The last frontier

Having seen over 400 species in Europe, out of a total of around 450 regularly-occurring species, there are very few places within Europe left for me to visit which would provide more than two or three new birds.  The Spanish steppes, however, did represent a gaping hole in my European list, so I have just returned from a successful 3-day tour with Catalan Bird Tours.  We started in the Llobregat marshes next to Barcelona airport, where this Ashy-headed Wagtail, presumably of the cinereocapilla race, was showing off right in front of the hide.

We then headed up into the rocky hillsides of the Garraf, where we got distant views of a large flock of Rock Sparrows, my first lifer of the trip.  The following two days were spent mainly in the steppes around Lleida, where another five lifers followed in quick succession; Little Bustards displaying at close range, Pin-tailed (as well as Black-bellied) Sandgrouse in flight, at least four singing Dupont's Larks, all of which stubbornly refused to show themselves, several garrulous Great Spotted Cuckoos - my 2200th species in the world!, and five Black Wheatears.  We also spent a long time searching for and eventually finding the recently-split Iberian Green Woodpecker, although, looking back at my notes, I realised I've already seen this in Portugal.  Just as impressive as all the new species, though, was the phenomenal density of Calandra Larks singing all around us, together with Thekla, Crested, Greater Short-toed and Lesser Short-toed Larks.  An Audouin's Gull which drifted over as we had a post-trip drink on the rooftop terrace of a hotel in Sitges was our 132nd species in three days, and I even found time to photograph this beautiful Adonis Blue, one of two new species of butterfly I got to see.

Hop-la!

Talk about timing!  I wrote on Friday 8 April that the Peregrine eggs on the cathedral in central Brussels were due to hatch, and the first one finally came out of its egg the following day.  By now, there are three young chicks to admire; one of the five eggs failed, and we are still unsure about the final one.  The parents seem to have no trouble catching enough food for their offspring, with Song Thrush being the most frequent meal so far.  Indeed, migration is in full swing and this is the time of year when anything can turn up anywhere.  This time last week, I finally added Hoopoe to my Belgian list as one was found on some derelict ground in Brussels and I just managed to see it after work on the evening of its second and final day.

Last Friday, I had a quick walk around the park behind my apartment and was surprised to hear a singing Nightingale, the first in the Brussels region this year.  Someone then went and discovered an adult Black-necked Grebe at my patch on the outskirts of Brussels, a new species for the site, so I had to make another mad dash after work to make sure I also got to see it and add it to my site-list.

Any day now

I know they already featured several times on my previous blog, but I just have to mention our Peregrine Falcons once again.  Since 2004, a pair has been nesting atop the St. Michael and St. Gudula cathedral in the heart of Brussels, just a flightless chick's leap from the Central Station.  The current female is now 14 years old and has succesfully raised a total of 36 chicks since 2006, 19 of those fathered by her own son!  This year, egg-laying started on 27 February and hatching was expected around 5 April but there is still no sign of any little beaks.  As there is a live camera transmitting images from the nest 24 hours a day, you may well get to see a Peregine chick hatch if you take a look over the next few days. 
Do also check out the wonderfully informative website, including a full list of the species recorded as prey, or pass by the information booth located at the foot of the cathedral if you are in central Brussels.

Four out of five

Green Woodpecker by Karisha Kuypers

This morning, I did my second visit to the section of forest I was assigned for the project aiming to map all of Brussels' breeding woodpeckers.  During my first visit, I heard a pair of Green Woodpeckers and saw two Middle Spotted.  Today, the Green Woodpeckers were very vocal and I managed to see four of our five resident species.  I saw a Middle Spotted just outside of my area and heard another but the highlight was a pair of Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers.  Having visited twice over the past three weeks, I reckon my 50-hectare section contains 2 pairs of Green, 1-2 pairs of Middle Spotted, 1 pair of Lesser Spotted, plus at least five or six Great Spotted territories.  Only Black Woodpecker seems to be absent, therefore.  Chiffchaffs are now everywhere having been very late arriving since I didn't see my first one until 22 March, and the Wood Anemones are starting to bloom so if finally feels like spring is here!