Sunday morning the positions were taken at the Brobbelbies (our migration site). A southeast wind was predicted and yesterday it was a good day at most Dutch migration sites. At 7.00 o’clock I picked up Koen Rovers and then headed to Vorstenbosch to pick Teun van Kessel. Around 7.30 we arrived at the migration site.
This year no long weekend to the island of Vlieland that’s why a few visits to the Wadden islands were on the program. This time it was the turn of Schiermonnikoog. The predictions for the weather did not look too well but we took the risk. At 4 o’clock in the morning we left from Uden with Jan Verhoeven, Luuk Wassenberg, Koen Rovers and myself of course. We planned to get the first ferry to the island at 6:30.
With a prediction of a north-westerly force 7 to 8 seems to be a good day for a day of migration counting at Westkapelle. Early in the morning we leave with 4 people from Uden and 1 from Vorstenbosch. Along the way we will meet Alwin and we see him just after Breda at a gas station where we drink a cup of coffee. With two cars we drive to Westkapelle.
With only one kind to go for the 300 this year a visit to the island of Texel was on the program. Target species were the Yellow-browed Warbler, Green-winged Teal and RosyStarling. These species were reported last week.
Saturday a Northern Waterthrush was reported. At first I thought it was a false report. But not much later the confirmations came by mail that it was a real Northern Waterthrush. The bird was in the old duck cage on Vlieland.
Sunday morning I took positions at the migration site. The weather was pleasant and it was planned to stay the whole day at the migration site. A report of a Turkestan Shrike changed the course of the day. Alerts via Dutch Bird Alert came at 8.52 o’clock reporting a Turkestan Shrike which was located just beneath Den Helder at the height of pile 4.4.
On the third of September a Greenish Warblerwas discovered on the Texel. This bird is still missing on my list, so if the bird the next day would be reported than Texel was the destination. Saturday morning early at the migration site the Greenish Warblerwas reported still present and occasionally seen.
A Barred Warbler came through Dutch Bird Alerts. The bird was on the cemetery in Westkapelle. I was in Rotterdam for my work and it was within the possibilities to drive to Westkapelle. A Barred Warbler in the Netherlands is not difficult to get on your list but because I usually at the migration post in this time of year I have never tried to see the bird.