Peter B's 2024

[BRACQUENE]

Well it has been a very long time since I posted something due mostly to the weather conditions but also because I was desperately looking to have at least one of the woodpeckers that I heard a few times but never have been able to photograph but today in glorious weather conditions I returned for the fourth time this year to "Liedekerkebos" , arrived very early at 7 o'clock with the intention to see them all if possible ... 

 

I started with a couple of Great Spotted 

 

 

Continued with the Green one 

 

Found the Middle Spotted again ...

 

And then a lifer !!

59/ Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos minor - Kleine Bonte Specht ) Liedekerke - Hertegembos 8th of March 2024 :

 

 

[BRACQUENE]

And that spring is in the air I noticed also when I heard the familiar sound of the : 

 

60/ Common Chiffchaff ( Phylloscopus collybita - Tjiftjaf ) Liedekerke Hertegembos 8th of March 2024 : 

 

[PeterHG]

Great collection of woodpeckers! Good to hear the sound of the Chiffchaff again. It has not yet arrived here.

[Zim Girl]

Well done getting the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, @BRACQUENE.

[BRACQUENE]

Thanks @PeterHGand @Zim Girl

I was very happy with that Lesser Spotted Woodpecker but not totally satisfied before having seen all common Woodpeckers in Belgium : even if the Black Woodpecker is mentioned in Birdingplaces.eu as being present in Liedekerke - Hertegembos , a local birder told me he had never heard or seen one since he was living there !! 

So looking again at recent observations of the Black one I saw they were mostly in Eastern and Southern Belgium but also in parts of " Het Zoniënwoud " The Sonian Forest in the SE of Brussels ; this morning after all the recent rain a sunny one ,  I went to Watermaal-Bosvoorde and it took me less than an hour to see another lifer : 

 

61/ Black Woodpecker ( Dryocopus Marius- Zwarte Specht ) Watermaal-Bosvoorde Zoniënwoud 14th of March 2024 : 

 

 

 

 

 

Can I now forget about the woodpeckers this year : not quite because next month could see the arrival of the Eurasian Wryneck which is sometimes seen in Liedekerke as the local birder told me also ...

[PeterHG]

Another great sighting! 

[Peter Connan]

Beautiful Peter!

[Galana]

Well done on the Woodpeckers.

[Kitsafari]

wow ont he black woodpecker  - it's stunning. 

[michael-ibk]

Very cool with the Woodpeckers. Got my first Chiffchaff of the year here today btw.

[BRACQUENE]

Thanks a lot for your kind words @PeterHG@Peter Connan@Galana@Kitsafari and @michael-ibk; the first Chiffchaffs were seen in Belgium on the 6th of March earlier than last year but for the moment the big news over here is the breeding of a pair of Sea Eagles for the first time in the Blankaart reserve close to Diksmuide where I might be going next month !

 

[BRACQUENE]

A short walk in an area I never visited before , very close to the Gavers and in my former home town Geraardsbergen ; it is close to the Dender River and accessibility is poor for the moment due to the recent weather conditions but I had a try and sometimes the water stopped me ...

 

 

The sound of the Chiffchaffs was all around and there were some Cetti's too 

But then a new one for the year : 

62/ Eurasian Blackcap ( Sylvia Atriccapilla - Zwartkop ) Boelaremeersen Geraardsbergen 18th of March 2024 : 

 

 

[BRACQUENE]

And when having a short stop suddenly above me ( I had heard they were nesting sometimes here ) : 

63/ White Stork ( Ciconia ciconia - Ooievaar ) Boelaremeersen Geraardsbergen 18th of March 2024 : 

 

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I had left my car alongside the road on a bridge overlooking the area and when returning I heard noise , saw a few Black-headed Gull and just in front of them a bird of prey :

64/ Peregrine Falcon ( Falco peregrinus - Slechtvalk ) Boelaremeersen Geraardsbergen 18th of March 2024 : 

 

I think he has caught something but can't see what it is ... 

[PeterHG]

A short, but productive walk!

[Galana]

Great shot of the Peregrine. I tried to enhance your pic to ID the prey but can't make it out. Is it wrapped in plastic?

[BRACQUENE]

Could be Fred @Galana: doesn't look natural to me but it was taken from too far to have a positive ID 

Today it was a glorious day feeling almost like early summer and I decided to return to Kobbegem , a place well known by those who followed my 2023 BY and the first bird I was looking for was easy to hear and to find with a sound as distinctive as that of the Chiffchaff at this time of the year  : 

 

65/ Eurasian Skylark ( Alauda arvensis- Veldleeuwerik ) Kobbegem 20th of March 2024 : 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The area is stunning and there was some other unexpected wildlife ! 

 

But also a bird that I saw on Eastern last year : 

66/ Black Redstart ( Phoenicurus ochruros- Zwarte Roodstaart ) Kobbegem 20th of March 2024 : 

 

    

 

[PeterHG]

Always good to see and hear skylarks. Beautiful shots!

[BRACQUENE]

Thanks a lot Peter !

[Zim Girl]

Nice flight shots of the Skylark, and lovely to find a Black Redstart.

[BRACQUENE]

Another one from my first walk in Kobbegem this year : 

 

67/ European Greenfinch ( Chloris chloris - Groenling ) Kobbegem 20th of March 2024 : 

 

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I returned to Kobbegem twice since Friday ; it is one of my favorite places in Spring and rarely disappoints ; moreover I had lunch in the "Plezanten Hof" with a friend on Monday after some intensive birding which gave me appetite !

After seeing the Grey one I had seen before in Anderlecht ....

 

68/ White Wagtail ( Motacilla Alba - Witte Kwikstaart ) Kobbegem 25th of March 2024 : 

 

[BRACQUENE]

Bird of Prey everywhere on Monday especially ; some impressions ....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

[BRACQUENE]

But also a very nice surprise and the first time I have seen this bird in Belgium at least : from what I have seen on other websites he just arrived a few days ago ...

 

69/ Northern Wheatear ( Oenanthe oenanthe - Tapuit ) Kobbegem 25th of March 2024 :