This is a video of a red-breasted goose, a rare species in western Europe, among a flock of barnacle geese, on Schiermonnikoog island in the Netherlands.
Saturday 29 September 2012.
After yesterday in Schiermonnikoog, the ship spent the night in the harbour.
In the morning, we sail to the east, the direction of our next island destination, Rottum. Not in a straight line, in order to avoid the many sandbanks.
Brent geese flying low above the sea.
Sometimes it rains; sometimes, there is a rainbow.
On one of the beacons, marking where it is safe to sail, a peregrine falcon sits. Alone.
On the next beacon, a greater black-backed gull on top, and five great cormorants a bit lower.
About a hundred wigeons flying quite high.
Two female eider ducks fly close to the water surface.
A shelduck flies much higher.
As we approach Rottum from the south, hundreds of eider ducks flying.
A harbour seal shows its head above the waves.
An Arctic skua. It flies sometimes high, sometimes low; a bit like shearwaters.
It is low tide. We allow our ship to run aground. As the sandbanks get bigger and bigger, two bar-tailed godwits come to feed.
We will have to walk on the sand and through now shallow water to reach the desert island Rottum.
Related articles
- New island size of 25 football pitches appears off German coast after sandbanks emerge from the North Sea (thisismoney.co.uk)
- Colour ringed Oystercatchers and Brent Geese (parrotletsuk.typepad.com)
- Exploring the back yard (russelrayphotos2.com)
- New sandy bird island rises off German coast (thelocal.de)
Dear Kitty. Some blog 
Pingback: Schiermonnikoog birds and fungi photos | Dear Kitty. Some blog
Pingback: Golden plovers and shelducks | Dear Kitty. Some blog
Pingback: Rottum island birds and flowers | Dear Kitty. Some blog
Pingback: Rottum island wildlife report | Dear Kitty. Some blog