Western Palearctic Birding

Belgium, 8 January 2009

Another 24 hour dash to the continent for Jus and I. With news of a settled Dusky Thrush in the middle of Belgium and a qucik look at travel possibilities we agreed on a day and then waited patiently for news the previous day. After a wait the positive news we wanted eventually filtered through in the afternoon and channel tunnel tickets were swiftly booked.

We planned on taking a train through the tunnel at about midnight and then driving through Belgium toi the site to arrive by dawn. This gave us plenty of time and despite freezing fog, snow and ice we made it along the E40 from Calais to Liege and then south to within 15 miles of the site with loads of time to spare. Not wanting to wait in the car in temperatures of -12 C we somehow managed to kill about an hour and a half in a service station. The staff there must have wondered what the 2 of were doing loitering and drinking coffee from their machine for so long! 

After de-icing Justin's car once again we then drove the short distance along minor roads to the village of Erezée where ther bird had been faithful to tiny apple tree in a garden around the back of a bar/restaurant. Without too much fuss we found some access to the area through the grounds of a small hotel and stood patiently in the snow waiting. 2 very vociferous dogs in the gardens the birds favoured were very annoying but after about 15 minutes Jus got onto the bird sat in a tree but it quickly flew before I could get anything on it other than a glimpse. No matter though because it appeared again minutes later and I was soon feasting my eyes on a true WP mega - Dusky Thrush! During the next hour and a half we had the bird almost in constant view as it moved between the tree and a very small apple tree in the garden where it fed. At one point it sat motionless for 20 minutes in a tree and went to sleep! A Hawfinch flew over while we were there and 1-2 Nuthatches, a Great Spotted Woodpecker and a calling Crested Tit also entertained. A combination of frost-bitten fingers and having had our fill then prompted us to leave and head back north to the coast.

Dusky Thrush, Erezée, Belgium, 8 Jan 2009

Dusky Thrush, Erezée, Belgium, 8 Jan 2009

Dusky Thrush, Erezée, Belgium, 8 Jan 2009

Dusky Thrush site, Erezée, Belgium, 8 Jan 2009

In Erezée, Belgium, 8 Jan 2009

Our target on the coast was a long-staying Snowy Owl on the marshes near the town of Blankenberge near Oostende. On arrival (and for most of the drive there) we were greeted by thick freezing fog and visibility down to about 80 meters so had no chance of finding our bird. We hung around for a bit hoping things might clear but to no avail. c80 White-fronted Geese, 20 Pink-footed Geese, c150 Greylags, Water Rail, Snipe and a Cetti's Warbler seen to skid on the ice in a roadside ditch (!) were the only sightings of note.

Weather conditions at Blankenberge! 

With no sign of any improvement in the weather we cut our losses and managed to get a much earlier return through the tunnel. I was back home in Reepham by 8pm.