Spring migration really got under way this past week with no less than 7300 Meadow Pipits passing the migration watchpoint at Breskens on Wednesday, followed by another 12,000 on Friday! On Thursday, I had a day in the coastal polders with a couple from Canada, and there were pipits everywhere. In one small field containing at least 30 Meadow Pipits, I suddenly noticed a partially leucistic bird with a bright white collar making it look like a miniature Ruff. This really is the best time of the year to visit the polders as the Lapwings were constantly displaying and chasing off everything that ventured too close to their territories. Black-tailed Godwits and Avocets were also displaying and a couple of male Bluethroats perched up on fenceposts and sang, sitting still long enough for us to admire them in the telescope, which doesn't happen very often. The first Sedge Warblers sang out of sight from the reeds, and migrants included 3 Whimbrel, several Sand Martin, and a couple of Marsh Harriers. My visitors were surprised just how many birds were predominantly black and white (Avocet, Oystercatcher, Lapwing, Spotted Redshank, Shelduck, Shoveler, Spoonbill, Little Egret, White Wagtail, Reed Bunting, etc.), but even the Bluethroats' colours were eclipsed by the brightness of two male Blue-headed Wagtails found right at the end of our walk and which took our day's total to 67 species.
