Then, on Monday, I returned to the place in East Flanders I discovered late last summer when I twitched Little Crake. I was not quite sure what to expect since I have never been there in the spring but it seemed to have a good collection of species which I would normally get at the coast.
This was the sight that greeted me upon my arrival; two sleepy Spoonbills accompanied by lots of feeding Black-tailed Godwits. I'd already heard Golden Orioles on the way in and they continued to sing all morning, with me eventually managing to glimpse one in flight. My ears were not quite ready for the onslaught of warbler song, however, since the reeds were full of singing Marsh Warblers and Common Whitethroats, plus smaller numbers of Reed, Sedge and Cetti's Warblers, with a few Bluethroats and Reed Buntings also trying to make themselves heard. I'm a little out of practice, having been stuck in Brussels for most of the spring, so it was quite difficult trying to recognise the various species with such a constant cacophony. I have never seen so many Marsh Warblers, though, and even noticed one trying to sing and feed at the same time, as if it couldn't make up its mind what to do first!
In addition, there was this flotilla of baby Shelducks with what appeared to be a Coot as their nanny, two pairs of Common Terns nesting on the rafts built especially for them, two Avocet and two Greenshank. I also glimpsed what I was convinced was a Great Reed Warbler disappear into the reeds but, despite waiting for over an hour, didn't once hear it sing. I wasn't convinced, therefore, but later found out a pair was singing in the exact spot in early May so they are probably busy now feeding young. This was a wonderful alternative to the much longer (and still prohibited) journey to the coast and provided ten new birds for my year list, with this Black-tailed Skimmer also being my first of the year.
