Oct 3, 2018

Mediterranean Gull in Bergen

After a long break with lots of work at home as well as at work, I could go out and see this fine gull at the Lille Lungegårdsvannet in the center of Bergen. First winter Mediterranean Gull Larus melanocephalus. Only the fifth for Hordaland and new for my Bergen list.


May 12, 2018

Cirl Bunting

A singing male Cirl Bunting Emberiza cirlus is lingering in the south of the Netherlands for some weeks now... Not a difficult choice what to do. So today my dad, brother and I twitched it. Nice views of the rather active bird.

Cirl Bunting


Back in the north the White-throated Wagtail was still present as well as a Squacco Heron. The nice weather produced a lot of bird activity, which made the birding worth while...


Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides

Western Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava

 Black-tailed Godwit Limosa l limosa

Stonechat Saxicola rubicola


May 11, 2018

White-throated Wagtail

Robin and I are visiting the Netherlands and I have some time to bird. So, on thursday I went with my brother and father to see this nice male  Italian White throated Wagtail Motacilla c cinereocapilla. (Dutch Birding is treating many wagtail-taxa as full species). The bird  is holding territory during the last few weeks near the city of Groningen. Due to bad weather only a record shot below...


White-throated Wagtail (photo below on a different day)

May 6, 2018

Caspian Gull still present

The Bergen Caspian Gull was still present today. Saw it only swim, but managed to get a beter picture, though...


May 5, 2018

Caspian Gull in Bergen

Who else than Arild Breistøl found this second calendar year Caspian Gull on the Tveitevannet in Bergen, only 5 minutes from my house. It showed much sings of wear in the wings as it should in this age. New bird for me for Norway...

Caspian Gull Larus cachinnans

Apr 16, 2018

Sahara Atlantique (du Maroc), a week in the desert

The last week of march I made a trip with Enno Ebels, Eric Koops and Lodi Nauta to the desert in the Western Sahara. Western Sahara is occupied by Morocco and has been political unstable a long time. But the last ten years or so it has been rather stable and the UN has cleared large areas from landmines. That being so the area has openend for foreign visitors, mostly birdwatchers. In the true desert one can find birds that are otherwise difficult to find in the Western Palearctic.
Deep into the desert is a dry oued or wadi, Oued Jenna, that holds some of these birds: Golden Nightjar Caprimulgus eximius, Cricket Warbler Spiloptila clamans and Sudan Golden Sparrow Passer luteus.
We saw these birds, albeit with some difficulty. Along the coast at the Dakhla bay one can find another speciality of the region, African Royal Tern Sterna albididorsalis. We saw a maximum of 26 birds.
Other nice typical (desert) birds we saw were: Crowned Sandgrouse Pterocles coronatus, Western Reef Heron Egretta gularis gularisCream-coloured Courser Cursorius cursor,  Atlas Long-legged Buzzard Buteo refinus cirtensisPharao Eagle Owl Bubo ascalaphus, Lanner Falcon Falco biarmicus, Desert Grey Shrike Lanius elegans, Brown-necked Raven Corvus ruficollis, lots of larks like African Dunn's Lark Eremelauda dunni, Maghreb Lark Galerida macrorhyncha and Black-crowned Sparrow-lark Eremopterix nigriceps, Pale Crag Martin Pytyoprogne obsoleta presaharica, African Desert Warbler Sylvia deserti, Western Subalpine Warbler Sylvia inornataWestern Olivaceous Warbler Iduna opaca, Saharan Olivaceous Warbler Iduna pallida reiseriSeebohm's Wheatear Oenanthe seebohmi, Red-rumped Wheatear Oenanthe moesta and Desert Sparrow Passer simplex. (All birds in red were new taxa to me). More pictures under the world button!

Also the third Fieldfare Turdus pilaris and eighth Ring Ouzel Turdus torquatus for the country!!



male Seebohm's Wheatear

Crowned Sandgrouse

African Desert Warbler

Dunn's Lark

Desert Grey Shrike

Western Subalpine Warbler

Golden Nightjar (Eric Koops)

Cream-coloured Courser

Desert Sparrow

White-crowned Black Wheatear

Black Wheatear

African Royal Terns

African Royal Tern

Cricket Warbler

Maghreb Lark (Eric Koops)




Feb 12, 2018

at home

Not much birding lately due to work, a lot to do at home and so on...
But these two are about all the time.

pair of Collared Doves

Jan 7, 2018

a blue flash

Today, in very bad weather,  I tried for the Kingfisher in Hamreelven. It was found yesterday and seen well by many observers, but not me. Didn't have the time yesterday, but today I could pay a visit. After half an hour of walking and looking I suddenly saw it fly over the water in the little river and disappear. I reckon it can be hard to find and the area where it can hold is rather big... Anyhow, new for my Bergen list. Maybe I try for it on tuesday again.