2012

2012 had a good spring, but no new birds for me. I was on a 10-day trip to Thailand for Spoonbill Sandpiper and Pitta's in March and I had a very good trip (for details see here). The only potential new species for me would be a 3cy Lesser Spotted Eagle at Hoog Buurloo on 14 May, but that was a fly-by and could not be twitched. Then, on 28 July a Thick-billed Murre was seen in Lauwersoog. I saw it on 29 July and it was only the third alive bird ever seen in the Netherlands. On 31 August a Sooty tern, new for the Netherlands, was passing by at the Maasvlakte and only seen by a single birder, who was able to take several pictures.
Autumn gave us new insights in the Saxicola-taxa, as a Caspian Stonechat was found on Vlieland and a few days later a Stejneger's Stonechat. I managed to see the former, but the ID became known after the bird had left.

Do you like to go to the main index or the next year 2013?