUENE said:

 

I don't suppose Dave this part of your intervention was intended to be funny because it frankly didn't make me laugh whilst on a walk and doing what I like the most since last year : birding 

" Some dubious additions" and " trying to get under the radar" is not particularly friendly where I come from , the more because it is absolutely untrue as first of all the "edible and dubious" Canada Goose are also used by other members in their BY but you don't seem to mind ; secondly for having until now 2,6 K views my BY 2023 isn't particularly hidden and has been as you can see in the reactions strictly followed by senior birders and where necessary corrections have been made as errors are possible and I am always open for a "constructive " debate .

And lastly I remember you told me last year when I started only in September : better late than never , so to please you I started on the first day of the year 

 

Please forgive me if my attempts  of humour failed to reach out to you. Absolutely no offence was intended and you might like to check out my posting in my own big year on the 24th of December 2022 when things were getting desperate as I tried desperately to hit my desired target.

Some of the participants who have been around the BY for a while enjoy pulling each others legs ( not literally of course) on a variety of issues as we don't see the BY as anything but a vehicle for friendly banter.

 

 

[BRACQUENE]

Thanks Dave for your reaction ; I thought I knew everything about overseas humour but didn’t read this one well to be honest : believe it or not I was in Vogelenzang reserve again looking for the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker which is becoming something of an obsession for me but notoriously difficult to find and photograph : instead I found another bird sitting high in  a tree I will post tomorrow, not edible but definitely exotic and not in his usual habitat ; curious to see what you will think about that one 

[BRACQUENE]

As promised to Dave the one I saw yesterday at Vogelenzang reserve high in a tree and it was the intriguing sound I didn't recognize that made me look up whilst I was hoping to see Woodpeckers and why not Little Owls in the pollard willow.

I didn't know which Parakeet it was before I returned home as I am only used to the Rose-ringed ( thousands of them) and the monk parakeet and have yet to see the Alexander parakeet which does also occur in Brussels ; this new one most certainly escaped but now in the wild is originally from Australia (New South Wales and Victoria) 

 

78° Barraband parakeet ( Polytelis swainsonii - Barrabandparkiet) Vogelzangreservaat Anderlecht 20th of March 2023: 

 

This morning I was in  Liedekerke-Hertegem forest looking out again for woodpeckers which I found in an unusual spot but no lesser spotted ! 

 

 And found the Highlanders again ...

 

And some birds doing gymnastics:

 

 

[BRACQUENE]

Weather-wise it's going from bad to worse as I am hearing the rain coming down on my veranda ; managed to take a "rare" picture of a woodpecker from my window on the 21th late afternoon but since then it's frustration and hoping for better times !

 

 

Looking at all those African and other splendid birds from lately on this BY has made me "a tiny bit jealous" I must say even if the first few months of the year have been an experience I will never forget and hope to continue in the next months !

So after discussing it with my wife Anne which is apart from the money never a big problem as she is as addicted as I am , we decided to add a second trip to our Kenya safari of early August with an emphasis on birds of course and give my BY pals a scoop before mentioning it in what are you planning later !

I was thinking first of Mozambique Gorongosa NP looking for green-headed oriole, purple-banded sunbird , broad-tailed paradise whydah or Cabanis's bunting and of course all the storks and large waterbirds but the end of the year might be too risky for the weather and I also remembered that @michael-ibkwill be visiting it this year , so we all have a full report and more birds than I could ever capture from him 

And then after reading Michaels TR from the end of 2016 " A Thousand Hills, A Million Smiles & Gentle Giants- a Rwanda and Kenya Safari " my decision was made : It´s green - and it´s clean!  : it will be the scenic Akagera NP from the 8th until the 16th of December just at the end of the short rainy season and  we will start at the Retreat Hotel in Kigali , spend there nights at Ruzizi Tented Lodge in the south on the shores of Lake Ihema in the Tree Top tent and then four in the north of the Park at Magashi Camp overlooking Lake Rwanyakizinga ; Nyungwe Forest will be for later I hope..

I remember also that Rob @inyathihas been to Akagera a long time ago and he was the first when we played our Covid Games to make me curious about that Park and we even discussed the transport of 30 white rhinos from South Africa to Akagera ( see my topic on that issue) .

I must tell you that though I am excited to see the big game , it is the birds I will be focusing on ( around 500 species with 100 unrecorded in no other protected area in Rwanda) : the long-tailed cisticola , the red-faced barbet and the white-backed and Rüppell's griffon vultures will be high on my list

Finally it will be , a big advantage , my first safari with a direct flight from Brussels to Kigali even if it's by day and taking only a bit more than 8 hours  

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

I´m sure you´ll enjoy Akagera, it´s such a scenic park, I would love to go back myself.