The Dutch Island of Texel is well known among Ecu birders because of the thrilling quantity and high quality of birds it draws all through spring and autumn migration instances. Even though no longer as thrilling as Helgoland, which I lined right here lately, Texel is a superb location in its personal proper. I spent 3 complete days on Texel in overdue October, which used to be near to sufficient to hide this unusually huge island.
Arriving on the hostel I stayed at within the afternoon, I dropped off my baggage and headed to a website online the place a Pallas’s Leaf Warbler used to be noticed previous that day. A vagrant Isabelline Wheatear used to be provide at the island the day sooner than I arrived, so I felt that I a minimum of deserved the warbler (every other Isabelline Wheatear used to be discovered a couple of days once I left Texel, so they’re obviously messing with me). Simply as I left the website online after an extended seek, the secretive however lively Pallas’s Leaf-Warbler seemed within the reeds, appearing off its gorgeous facial markings and vivid rump – highest get started of the commute!
On my first complete day I explored the northern a part of the Island and used to be specifically glad to discover a crew of Bearded Reedlings – every other lifer (most likely mildly embarrassing for any person who’s been birding for so long as lengthy as I’ve). As is every so often the case with lifers, I noticed extra Bearded Reedlings at a unique website online the next day. Obviously that is simply since you occur to be at an acceptable position and time, nevertheless it feels extra like they need to mock your preliminary pleasure through appearing you that they’re far and wide and also you simply failed to search out them.
A couple of Bohemian Waxwings had been additionally an ideal addition to my life-list and a long-awaited chook. They had been feeding in a small tree within the village of De Koog and had been very approachable.
The morning of my 2nd day used to be in part dedicated to a Lengthy-tailed Duck within the Mokbaai on the island’s southern tip. I’m used to be more than pleased with this sighting, however spotted that those birds by no means appear to be men of their horny non-breeding plumage, the primary symbol you recall from the chook guides. I additionally noticed Eurasian Woodcock, Northern Goshawk, and Chicken Harrier within the neighborhood. Scanning via a flock of Ecu Golden-Plovers within the night close to de Coog used to be profitable as I picked out a Eurasian Dotterel, unusually overdue within the 12 months for this passage migrant.
On my ultimate day, I spent a while looking at waders from the small pier at de Cocksdorp. Not unusual Ringed Plover, Bar-tailed Godwit, Black-tailed Godwit, Not unusual Redshank, Eurasian Curlew, Purple Knot, Dunlin, and Sanderling had been feeding luckily at the mudflats, whilst Inexperienced Sandpiper and Noticed Redshank had been added to the wader tally on a flooded box.
A Siberian Stonechat used to be discovered through the lighthouse on my 2nd day. It used to be most effective provide for an hour so I systematically checked each stonechat I got here throughout in moderation, however all of them remained Ecu Stonechats. This chook me in part on account of the complicated taxonomy and identifaction of stonechats. A couple of days once I left Heligoland a month previous, a stonechat used to be seen that would most effective be recognized as Siberian (Saxicola maurus) or Amur/ Stejneger’s (S. stejnegeri), and thus for now used to be simply considered an “Japanese Stonechat” (each species lumped). I by no means sooner than appeared into this distinction, however seems that this problem happens reasonably continuously, particularly with vagrants. A fellow volunteer from my time in Helgoland despatched me a learn about reviewing variations of S. maurus and S. stejnegeri, which describes the diversities really well (Hellström & Waern, 2023 – revealed in British Birds, sadly most effective to be had with a subscription). The rump and uppertail-coverts colour is it seems that probably the most dependable indicator, with S. stejnegeri normally have a hotter tone.
You’re almost certainly questioning that I had higher noticed the beast if I’m making one of these fuss about them right here! Thankfully, the chook used to be relocated the next day within sight to the place I used to be birding anyway so I ended through an bought just right perspectives of the Siberian Stonechat, all through just about the one part hour of light I had over the 3 days. It used to be reasonably a particular particular person, specifically its light rump.
Total, I additionally very a lot loved the ambience of migration all through my keep. Massive numbers of Greylag Goose, Larger White-fronted Goose, Brent Goose, and Barnacle Goose dotted the fields, and plenty of extra vocal flocks flew low over the flat panorama, making for atmospheric moments. Teams of as much as 100 thrushes, basically Fieldfares and Redwings, handed via and foraged within the timber as smartly.
I additionally noticed a couple of Snow Buntings at the seaside close to the lighthouse. I used to be scouring the realm for Lapland Bunting specifically, however used to be no longer fortunate and in addition didn’t have any folks flying overhead, or a minimum of none giving their unique calls that ceaselessly point out their presence. On the other hand, I used to be rewarded with two Purple-throated Divers feeding proper on the seaside, and a likely however too temporary Black-throated Diver additional out at sea.
October is a smart time to talk over with Texel, and my commute made this obvious to me once more as I noticed a couple of lifers I didn’t be expecting. I used to be very happy with my sightings and with the danger to discover the island extra completely and at a extra comfy tempo than I may just on my earlier day-trips.