Peter B's Second Big Year 2023

[Galana]

Patience is a virtue in any hobby. Be it waiting for Wild Dogs or Kingfishers. You have a plentiful supply. Well done.

[xelas]

Hard core birder at work! In Slovenia, Golden Orieole is even rarer to be found than the Kingfisher. Congratulations on both scores. On top, the Swift and the Tern are also good finds.

[BRACQUENE]

Thanks a lot Fred @Galana and Alex @xelasfor your appreciation; I learned a few things last week: to be patient is indeed the most important thing in birding and staying permanently more or less on the same spot which I did gave me five new sightings and some rarities for the location ; also never try to follow a kingfisher when he passes by  but wait patiently until he returns : that male was looking for food for his female and her young and went back and forth mostly early morning and in the afternoon so it payed off to stay !

As for the Golden Oriole in Belgium you need moist deciduous forests close to water with oaks and high poplars and my native part of Flanders has exactly that but still I was extremely lucky with that shot 

 

 

 

 

[Peter Connan]

Congratulations on the Kingfisher.

You should tell those who don't understand the requirement for a photo that there are South Africans involved. Seems like we are fast becoming the world's most un-trustworthy nation...

[michael-ibk]

Two very cool birds to get, congratulations Peter!

[BRACQUENE]

Thanks @Peter Connanand @michael-ibkfor your appreciation; I didn’t know that about the South Africans Peter 

[Dave Williams]

You are making good progress Peter, congratulations on the 100 up! The new camera looks to be a good investment. The shot of the Cetti's on an open branch is as good a shot as I have seen of the species. 

[BRACQUENE]

It has been a long time since I last posted or reacted to others ;  apart from the situation with my mother I had some personal health issues and to be honest in recent months especially from spring onwards I overdid it some days and a golden rule is that you should listen to your body from time to time even if you are eager to visit other birding areas all the time ; so for now no long reports but  pictures of new species and some interesting others seen before ... 

 

 

 

 

 

Anderlecht Neerpede 4th and 11 th of June 2023 : Wagtail and Kingfisher in the spotlight 

 

And also on the 4th in Neerpede a Reed Warbler :

A Garden Warbler in Nieuwpoort Simliduinen 19th of June 2023 : 

 A beautiful male Linnet instead of the female found in Dilbeek a few months ago  : Cadzand 24th of June 2023 

And a Common Whitethroat from the same day in Cadzand 

 

Some new ones : 

 

114° Marsh Warbler ( Acrocephalus palustris- Bosrietzanger ) : Moeras van Ganshoren 25th of May 2023 : 

 

115° Little Egret ( Egretta garzetta -Kleine Zilverreiger ) Nieuwport 17th of June 2023 and Cadzand 24th of June 2023 : 

 

 

116° Sandwich Tern ( Sterna sandvicensis- Grote Stern ) Cadzand 24th of June 2023 : 

117° Greenfinch ( Chloris chloris-Groenling ) Cadzand 24th of June 2023 : 

  118° Rufous Nightingale ( Luscinia megarhynchos -Nachtegaal ) Nieuwpoort Simliduinen 19th of June 2023 : 

The song of the Nightingale was all around in the Dunes of Cadzand but I couldn't get a picture but to my surprise I had a shot from a young one in Nieuwpoort !

[PeterHG]

Good to see you back here, Peter and I hope your health issues are a thing of the past now. Nightingales can be very hard to see, so you did well in getting at least a young one! I haven’t managed to see one this year and I doubt I will now the year is progressing. 

[TonyQ]

Sorry to hear of your health issues Peter.

I hope you are recovering, and good to see you posting again 

[Galana]

Also sorry to learn of the health issues. Hope all is well in the end.

[Peter Connan]

Hope good health has firmly returned Peter!

Some really nice Kingfisher sightings.

[michael-ibk]

All the best Peter, I hope you are better now! 

[Dave Williams]

All the best from me too. 

[Kitsafari]

 

Rest well and hope you are better now. 

[BRACQUENE]

Thanks everybody for intervening on my health issues ; Feeling better every day and yesterday Fred @Galana who didn't forget my Kenya safari starting on the 5th of August as he is leaving three days after me , made me realize how imminent my departure with the whole family is ( just a pity we will not meet this year ! )

I will come back to you late August with a report of course in another topic but also , I hope , some birds for my BY  And there is of course still Akagera , Rwanda at the end of the year ... 

[PeterHG]

Have a great trip, Peter! I am looking forward to photos and report.

[Galana]

I am sure that your trip will go well and you all will come back with some good experiences to share.

[offshorebirder]

Be well, and enjoy your safari @BRACQUENE

[michael-ibk]

Safari njema Peter! Looking forward to the report and many BY additions.

[BRACQUENE]

The first of September , a rainy day here in Dilbeek and the return to school for most pupils is a  good moment to start posting the first pictures from my Kenya safari ; It took me understandably some time to go through them and I decided to start with the birds before writing my future trip report : weather conditions were not always ideal with bad light ( and even rain ! ) an issue but here I go  starting with the Starlings  ...

[BRACQUENE]

119° Greater blue-eared starling ( Lamprotornis chalybaeus - Groenstaartglansspreeuw ) Laikipia Ol Pejeta Conservancy 9th of August 2023 )  :

 

 

 

[BRACQUENE]

120° Hildebrandt's starling ( Lamprotornis hildebrandti - Hildebrandt glansspreeuw) Mara Naboisho Conservancy 12th of August 2023 : 

 

 

[BRACQUENE]

121° Rüppell's starling or Ruepell's glossy or long-tailed starling ( Lamprotornis purpuroptera - Rappels spreeuw ) Mara Naboisho Conservancy 11th and Mara North Conservancy 15th of August 2023 : 

 

 

[BRACQUENE]

122° Superb Starling ( Lamprotornis superbus - Driekleurige glansspreeuw ) Mara Naboisho Conservancy 9th of August 2023 :