Some pictures from this winter...

Since I just started this blog, it seems like a good idea to post some pictures from the past few weeks, before spring catches up (and I will be concentrating on posting mainly new pictures). I'll try to get some pictures of the places where I watch the birds too, to give you an idea of how ring-reading in Belgium looks like :-)

I visited the nature reserve of Nieuwpoort a few times recently, and saw mainly Belgian ringed Herrings, but also one British-ringed bird (unfortunately it was too far to take a decent picture), a French one (I saw two other French birds at Oostende, another hotspot for colour-ringed gulls), and a few Dutch birds (all from RJ Buijs, plus one metal-ringed bird).

2nd cal Herring gull blue MT.AS (Nieuwpoort), ringed as a chick in Oostende, Belgium (E. Stienen). This bird has been hanging around there all winter.

Another picture of the same bird.

4th cal Herring gull blue CD.AR(Nieuwpoort), ringed as a chick in Oostende, where I saw this bird for the first time in 2007. Since 2008 it has always been seen in Nieuwpoort.

2nd cal Herring gull 1R A (Nieuwpoort), ringed as a chick in northern France (JP Leys). Always nice to see a French one!

Adult Herring gulls blue KP.AM and GF.AB (Oostende), both ringed in Zeebrugge (E. Stienen), and in winter always present in Oostende.

To end this post, Black-headed gull white VSH (Gent), ringed in Denmark (T K Pedersen). This winter, I saw two Danish-ringed birds in my hometown, the other one for its second winter in Gent!