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Recent content by Frank-birding

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    Unknown raptor Les Alpilles (France, Mediterranean) on May 3th, 2024

    Then Black Kite it is! There were many around, so highly likely in any case. Thank you very much Alexander and Butty for your help with this ID! Frank
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    Unknown raptor Les Alpilles (France, Mediterranean) on May 3th, 2024

    Hi Alexander, I didn't really get an impression in the field unfortunately. The bird was very high and very far off (images taken with an >1100mm equivalent lens, cropped and enlarged) and I was looking into a very bright sky. But Black Kite seems a very likely candidate indeed. Only the...
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    Unknown raptor Les Alpilles (France, Mediterranean) on May 3th, 2024

    A couple of days ago I saw this bird of prey. It was very high ascending in a thermal bubble accompanied by several Honey Buzzards. I was hiking in the Alpilles, a tiny mountain range in the very south of France (near the Camargue) were apart from Honey Buzzards also Buzzards, Kites, Booted -...
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    Skua - Dutch coast (IJmuiden) - Sept 29, 2023

    Thank you for helping me with this ID. Too distant to be certain indeed, as is often the matter with the seabirds I see unfortunately... And good tips for future IDs of pomarine vs artic. Regards, Frank
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    Skua - Dutch coast (IJmuiden) - Sept 29, 2023

    Last Friday I saw this Skua chasing a (Herring?) Gull, very far out at sea. I wonder if it's an Artic or Pomarine Skua. It's size (as large as chased gull) and perhaps (in some images) broad wings and square tail remind me of the latter. The former being much commoner here however. The rounded...
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    Possible (Manx) Shearwater? (September 2021, Dutch coast)

    Thank you all for helping me with this tricky seabird identification. Frank
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    Possible (Manx) Shearwater? (September 2021, Dutch coast)

    Two years ago when watching seabirds I saw this distant bird. Location Maasvlakte II, south of Rotterdam. Unfortunately it flew way from me. Although I was able to grab the camera, the angle is bad and the images are blurry and small as well. It might have been a Shearwater? Could it still be...
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    Razorbill or Manx Shearwater (North Sea, March 3th, 2023)

    Hi Butty, thank you, yes I 'wrote it down' als Auk (Guillemot or Razorbill). The images are just not clear enough. As an aside: For some reason, when visiting Scotland and twice crossing the North Sea (from and back to the Netherlands) during the last couple of days in February and the first...
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    Razorbill or Manx Shearwater (North Sea, March 3th, 2023)

    Thank you Alexander and pbjosh, it's clear then that it's an Alcid (probably Razorbill). As there were many Razorbills during the journey, that's also the most likely. Regarding the caveat. I'm ready to discount my first impression. I'm not an experience seabird observer at all and there was...
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    Razorbill or Manx Shearwater (North Sea, March 3th, 2023)

    When bird watching from the Newcastle - IJmuiden (Netherlands) ferry, late in the day (18:20 hrs) on March 3 this year, I saw and photographed a Razorbill or Manx Shearwater. It was very far off and already very dark. Location was not far out from Newcastle (perhaps sailing for an hour). Seas...
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    Juvenile Marsh Warbler? (Netherlands, Oostvaardersplassen, July 14th, 2023)

    We've had quite a number of Blyth's over the last 2 months or so, not out of the question, but very rare indeed. Still, Blyth's seems a good fit (bill shape as well), also its foraging behaviour on the gound (if not influenced by the mite infection, a big if) fits Blyth's much more than Marsh or...
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    Juvenile Marsh Warbler? (Netherlands, Oostvaardersplassen, July 14th, 2023)

    Ah, its suffering from feather mites. Good to know. Then, despite its still active behaviour, the unfortunate bird is probably doomed.
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    Juvenile Marsh Warbler? (Netherlands, Oostvaardersplassen, July 14th, 2023)

    Thank you Alexander (and Ken, Lou and Bewick) for looking into this! Yes, it's not a young bird. You're right, it's strangely moulting or something other is awry with its head feathers. Fortunately the bird seemed in good health otherwise, it was actively searching for food, catching many an...
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    Juvenile Marsh Warbler? (Netherlands, Oostvaardersplassen, July 14th, 2023)

    This afternoon I saw this young bird. (Netherlands, Flevoland, Oostvaardersplassen) It was relatively tame, and actively foraging on and near a path. When disturbed by a passing mountain biker, it was back in no time. It was near both reeds/high grasses and forest/trees/scrub. Its blackish and...
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    Herring Gull with grey head (aberrant)? (Dutch coast, IJmuiden, July 6th 2023)

    This evening I saw this Gull approaching over the beach and dunes. Its dark gray head and breast really stood out even from a large distance, so I ran up a dune to take pictures. Due to the very nice evening sun it's not even that obvious in the pictures, but its head and breast were really...
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