These species are extinct, but a small group of die hard birders believe they might still be out there despite decades of fruitless searching! Hopefully their dreams don't turn into Leo Ok, the B&W Warbler is not extinct, but if you live in 🇳🇱 it sure feels like it!

Surrealisme à la belge!

Nog eens een twitch gedaan, en direct ook zeer geslaagd. (Kleine torenvalk)

Recordshot of the skulking and flighty female Eastern/Western Subalpine warbler I found yesterday evening (June 17th) in the outer harbour of Zeebrugge. Not Moltoni's, coz it made a few teck calls. More record shots here: ebird.org/checklist/S251…

Ik wou er toch ook eens één gezien hebben. Toch wel een zeer mooie rups. En groot! Net iets korter dan mijn wijsvinger. Wolfsmelkpijlstaart, Baai van Heist.

This morning a 1cy Black-winged Kite was found a few km from my door. Although it was not seen in the afternoon, I still decided to give it a go in the early evening. Luckily it was still present and quite busy eating its prey. No more than a scarcity these days, but still...

Half an hour ago I found this 1cy Barred Warbler in the dunes of my hometown Bredene!

In the late morning there was some movement of juvenile Honey Buzzards along the Belgian Coast today. First I had a pale morph and an hour or so later a dark morph.

Yesterday evening I had a rather dark/dusky juvenile Caspian Gull on the beach of Bredene. Heavily marked too, especially on the uppertail coverts.

In Belgium, Tawny Pipit is a scarce passage migrant more inland. At the coast it is rarish and rarely seen on the ground. Most are seen flying overhead and calling. So was this bird, but it was quite a while ago that I had seen one in Belgium. Happy! macaulaylibrary.org/asset/641483467

The cycling equivalent of finding a pechora pipit on the mainland!

Came across a rosefinch in the Sashul this morning. Pretty rare in autumn. Very Happy!