This was truly a day to remember, everything went perfectly with Black-faced Bunting, 3 White-bellied Brent, a Black Brent, Tundra Bean Goose, Red-breasted Goose, Falcated Duck and a Beluga!
Tony had originally booked the trip to see the Spectacled Eider, but the bird was taken into care a month earlier due to its poor condition. Since the flights and accommodation were already booked, we decided to make the best of it.
We started on Texel, where a Black-faced Bunting appeared just as we set up the telescope. We were able to observe it for a couple of minutes before it dropped down into the vegetation. As it usually stays on the ground for a while, we decided to move on and try for the geese.
We soon located the wintering Brent Geese, and before long we found the first White-bellied Brent. More birds arrived, allowing us to identify a second individual. Continuing our search, we drove up to another flock and immediately spotted the Black Brent at the front of the group, as if it were waiting for us.
The Tundra Bean Goose would be a lifer for Tony, so we crossed the island, stopping whenever something interesting caught our eye. This resulted in sightings of a Whooper Swan, a Hen Harrier, and a third White-bellied Brent. We eventually located several Bean Geese, some even close to the car, allowing us to study all the details thoroughly.
When the report came in that the Beluga had been sighted, we headed south toward the ferry. After a quick stop for the Tundra Swans, we docked with just two minutes to spare.
Half an hour later, after departing the ferry, we were watching a Beluga surfacing about a kilometer offshore. We joked that one Arctic specialty had been replaced by another. Since it was only midday, we checked the sightings again and found two options for Red-breasted Goose within an hour’s drive.
Once again, luck was on our side. We quickly located an adult male Red-breasted Goose in a mixed flock, standing quite openly and offering excellent views through the telescope. We soon set off again, as the final lifer of the day awaited us nearby: a Falcated Duck. This too was easily observed. We spent the last hours of daylight at the lake, enjoying a beautiful fly-by of the drake as it put on a show for the local Gadwall in the soft winter light, proudly displaying its rich colors.
