This is a video about birds on Texel island.
After 9 October, Friday 10 October 2014 was our last day on Texel.
Back on the ferry to Den Helder.
Many black-headed gulls, some herring gulls and a few lesser black-backed gulls flying along with the ship.
Then, jackdaws. Not seabirds. A sign we are close to landing on the continent.
This is a Dutch video about birds on Texel island in May 2013.
After 8 October, Thursday 9 October 2014 on Texel.
First, to the Slufter. On our way, a flock of golden plovers on a field.
Then, the sand dunes south of the Slufter.
We reach the North Sea beach.
Sanderlings are not immediately conspicuous, being small and usually alone or in small groups.
However, they are less shy than many other bird species.
One sanderling takes a bath near the tide line.
As we go back through the sand dunes, a northern wheatear.
As we go back through central Texel, a redshank lands on a pole in a canal.
This video is about the Schorren nature reserve on Texel island. Especially about a rare plant flowering there: the golden samphire.
After 7 October on Texel, on Wednesday 8 October 2014, to the Wadden Sea salt marshes, the Schorren.
Much water, much mud. People had to be careful about their boots getting stuck and about falling.
Many birds had gone away to sandbanks.
Still there were sanderlings. And dunlins. And a red knot.
Wigeons and brent geese flying.
We found a dead starling; killed by a peregrine falcon?
A few sea lavender plants still had purple flowers.
Much of the Schorren looked reddish; the colour of annual seablite in October.
This video is called Texel, bird paradise.
After 6 October 2014 on Texel, came Tuesday 7 October.
First, to the Wagejot. Again, brent geese there.
Scores of curlews and black-headed gulls resting.
Wigeons. A great black-backed gull.
Shelducks. Oystercatchers.
And a group of dunlins, ringed plovers and a redshank.
Ringed plovers on Terschelling island: here.
Then, we went to the Wadden Sea mudflats, south of the Eendracht salt marshes.
Many wigeons.
Also shelducks and other birds.
A peregrine falcon flying past.
Male and female eider ducks swimming in the Wadden Sea.
After 5 October 2014 on Texel island came 6 October. Like the day before, we went to the beach near De Cocksdorp. There, we met this sanderling, feeding near a beached jellyfish.
Eight brent geese flying past.
Two common terns on a sandbank.
Then, this female eider duck. Eider ducks in the Slufter, Texel: here.
Then, a flock of ruddy turnstones. They profit from the water near the jetty. That water is both deep enough and not too deep for bathing; and rather quiet now, as it is next to the jetty with no high tide yet.
After the bath, the turnstones let their feathers dry, cleaning them. On this photo, behind the turnstone, a purple sandpiper. And a herring gull.
In the sand dunes, we see a male stonechat, a robin and a hare.
And this male pheasant.
A bit further, a common linnet. Either a female or a juvenile.
Then, from the north of Texel to Wagejot nature reserve in the east.
As we sit down, brent geese, and a teal, swim.
Later, the geese graze on an islet.
Near the Lankasterdijk dike, goldfinches, like yesterday.
Grazing and wildlife on Texel: here.
Eider duck mating season on Texel: here.
After what our earlier blog post mentioned on 5 October 2014 on Texel island, we were still there, not far from De Cocksdorp village. We saw this male kestrel hovering.
The bird dived to the ground, but apparently without catching a prey.
We continued to the Wagejot nature reserve. This black-tailed godwit was looking for food there.
So was this snipe. Sometimes its whole long bill disappeared completely into the mud. Other snipe photos from elsewhere are here.
Then, to the Lancasterdijk dike, protecting the island from being flooded by the Wadden Sea. This goldfinch sat on a fence there.
Then, to De Bol nature reserve. Shoveler ducks swimming in a pond near the windmill.
A wheatear flying around: sometimes on a meadow, sometimes on a fence, sometimes on the top of a dustbin.
On the roof a building near the windmill, a white wagtail.
On the Wadden Sea side of the Lancasterdijk, ruddy turnstones searched for food between seaweed.
Finally for 5 October, a collared dove, on top of an old nature reserve sign in Oost village.
This video is called Birds of Texel.
After 4 October, Sunday 5 October 2014 on Texel island.
North of De Bol nature reserve, male and female tufted ducks swimming.
In the sand dunes near De Cocksdorp village, a male and a female stonechat.
A parasol mushroom. Probably a result of today’s rain after a long drought.
We continue to the beach. We see this sanderling.
And another sanderling.
Sometimes, the sanderlings fly away. But they always come back to somewhere along the tide line, to feed.
On a jetty, a great cormorant.
And other birds; like this ruddy turnstone cleaning its feathers.
A sandwich tern flies past.
In shallow water close to the jetty, a common gull standing.
On the beach, a bigger relative: a herring gull. It tries to disentangle seashells joined together.
We continue to the Robbenjager. A group of twenty collared doves.
In a bush near the hide, this robin.
Near that bush, three rabbits grazing.
Near the lake bank, a northern lapwing, and a green sandpiper.
And a snipe.
A male teal and shoveler ducks swimming. And wigeons.
Near the parking lot, a male pheasant.
And a female pheasant.
Stay tuned for the next blog post about the north of Texel on 5 October 2014!
This video is called Water Rail – Rallus aquaticus.
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On 4 October, there was Euro Birdwatch 2014.
After our arrival on Texel on 3 October, on 4 October we went to the south of the island, near the Waterral (Water rail) hide, near the western Horsmeer lake. The Waterral was opened officially on 4 October; as well as the Texel migratory bird counting of Euro Birdwatch happening there.
As a third event that day at the Waterral, two Texel brothers got special prizes, ‘Golden Spoonbills’ from BirdLife in the Netherlands, for their work for birds on Texel.
Before arriving there, avocets in Wagejot nature reserve on the east coast.
Not far from Den Hoorn village, this field of flowers. It attracted a red admiral butterfly, but it was too fast for photographing. In the background, a farm with a ‘stolp’ pyramid-like roof; typical for Texel.
A bit further, another field. No flowers, but plenty of birds. Like this lonely golden plover in winter plumage, here on a photo with two individuals of scores of northern lapwings.
To the left of the golden plover were also scores of curlews.
Behind the curlew on this photo is a typically Texel sheep shed.
We arrived at the Petten nature reserve. A redshank on an islet. A goldfinch near a fence.
As we walked to the Waterral bird observatory, we heard a real water rail call. Unfortunately, as often with this skulking species, we did not see it.
After our arrival, a great egret in the western Horsmeer lake.
We met Euro Birdwatch counter Vincent Stork. He said that then, at 12:20, already 77 bird species had been counted there. Including rare species like yellow-browed warbler, kingfisher, two goshawks. Also many individuals of more common species, like blackcaps, wrens, chiffchaffs, and robins.
Look! A special bird! An osprey, on its way to Africa, flies over the western lake.
It catches a fish in the eastern lake.
Then, robin sound.
Then, sound of a much rarer bird: a yellow-browed warbler!
Unfortunately, we did not see it, so here comes a yellow-browed warbler video from Portugal.
We walk to the sea. European searocket flowering on the border between sand dunes and beach.
Later, in the Kreeftenvallei sand dune valley, marsh grass-of-Parnassus flowers. A young common frog jumps away.
A small copper butterfly.
Then, a group of songbirds of various species in a bush. Like this long-tailed tit.
There was a chiffchaff too.
And a great tit.
In the eastern Horsmeertje lake, a little grebe.
We continued to the Mokbaai. Many shelducks, shoveler ducks.
Also many wigeons. Some northern pintail ducks.
A peregrine falcon sits on a pole in the water. Later, it flies away.
Birdwatching on Texel, 10-11 October 2014: here.
Texel searocket and hoverflies: here.
This video says about itself:
22 March 2013
The Dutch Wadden island Texel is a paradise for birds. Photographer Sijmen Hendriks visited several times from 2007. This slideshow video shows the result of these visits. Grey Plover, Avocet, Spoonbill, Stonechat, Brent Geese, Whitethroat, Hen Harrier, Sandwich Tern, Linnet, Yellow Wagtail and many more birds are featured in this video. Texel is the westernmost island in the Wadden Sea and is known for its rich bird life.
More nature and bird photography by Sijmen Hendriks is here. Or visit his photo blog here.
Music by Kalio Gayo.
On 3 October 2014, we traveled to Texel island.
Near the Naardermeer, a great egret.
In the Den Helder harbour, black-headed gulls and herring gulls.
On a roof in Oost village on Texel, a herring gull. A white wagtail flying past.
In De Bol nature reserve, a curlew flying.
A big flock of barnacle geese landing.
On the Wadden sea side of the Lancaster dike, ruddy turnstones. And ringed plovers.
A lesser black-backed gull feeding on a crab. It dips the crab in sea water to make things easier.
In Oosterend village, at least forty barn swallows on a roof. Preparing for their long migration to Africa.
Early in the evening, a pheasant near the dike.
A flock of northern lapwings landed on a field.
Dear Kitty. Some blog 