Three nights away (2 on the ferry) trying for the Spectacled Eider, followed up with looking at geese and birding in general.
This may not be the best of shots given the limitations of my camera but it raining heavily. Chris did a bit better than me.
Spectacled Eider, Texel, Netherlands 27th February 2025
We went on two other occasions but it was either missing (there were 100s of Edderfuglen to check through) or it was even further out.
The whole island is a haven for wildfowl and we spent some time looking at geese, ducks and waders. Also saw at least 3 Hen Harrier, several Buzzards, some unexpected Stonechats and a few colour marked birds but were unable to get full codes on all of them.
Colour ringed Oystercatcher one of two marked birds in the roost.
Roosting Avocets
Brent Geese
Spoonbill
White-fronted Geese
Kestrel
Black-necked Grebe
Crocuses
Greylag neck collar GW(H138)
A landscape of waterlogged fields and ditches
Hen harrier
No colour rings at the harbour
No amount of scanning the Wadden Sea could find the Spectacled Eider
when the weather improved
Barnacle Geese
We refer to the Netherlands as the land of bicycles. There were fewer about
due to the weather, but still plenty of windmills to see.
On our way back to the Hook of Holland ferry, just 15 minutes away from the Texel ferry back on the mainland, we picked up 17 Smew, a bird rarely seen in the UK these days in any numbers.
Male Smew