Breskens 18/05/2012

Breskens vis mig viewpoint

 After picking up TG,DW and GH we drove the short distance to Dover and got the 21.20 ferry to Calais then drove the c120 miles to Breskens arriving at c01.00. On arrival a Nightingale and a Grasshopper Warbler were singing. We tried to get a few hours asleep which I was unable to do.
c04.00 dawn broke and we climbed the bank to the viewpoint. 2 Long-eared Owls were quartering the fields by my car and already a trickle of Swifts were moving along through, a Green Sandpiper dropped into the field and the first of the Yellow Wagtails came through.
Very quickly the trickle of Swifts became a flood with Swallows, House Martins and Sand Martins joining them. Waders and Terns were moving along the shore and Herons,Storks and Raptors started moving. There were literally migrant birds all around a brilliant experience and this was not an exceptional day by Bresken's standards. In all 106 species were seen by us today. The highlights were:
Great-White Egret: 2
Spoonbill: 30+
White Stork: 10+
Purple Heron: 4
Honey Buzzard: 3
Common Buzzard: 7
Black Kite: 1
Marsh Harrier: 10+
Hen Harrier: 3
Montagu's Harrier: 1
Hobby: 4
Wood Sandpiper: 4
Black Tern: 6
Turtle Dove: 8+
Long_eared Owl: 2
Short-eared Owl: 1
Swift: 6000+
Swallow: 1000+
Tree Pipit: 4+
 Blue Headed/ Grey Headed Yellow Wagtail: 300+
Icterine Warbler: 1
Grasshopper warbler: 1
Hawfinch: 1
For a full species account go to: http://www.trektellen.nl/trektelling.asp?telpost=1

Purple Heron

Honey Buzzard

Spoonbills

 A nearby wetland held 18+ pairs of Black-necked Grebes, breeding Black-tailed Godwits, Ruff, Common Sandpipers and this small Canada Goose

Richardsons Canada goose?