Autumn migration is well underway with a Hoopoe on my Brussels patch, in exactly the same place as the last one in September 2002, and a female Woodchat Shrike on a nature reserve in Vlaams-Brabant. This species was new for my Belgian list so I went to look for it yesterday and found it easily, although it was very far away making it impossible to photograph. A pair of Migrant Hawkers in Brussels, on the other hand, were too busy copulating to worry about me, allowing me to get this nice image.
Since migration is kicking off and lots of good things seems to be turning up, I decided to make a resolution to do a quick tour of my local park every day that my work schedule allows. During my first visit this week, there had obviously been a minor fall, with several calling Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps plus a nice little surprise in the form of a singing Firecrest, which I've only seen once before as early as August.
