Hush, hush

Grey-headed Woodpecker is almost extinct in Belgium.  When I first moved here, there were an estimated 20-30 pairs remaining in a small area along the German border but this number has probably dropped to 2-3 pairs at the most.  All sightings are automatically concealed to prevent disturbance so it is very difficult to obtain up-to-date information as to how many remain and where they are.  I visited their last stronghold near Eupen several times but always failed to find even the slightest hint that they might still be around so had more or less given up on seeing one in Belgium.  Last spring, I wrote about the woodpecker survey I was helping with, and thought I did well by finding four of our supposed five resident species in my sector.   One of the other participants, however, hit the jackpot by discovering a territorial male Grey-headed Woodpecker within Brussels!  It called right through until the end of May and then was not seen or heard again for the rest of year.  Fast forward to this year's reunion for the woodpecker survey, and I find out the Grey-headed is calling again in exactly the same spot as last year.  He must have been there all along but, when not being vocal, is virtually impossible to find.  I managed to glean some information as to where exactly within the huge expanse of forest this was and, this morning, by following its constant calls for a good ten minutes or so, finally got a great look at our Grey-headed Woodpecker.  Chiffchaffs really have arrived en masse now and I also heard my first Blackcap of the year.

Spring has sprung

What a difference twelve days make!  Last time I wrote, there was still no sign of any Chiffchaffs, whereas I heard my first one singing on 9 April and, this morning, they were all over my regular patch.  My first butterflies of the year were brought out by the sunny, warm conditions - this Comma, a Peacock and a Holly Blue.  Several Coots were already on nests whilst a pair of Egyptian Geese were attending five of these cute little fluffballs.

Since my last post I also made a short visit to Kalmthout Heath, which provided several displaying Woodlarks and my first Stonechat of the year but, apart from that and a surprise Merlin seen briefly in flight, the heath was deadly quiet awaiting the return of the rest of the summer migrants.

Masterpiece of construction

Spring is still being very elusive as it has been another grey and wet week but, during one of my daily walks around my neighbouring park, I did manage to locate this active Long-tailed Tit nest composed almost entirely of lichens.  This has got to be one of the most elaborate nests of all European species and is usually hidden well out of sight; I think I've only ever seen two others in all my years of birding.  There has already been good migration of Common Cranes and Red Kites in the east of Belgium but, here in Brussels, the first summer migrant to return is usually Lesser Black-backed Gull, and I saw 8 of them yesterday amongst a 300-strong flock of Black-headed, Herring and Common Gulls.