and birders were present last weekend on the island during the 29th Dutch Birding autumn weekend. In good weather with only a few heavy showers on Saturday morning it was quite good birding. For an extensive observations overview click here. On Friday, Saturday and Sunday were seen respectively 154, 179 and 176 different species.
The discovery of a 1st calendar year Pallid Harrier at the end of Friday afternoon was an excellent start. The bird stayed all weekend and showed himself often brilliant, hunting over a flowering rapeseed field in polder Eierland. Several dozen Yellow-browed Warblers were seen on Texel. The first Black Brant geese were found between the in large numbers arrived Brent Geese. A twitchable Richard's Pipit showed itself very nice in polder Zeeburg. Also several Red-throated Pipits flying overhead were heard. The hit of the weekend, however, was the discovery of a highly probable second calendar Daurian Shrike in Westerduinen. This rare vagrant from Central Asia caused a megatwitch estimated more than 400 people. If accepted by the CDNA it's the fifth record for Texel. The species was seen earlier in 1995, 2003, 2006 and 2011. For NL this means the thirteenth record. On Sunday afternoon a Hoopoe was seen at the Witte Hoek.
The expectations for Monday, October 13th were high. A predicted depression with much rain for the night from Sunday to Monday could provide a lot of birds. Indeed caused the bad weather for a fall of mainly Song Thrushes and to a lesser extent Redwings. Ring Ouzels were also reported in several places. From two different locations: Zeeburg and the dunes near the lighthouse, came the reporting of a Siberian Chiffchaff. The Hoopoe was still present. A White Pelican was seen in several places. The bird was seen the day before in Lauwersoog and Terschelling. It concerns the bird that previously stayed for some time in Hengelo.
Today there were less birds than yesterday. Many Goldcrests arrived. Notable location was a garden along the Vuurtorenweg where Red-breasted Flycatcher, Pallas's Leaf Warbler (first autumn sighting of NL) and Yellow-browed Warbler were seen!
Hop / Eurasian Hoopoe Upupa epops, de Witte Hoek, De Cocksdorp, Texel, 13-10-2013
Daurische Klauwier / Daurian Shrike Lanius isabellinis ?, tweede kalender / second-year Westerduinen, Texel, 11-10-2014 (foto Michel Veldt)
Roze Pelikaan / Great White Pelican Pelecanus onocrolatus, polder Waal en Burg, Texel, 13-10-2014 (foto Michel Veldt)
