Belgian Birder
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belgianbirder.bsky.social
Belgian Birder
@belgianbirder.bsky.social
Very simple! ;-) A birder knows only 3 seasons. Summer does not exist. From 15 March till 15 June = spring, from 15 June till 15 December = autumn and finally from 15 December till 15 March = winter. Only in the latter period you are allowed to take a day off once in a while.
July 17, 2025 at 7:29 AM
Maybe the same individual that I have seen this winter in the Zwaanhoek.

bsky.app/profile/belg...
I was pretty pleased with this female Smew at the NR of the Zwaanhoek in Oudenburg. Although an annual winter guest in relatively small numbers inland, it is rather rare at the Flemish coast. It is nothing less than a mega at the Zwaanhoek where it was last seen and reported on wnm in December 1973!
June 14, 2025 at 8:11 PM
What I find especially interesting about this bird, is that its full song follows the same pattern as the one I found in Bredene. Chiff-notes followed by two inflected notes and then a trill. I wonder if that might be linked to some specific regional variation?
macaulaylibrary.org/asset/634335...
ML634335431 - Iberian Chiffchaff - Macaulay Library
Macaulay Library ML634335431; © Davy Bosman; West-Vlaanderen, Vlaanderen, Belgium
macaulaylibrary.org
June 14, 2025 at 8:21 AM
Not that it really matters, but still...it would have been better that they sported some Belgian bling then.
June 14, 2025 at 8:12 AM
Dat is inderdaad ook het enige wat je kan doen als individu. Zo veel mogelijk voor eigen deur vegen. Ook al is het maar een druppel op een hete plaat!
June 7, 2025 at 6:51 PM
Dat is omdat leidinggevende figuren (profs, politiekers, ceo's,...) doen alsof ze de zaakjes onder controle hebben, maar achter hun rug hun vingertjes even hard gekruisd houden als gij en ik. Hopend dat het zichzelf wel zal oplossen of dat op zijn minst het plebs hen niet komt lynchen !
June 7, 2025 at 5:59 PM
Thx Adam. Jamie already made me aware on Twitter. Please send more Kent Americans our way! Acadian Fly, Yellow or golden-winged warbler, Cliff Swallow,...any will do, but preferably wild ones the next time.
June 4, 2025 at 7:48 AM
Went back to see if the second bird was back and it was. And it finally gave superb views. Turned out to be a common reed warbler.
June 1, 2025 at 5:05 PM
Ah...you are on Ouessant. Good luck, Paul.
May 28, 2025 at 8:47 AM
We had a good morning too at the migration watchpoint 'De Fonteintjes' in Zeebrugge:
www.trektellen.nl/count/view/7...
Highlights: black-winged kite, a lingering White-winged Black Tern and an adult male red-footed falcon. Better pics here sooner or later: waarnemingen.be/locations/31...
May 1, 2025 at 12:30 PM
Yesterday I made a longer recording of it singing.

macaulaylibrary.org/asset/634338...
ML634338368 - Iberian Chiffchaff - Macaulay Library
Macaulay Library ML634338368; © Davy Bosman; West-Vlaanderen, Vlaanderen, Belgium
macaulaylibrary.org
April 25, 2025 at 12:15 PM
April 25, 2025 at 11:38 AM