2001 started very slow with nothing special in winter. At the end of March, several favourite birding spots were closed due to the Foot & Mouth Hysteria. Then things started to turn when a Pallid Harrier (not new for me) was discovered at The Hague with on the same day on the island of Terschelling a Little Swift, a new species for the Netherlands. This highly-wanted swift could not be twitched.
A week later another new species for the Netherlands appeared, an Egyptian Vulture. Although I was extremely lucky to see the vulture, the bird disappeared quickly and could only be observed by c 40 birdwatchers. Next new species for me was Iberian Chiffchaff. Again I was lucky, because this bird stayed for long, so after a three-weeks vacation in Montana USA I could add this bird to my list on June 23rd!