2021

The best birds in this winter were a Thick-billed Murre Uria Lomvia on the Veerse Meer Zld between 30 December 2020 and 6 February 2021, the third halimodendri Siberian Whitethroat Sylvia althaea halimodendri at Diemen NH on 1 and 2 January 2021 and - very welcomed - a Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos at Enschede Ovl and later at Rheden Gld between 21 February till now. The bird is elusive and resides in a large area somewhere north of Arnhem Gld. A Black-throated Thrush Turdus atrogularis wintered in Utrecht U and was very cooperative. A Baikal Teal Sibirionetta formosa was found on 11 April at De Groene Jonker ZH and was also present at time of writing, i.e. 21 April 2021. also present on the Dutch coast between Den Haag ZH and IJmuiden NH was a 2nd calendar-year Ross's Gull Rhodostethia rosea in April and the past days present in Den Haag ZH. Then on 21 April, the first 2021 new species for the Netherlands was found at Julianadorp NH, a lovely male Marmora's Warbler Sylvia sarda. Also on 21 April was a Lesser Spotted Eagle Clanga pomarina at Dalfsen Ovl and Raalte Ovl. I pray this eagle will be found again... May was cold again, but on the 18 May a Little Swift Apus affinis was found at Westkapelle Zld. On 3 October 2021 I saw my third new species, a most-wanted Lesser Spotted Eagle Clanga pomarina at Waspik NB. I have to update the months May to September in this overview yet! A week later, on 8 October 2021 a Two-barred Greenish Warbler Phylloscopus plumbeitarsus at the Maasvlakte ZH was found and a American or Black Scoter Melanitta americana was found at sea north of Schiermonnikoog Fr. On 18 October 2021 the fourth Stejnegeri's or Amur Stonechat Saxicola stejnegeri for the Netherlands was found in the last hours of daylight on Schiermonnikoog Fr. It was gone unfortunately the next day. On 19 October 2021 another new species for the Netherlands was found, an Olivaceous Warbler Iduna pallida at Nieuwvliet-Bad, Sluis Zld. On 24 October the fifth Cream-coloured Courser Cursorius cursor for the Netherlands was seen it Bergen aan Zee NH, making a lot of birders very happy as the last was seen in 1986. In November nothing new was found, although a Dartford Warbler Sylvia undata and a Radde's Warbler Phylloscopus schwarzi at Camperduin NH made things very bearable. In December no less than two Western Swamphens Porphyrio porphyrio were found, one at Alblasserdam ZH on 16 December and one at Zevenhuizen ZH on 22 December 2021.