This year we again participated in the Top of Holland. With a slightly different approach as in previous years, Alwin and I enrolled as a team called "Twitch & Go"
Because there are a number of species on the island that are still missing on my year list it was time for a visit to the island. Thijs had a mind to go and Alwin said he would come in the afternoon.
Because of The Queen birthday, we have Monday off so a long weekend migration counting is scheduled. Early Saturday morning I drive away from Uden. It rains and the predictions are not much better.
With the prediction of a southeast wind I drive early in the morning to the migration site. At 6.15 am I arrive first on the migration site. There is a weak south-southeast wind, it's cloudy and a with a temperature of about 7 degrees it feels cold. During getting out my stuff there already are quite a few birds flying over the migration site.
Saturday morning at half past seven in the morning again I am present at the Kamperhoek. There is a moderate north wind with a little bit east. With a partly cloudy sky it looks not really bad. It is cold but there are reasonable numbers of birds flying.
Thursday afternoon around 4 o'clock the phone beeps. Unsuspecting I check the messages. Through Dutch Bird Alerts Max Berlin reports that Justin Jansen found a Black-winged Kite near the spot where he had earlier this week a Pallid Harrier.
There is a period of easterly winds predicted combined with the first spring days of the year. The expectations are high. Thursday at 6.15 am the counting begins and there is a weak northeast wind.
East Wind so another try at the Kamperhoek. At 7.00 o'clock in the morning I start counting and the birds fly reasonable. A few lines of White-fronted Geese fly high and in the first hour 578 are counted.