Siberian Rubythroat!

Sunday morning, on the news that the Siberian Rubythroat was still present a few miles north of Amsterdam, I booked a place on the 06.20 Chunnel train for Monday. Monday morning DW,GH,TG and myself caught the train to Calais, then we drove to Hoogwoud motorway all the way arriving at 11.30. It's really only the equivalent of driving to Spurn Point from Dungeness only on far superior roads. News was not good as the Rubythroat had not been seen for an hour! We waited at the entrance to the alley where it was being seen every 15 minutes on Sunday! After about an hour some birders had wandered off allowing us to have pole position on the area where the Rubythroat usually performed, we stuck it out as a couple of Dutch photographers assured us the bird will show there. It suddenly flew across the path into a hedge giving the briefest of views. 45 minutes later 1 of the local photographers who was laying down, could see it working its way towards log he had baited with meal worms, then it hopped out flashing its stunning crimson throat causing the many cameras to whirr into overdrive, also making us very happy we had pole position. Over the next hour it performed several times for us allowing us excellent photographic opportunities.
Many thanks are due to the residents for there patience with the birders and the helpfulness of the Dutch birders on site, all who speak fluent English making me feel very ashamed that I don't speak a word of Dutch.
Leaving site we dashed up to the coast where we saw 3 Red-breasted Geese with flock of c1,000 Dark-bellied Brent Geese and 3+ Light-bellied Brent Geese. Also 1,000s each of White-fronted Geese and Greylag Geese, 100s of Egyptian Geese a few Barnacle Geese, 10+ Great White Egrets. a Bittern, 5 Scaup, 4 Smew, a Goosander, a Black-necked Grebe and a Kingfisher, but missed the Bufflehead and Lesser Scaup as the light went.