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Green Listing 2023 - Joint Thread (1 Viewer)

I weathered the heat and cycled to the nearest Common Tern colony, after checking some other potentially birdy sites on the way there.
2½ litres of water proved more than enough to see me through.
I did run into a few dedicated birders at the Dingdener Heide, who also had not seen any Grasshopper Warblers this year...
 
If it's about literally 'seeing' them, that must be pretty hard indeed, and I haven't managed to do that either (though I gave up on trying to observe one from a distance relatively early on and didn't want to catch a tick due to coming closer to it).
 
If it's about literally 'seeing' them, that must be pretty hard indeed, and I haven't managed to do that either (though I gave up on trying to observe one from a distance relatively early on and didn't want to catch a tick due to coming closer to it).
They had't heard them either...
 
On our holidays in northern Norway this year (last two weeks actually) we had the company of two sea eagles (H. albicilla) on an islet a kilometer away offshore. Plenty of gulls and red-breasted Merganser and razorbills around, too: gangs of saithe praying on baitfish providing entertainment for the birds.
 
Well that was an interesting day. I was hoping for swifts and there weren't any, but three species for my green list, two for the UK list and a kingfisher that was flying across a bit of grassland next to a residential street. Struggling to remember ever seeing one outside of a nature reserve or a large river.

And then I got home, checked what the IOC name for House Martin is and discovered that they've just changed it on us. So I think I'm technically the first person to report a bird called Western House Martin for our list!

39 Song Thrush
40 Common Kingfisher
41 Western House Martin (i.e. Common House Martin as was)
 
(Cycled this year: 5800 km. Bird species (cat A) : 237 – not counting the Subalpine Warbler.)

15-21 June: Cycled to the coast on 15 June; stayed there, but without doing that much birding (or cycling); cycled back on 21 June, first following the coast to the Zwin (Dutch border) and doing some birding in this area. Single new bird: Kentish Plover in the Zwin. (Cycled: 170 km on 15 June; 200 km on 21 June.)

29 June: Afternoon round trip to Sint-Agatha-Rode in the valley of the Dijle, some 20 km E of Brussels, to see a group of Black Storks that was hanging around there. New bird: Black Stork. (Cycled: 45 km.)

2 July: Some wandering N of Brussels -- mainly in the valley of the Lower Nete. Added: Barn Owl (a known bird). (Cycled: 100 km.)

[...Then I went to the Pyrenees for about 3 weeks, hence did not cycle or add anything for the green list during this time...]

29 July: Twitched a White-winged Black Tern that had been found, while I was abroad, near Doel (Dutch border almost due N of Brussels). Added: the tern. (Cycled: 150 km.)

1 Aug: Limburg. Cycled to one of the military camps (there are plenty in this area), where one / two Short-toed Eagle(s) had been regularly seen in the recent weeks. (Entering the camps is not permitted, but the bird(s) can be seen hunting by standing just outside. We actually have many STEs this year -- with up to three birds at the same site in the High Fenns. But this one seemed pretty settled, and of course Limburg is easier than the High Fenns on a bicycle. ;)) Then I tried Zonhoven, a wetland some 10-15 km SE of the camp. Finally, I continued in SE direction to the agricultural region S of Sint-Truiden / Tienen, one of the relatively few areas where Corn Buntings are still thriving in Belgium. Added: Short-toed Eagle, Night Heron (a sleeping adult in Zonhoven), Corn Bunting. (Cycled: 210 km.)

(Cycled this year: 6675 km. Bird species (Cat A): 244 + the Subalp' Warbler sp.)
 
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I sprained my ankle (or worse) during my holiday, which turns out to be especially annoying when driving. But I am also careful not to cycle too far at the moment (Little Egret and Spoonbill will have to wait).
The only bird I added recently was an Alexandrine Parakeet, but as I am 60 km from the nearest population (in Düsseldorf) I assume this isn't even a Cat C bird. But migration is underway: I should start my evening vigils for honey buzzards and harriers...
 
Been doing lots of long hikes this year, but not properly green in most cases as a few kms driving involved first, so my four additions since June are all birds seen from home: Alpine Swift, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Cinereous Vulture and Whinchat, the Swift and the Vulture both new for Europe and World lists. Any Harrier sp would be good, also hoping for the flycatchers to appear soon....
 
I decided that it was about time I got Spoonbill on my yearlist, so I cycled to the Rhine this afternoon. Very nice it was too, at 30 °C and a slight headwind...
First I went to a site where I had seen quite a large group there last year and scored one. As the backup location is a nice place to bird, I cycled on and found Curlew Sandpiper and Dunlin, both new for my yearlist. Sadly Spotted Redshank only showed up really late in the evening (and my current bike lacks lights), as I still need that too!
 
I decided that it was about time I got Spoonbill on my yearlist, so I cycled to the Rhine this afternoon. Very nice it was too, at 30 °C and a slight headwind...
First I went to a site where I had seen quite a large group there last year and scored one. As the backup location is a nice place to bird, I cycled on and found Curlew Sandpiper and Dunlin, both new for my yearlist. Sadly Spotted Redshank only showed up really late in the evening (and my current bike lacks lights), as I still need that too!
I hope your ankle is ok now, my friend sprained their wrist five-ish times because it wouldn't heal completely.
 
Yesterday.
I had cycled to the coast the day before (hoping for something, but not expecting this...), so was 'only' 55-60 km from the bird, and getting there was reasonably quick. :)

(PS - For a slightly better version of the record shot, see here. The bird has not (so far) been re-found today, despite birders being present on the site.)
 

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OK, who had "black and white warbler on the European list" as a prediction when we started this?

It isn't an addition to the world list, though - already seen on the other side of the Atlantic. Which sets me wondering if we have any cases of American birds which have only been reported on here from Europe, or vice versa?
 

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