Storming on

I made three separate trips to the coast this past week.  The first was last Wednesday, when a storm seemed like the perfect opportunity to finally add Gannet to my year list.  Conditions were unpleasant to say the least since I had to crouch down behind a wall to get out of the wind, with sea spray from the waves breaking over me every so often, but I did get to see plenty of juvenile Gannets.  Interestingly, I didn't see a single adult go past, as if they know better than to get caught up in a storm.  The strong winds also pushed a single Razorbill, a couple of Kittiwakes and a group of Common Scoter my way but the biggest surprise were a couple of dark birds wheeling over the waves in typical shearwater-fashion.  They were far out but I got good enough views to confirm the underside was completely dark and even glimpse the whitish underwing coverts of one bird so I was pretty confident I'd just seen my first Sooty Shearwaters in Belgium.  Sure enough, this was a big day for this species, with a friend stationed further down the coast tallying 27 of them during the course of the day, and my two birds also being reported by other observers at various locations along the coast.

Two days later, I was back at the coast again trying to find Yellow-browed Warblers since my Brussels bird of the past two autumns hasn't returned (and I've been checking the park almost every day!).  I did hear two calling but, frustratingly, was unable to locate either of them.  The bushes were absolutely alive with Song Thrushes, however, flying out in all directions, and I was just thinking that so many thrushes having arrived meant there just had to be something else, when a Barred Warbler popped up in a bush ahead of me!  I only got brief views before it disappeared and no-one else saw the bird at all, but it was enough to rule out a late Garden Warbler, so I was very pleased with only my second (and first self-found) Barred Warbler in Belgium, in exactly the same location as my first.  As if that wasn't good enough, I then went on to get a fantastic view of a Wryneck, a species I'd pretty much given up on finding this year since it is getting extremely late for them.

After two visits in three days, I had no intention of returning to the coast over the weekend but then someone went and found a first-winter Rustic Bunting on Saturday which was showing extremely well all day and again on Sunday.  After the successes of the past week, I just had to give it a try, therefore, especially seeing it too was new for my Belgian list, having only ever seen them on their breeding grounds in Lapland.  I soon located the crowd of people (111 people reported it on Sunday) surrounding the bird as it crept mouse-like through the marram grass feeding.  At first, it was difficult to see well but it eventually flew up into a tree and started preening for all to admire.

BE #228 (Gannet, Razorbill, Kittiwake, Common Scoter, Sooty Shearwater, Yellow-browed Warbler, Barred Warbler, Wryneck, Bearded Tit, Rustic Bunting)

BRU #113 (Cetti's Warbler)