2016 Year List

2016 Year List (UK:137) (Total:165):
Key: Bold = Lifer. Red = Overseas Bold Red (Work it out!)

Starling, House Sparrow, Mallard, Eider, Pheasant, Red-throated Diver, Northern Fulmar, Raven, Carrion Crow, Hooded Crow, Rook, Jackdaw, Blackbird, Robin, Rock Pipit, Rock Dove, Black Guillemot, Kittiwake, Great Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, Curlew, Redshank, Lapwing, Oystercatcher, Gannet, Shag, Tufted Duck, Common Goldeneye, Eurasian Teal, Eurasian Widgeon, Mute Swan, Whooper Swan, Greylag Goose, Little Grebe, Cormorant, Grey Heron, Greenland White-fronted Goose, Great Northern Diver, Common Buzzard, Common Kestrel, Purple Sandpiper, Collard Dove, Redwing, Fieldfare, Chaffinch, Linnet, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Red Kite, Wood Pigeon, Pied Wagtail, Dunnock, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Coal Tit, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Magpie, Lesser Redpoll, Bullfinch, Egyptian Goose, Northern Shovelar, Great Crested Grebe, Bittern, Moorhen, Coot, Ring-necked Parakeet, Stonechat, Cetti's Warbler, Wren, Canada Goose, Pintail, Pochard, Green Woodpecker, Chiffchaff, Goldcrest, Jay, Siskin, Gadwall, Peregrine Falcon, Long-tailed Tit, Meadow Pipit, Red-legged Partridge, Treecreeper, Shelduck, Grey Wagtail, Song Thrush, Kingfisher, Penduline Tit, Marsh Tit, Nuthatch, Cattle Egret, Little Egret, Common Sandpiper, Sandwich Tern, Sardinian Warbler, Audouin's Gull, Osprey, White Wagtail, Black Redstart, Yellow-legged Gull, Blackcap, Great Egret, Marsh Harrier, Water Rail, Stone Curlew, Green Sandpiper, Serin, Common Crossbill, Reed Bunting, Blue Rock Thrush, Crag Martin, Booted Eagle, Kentish Plover, Greater Flamingo, Moustached Warbler, Purple Swamphen, Pied Avocet, Greenshank, Pink-footed Goose, Long-eared Owl, Tawny Owl, Barn Owl, Grey Partridge, Ringed Plover, Dunlin, Black-tailed Godwit, Ruff, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Skylark, Mistle Thrush, Lapland Bunting, Dark-bellied Brent Goose, Golden Pheasant, Common Snipe, Black Grouse, Red Grouse, Wheatear, Dipper, Yellowhammer, Sand Martin, Swallow, House Martin, Goosander, Velvet Scoter, Common Scoter, Common Guillemot, Razorbill, King Eider, Whimbrel, Snow Bunting, Capercaillie, Red-breasted Merganser, Slavonian Grebe, Rock Ptarmigan, Crested Tit, Scottish Crossbill, Black-throated Diver, White-tailed Eagle, Golden Eagle, Bar-tailed Godwit, Great Skua, Puffin, Red-crested Pochard










Friday 6 March 2015

Brugge Weekend

The wife and I took a long weekend trip to Brugge as we have wanted to visit for some time now.  I it is beautiful town (city?) but 2 days is plenty to see the canals and to visit the chocolate shops and cafes.

I took a day out while the wife went shopping and I headed on down to Ghent to the Bourgoyen-Ossemeersan Nature Reserve which is a real wetland paradise so close to civilisation.

I didn't get too may photos as there is literally one path that goes around the outside of the 210 hectare reserve so binoculars are a must and telescope a bonus.

Being wetland it was mostly ducks and geese, there were hundreds of Barnacle Geese which were the most numerous Goose, there were smaller numbers of Greylag and Canada, I also saw a 2 hybrid geese, a Canada x Greylag and a Canada x Barnacle.

Barnacle Geese
 
Barnacle Geese
 
Barnacle Geese

Barnacle Geese 

Barnacle Geese 

Canada x Barnacle
 
I had a couple of year ticks with Great White Egret, Black-tailed Godwit and Ruff however they were all scope views so definitely no photos. Other waders were Curlew, Common Sandpiper, Snipe, Lapwing and Golden Plover.
 
Curlew
 
The reserve has some boardwalk through a swamp like area with a lot of felled trees, this leads through to a wooded area where I spent about an hour watching what must have been 200 Siskin in addition to Blue Tit, Great Tit, Coal Tit, Wren, Robin, Dunnock, Goldfinch, Greenfinch and Chaffinch.
The reserve held plenty of Mallard, Gadwall, Widgeon, Shovelar, Coot and a few Moorhen plus of course Grey Heron, Black-headed Gull, Herring Gull and Lesser Black-backed Gull.

Coot 

Shovelar

Widgeon

I fully recommend a visit to this reserve if you are visiting Brussels, it's only a short drive from Brugge and well worth it.
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Location: Bourgoyen-Ossemeersan, Ghent, Belgium
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