Remarkable Starlings migration at the Kamperhoek
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Sunday morning I drive away at 5.30 am from Uden direction Kamperhoek. I leave Uden with a clear sky and just past Den Bosch I ride into a dense fog. Mixed feelings occur in myself with the knowledge that mist is usually even worse in the Flevopolder. Yet I continue and at the pump just past Eemnes I stop for coffee. It is still very foggy and it does not look good. I continue with the smell of fresh coffee spread in the car. When I drive into the polder it clears up. I'm still not convinced by past experience but as I further drive north it even becomes better.
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Month listing along the coast
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Again a new month and with Pieter & Maartje, Alwin and Joep was agreed to do a day of month listing. A list of target species was drawn up: Falcated Duck, Rock Pipit, Glaucous Gull, Razorbill, Northern Gannet, Kittiwake, Shag, Long-tailed Duck, Pink-footed Goose and Hooded Crow-photo-2. A route along the coast, starting in IJmuiden, could yield the most species. At 6:30 am it was agreed on a parking lot at Huizen.
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Beautiful Easter weekend at the Kamperhoek
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With a long weekend ahead and what reasonable predictions of wind I will spent most of the Easter weekend at the Kamperhoek. Saturday morning I get up at 5.45 am to a carpool place in Huizen where I pick up Pieter & Maartje. Half an hour later we arrive at the migration site where Ico already listed the first birds. The wind is due north and it feels very cold. The car is parked in a way so that we can shelter behind it. The telescopes are prepared and counting can begin.
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Entertaining migration count weekend at the Kamperhoek
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Saturday morning I arrive at 6.45 pm on the Kamperhoek. Ico is already there and he is counting with open trunk lid. This, however, offers little protection for the strong wind which is directly south. I put on my winter coat and that is certainly not a luxury. It feels cold and it's completely cloudy. In any case, it is dry and visibility is good. There are already quite a few numbers of birds migrating and especially the numbers of Wood Pigeons catch the eye.
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Day of Month Listing
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A new month and there are still a few new month species to be done. This is always combined with a nice daytrip. Together with Pieter the species were selected and combined with a nice route. Target species were chosen as follows: Ferruginous Duck, Glaucous Gull, House Crow, Common Guillemot, Surf Scoter and American Wigeon. At 7 o'clock in the morning we met at a carpool near the town of De Meern and drove to Alphen aan den Rijn for the first species, the Ferruginous Duck.
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White-throated Dipper in Berkelland
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During a dinner with Pieter and Maartje at Marc's BBQ on Friday evening, the options for Saturday were discussed. Because it is quiet in the Netherlands with regard to birds we opted for a day trip to the east of the country. First we will drive to Losser to see if we can get the present Bittern before the lens. I did not see the Eagle Owl at Winterswijk and we could combine this.
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Pelagic trip from IJmuiden
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2 weeks ago the pelagic was cancelled and also for Sunday, the replacement date, the forecast did not look good. Thus I was surprised when I received an email Saturday afternoon that the pelagic was on. At half past eight in the morning the boat left from IJmuiden. My alarm clock was set at 6:30 because I wanted leave Uden in time because snow was predicted. The ride went well until Amsterdam, here obviously it just snowed and the A9 was fairly full of snow. 2 cars stood against the guardrail and gently I continued the ride.
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Surf Scoter in the province of Zuid-Holland
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Friday a Surf Scoter was found in the province of Zuid-Holland near the Brouwersdam. A beautiful bird to visit the next day. It was a female and so far I had only male birds. Pieter and Maartje had been there on Friday but wanted to see the bird again. Saturday morning we met at a car park in the town of Made.
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