2 in Gent

A short stop in Gent today resulted in 2 c-ringed LBBG's, one bird that I saw a few times before, and one new one. Both birds ringed in Belgium, with rings from Roland-Jan Buijs.

LBBG blue 73 (RJ Buijs), a new one to me.

LBBG blue PN (RJ Buijs).

Sanderling and gulls

Yesterday I saw my first ever c-ringed Sanderling, but unfortunately it was just not close enough for the whole combination to be read. Because it had a white flag, it was ringed in Mauritania, so that's nice anyway!

Also 2 local Jackdaws with metal rings, several Belgian Herring gulls present in Nieuwpoort, and 1 Dutch with a metal ring. In Oostende, a French LBBG (those rings are really difficult to read!) was the highlight.

 

2 locally ringed Jackdaws in Nieuwpoort.

 

Dutch Herring gull Arnhem 6.467.515, now present in Nieuwpoort.

 

Belgian Herring gull blue YP.AR (E. Stienen), a new one for me.

French LBBG red 553N (P. Dubois), not the easiest rings to read from a distance...

 

Herring gull blue CS.AZ (E. Stienen), present in a small colony in Oostende.

LBBG blue D.FAY (previously blue AAAZ, E. Stienen), already 15 years old, and present in the same colony as the Herring above.

Herring gull blue M.UAK (E. Stienen), in Oostende.

Brussels

Last week I visited 2 parks in Brussels to try to read some Carrion crow-rings. I saw only 2, but to my surprise also 3 Egyptian geese, and also read a metal ring on a Canada goose. A c-ringed Mute swan stayed asleep, so this one got away.

Carrion crow yellow XX (D. Vangeluwe).

Carrion crow yellow HL (D. Vangeluwe).

Egyptian goose yellow RT (D. Vangeluwe).

British Oystercatcher

Today I was able to read my very first British-ringed Oystercatcher (metal ring), in Nieuwpoort. Few Herring gulls were around (only 1 colour ring and 2 metal ones, all known Belgian birds), but I was very happy to read a French Lesser black-backed gull, and 2 Greater black-backeds (Norwegian and Danish). These were all too distant to take decent pictures, so I only have one of the Oystercatcher.

Oystercatcher London FA50784 (the female). The male bird was a Belgian one, but unfortunately I was not able to read the code.

Marsh harriers return

This week, I saw my first wing-tagged Marsh harrier of the year. The past 2 years, more than 200 juveniles have been wing-tagged in Belgium and the south of the Netherlands, and several birds were seen the past few weeks. I checked every harrier I saw, and finally, last Tuesday I could read the code of a female bird. It was tagged last summer close to where I saw it. Since most sightings of tagged birds are from birds ringed in 2011, seeing a 2nd cal year was very nice. I hope to see many more of these birds in the following weeks!

Afterwards, I was able to read 7 ringed Herring gulls, of which 2 were Dutch: 1 from R.J. Buijs (a known bird to me), and 1 metal-ringed bird. Also 1 of the regular metal-ringed Jackdaws was present.

2nd cal female Marsh harrier (A. Anselin), tagged last year and now back in Belgium!

Herring gull Arnhem 6.426.549. It should be heading to it's breeding colony soon.

Herring gull Brussel H???723, I hope to read the full code on one of my next visits...

Herring gull yellow XB (R.J. Buijs), the last time I saw this one was in August last year, so good to see it's still alive and doing well.

Heing gull blue YM.AB (E. Stienen),

Herring gull blue YX.AB (E. Stienen), a new one!

Jackdaw Brussel E337306, a regular bid in Nieuwpoort.

Guernsey Herring Gull in Belgium!

Today I checked the resting gulls in Nieuwpoort again, and immediately saw an immature Herring gull wearing a white ring. Luckily it stayed where it was, and I was able to read the code, and take some pictures as well. I recognized the code as probably belonging to Paul Veron's ringing scheme, and this was confirmed by him later this evening. It even turned out to be the first of his colour-ringed Herring gulls seen in Belgium! He ringed this bird in December in his garden, so it's not known where this bird originates from, let's hope it will be seen many times more.
Other rings were all Belgian ones, with 3 known birds seen. I also managed to read the code of one Ruddy turnstone, probably locally ringed.

2nd cal Herring gull white 0HA4 (P. Veron), my first Guernsey-ringed bird!

Ruddy turnstone Brussel 99Z23897.

ad Herring gull blue MT.AS (E. Stienen).

4th cal Herring gull blue PFA.F (E. Stienen).

2nd cal Herring gull blue YS.AX (E. Stienen)

Gulls, Jackdaws and White storks!

A short stop at the coast yesterday resulted in the reading of 5 gull-rings (all Belgians), and 3 locally-ringed Jackdaws. When I got home, I got news about 5 White storks not so far away. When I arrived there, I was pleased to see that 3 of them were ringed. I managed to read 2 of them, both were Dutch birds.

Herring gull Brussels H145683, also seen there the day before.

 

Herring gull blue YSA.C (E. Stienen), my first sighting.

3 locally ringed Jackdaws.

 

 

White stork NLA 1E679, ringed in 2011 as a juvenile on the nest in the Netherlands.

White stork Arnhem 7529, ringed in 2006 as a juvenile on the nest in the Netherlands.

 

5 White storks resting during their migration.