The Dutch Island of Texel is well-known amongst European birders because of the thrilling quantity and high quality of birds it attracts throughout spring and autumn migration occasions. Though not as thrilling as Helgoland, which I lined right here not too long ago, Texel is a superb location in its personal proper. I spent three full days on Texel in late October, which was nearly sufficient to cowl this surprisingly massive island.
Arriving on the hostel I stayed at within the afternoon, I dropped off my baggage and headed to a website the place a Pallas’s Leaf Warbler was seen earlier that day. A vagrant Isabelline Wheatear was current on the island the day earlier than I arrived, so I felt that I a minimum of deserved the warbler (one other Isabelline Wheatear was discovered a couple of days after I left Texel, so they’re clearly messing with me). Simply as I left the location after an extended search, the secretive however lively Pallas’s Leaf-Warbler appeared within the reeds, displaying off its stunning facial markings and shiny rump – good begin of the journey!
On my first full day I explored the northern a part of the Island and was notably glad to discover a group of Bearded Reedlings – one other lifer (maybe mildly embarrassing for somebody who’s been birding for so long as lengthy as I’ve). As is typically the case with lifers, I noticed extra Bearded Reedlings at a unique website the next day. Clearly that is simply since you occur to be at an appropriate place and time, however it feels extra like they wish to mock your preliminary pleasure by displaying you that they’re in every single place and also you simply failed to seek out them.
A couple of Bohemian Waxwings had been additionally an incredible addition to my life-list and a long-awaited fowl. They had been feeding in a small tree within the village of De Koog and had been very approachable.
The morning of my second day was partly dedicated to a Lengthy-tailed Duck within the Mokbaai on the island’s southern tip. I’m was very proud of this sighting, however seen that these birds by no means appear to be males of their engaging non-breeding plumage, the primary picture you recall from the fowl guides. I additionally noticed Eurasian Woodcock, Northern Goshawk, and Hen Harrier within the neighborhood. Scanning by a flock of European Golden-Plovers within the night close to de Coog was worthwhile as I picked out a Eurasian Dotterel, surprisingly late within the 12 months for this passage migrant.
On my ultimate day, I spent a while watching waders from the small pier at de Cocksdorp. Widespread Ringed Plover, Bar-tailed Godwit, Black-tailed Godwit, Widespread Redshank, Eurasian Curlew, Crimson Knot, Dunlin, and Sanderling had been feeding fortunately on the mudflats, whereas Inexperienced Sandpiper and Noticed Redshank had been added to the wader tally on a flooded discipline.
A Siberian Stonechat was discovered by the lighthouse on my second day. It was solely current for an hour so I systematically checked each stonechat I got here throughout rigorously, however all of them remained European Stonechats. This fowl me partly due to the complicated taxonomy and identifaction of stonechats. A couple of days after I left Heligoland a month earlier, a stonechat was noticed that would solely be recognized as Siberian (Saxicola maurus) or Amur/ Stejneger’s (S. stejnegeri), and thus for now was simply thought to be an “Japanese Stonechat” (each species lumped). I by no means earlier than regarded into this distinction, however seems that this problem happens fairly incessantly, particularly with vagrants. A fellow volunteer from my time in Helgoland despatched me a research reviewing variations of S. maurus and S. stejnegeri, which describes the variations very nicely (Hellström & Waern, 2023 – printed in British Birds, sadly solely accessible with a subscription). The rump and uppertail-coverts colour is seemingly essentially the most dependable indicator, with S. stejnegeri typically have a hotter tone.
You’re in all probability questioning that I had higher seen the beast if I’m making such a fuss about them right here! Fortuitously, the fowl was relocated the next day close by to the place I used to be birding anyway so I ended by an obtained good views of the Siberian Stonechat, throughout just about the one half hour of sunshine I had over the three days. It was fairly a particular particular person, notably its pale rump.
General, I additionally very a lot loved the environment of migration throughout my keep. Massive numbers of Greylag Goose, Higher White-fronted Goose, Brent Goose, and Barnacle Goose dotted the fields, and lots of extra vocal flocks flew low over the flat panorama, making for atmospheric moments. Teams of as much as 100 thrushes, primarily Fieldfares and Redwings, handed by and foraged within the bushes as nicely.
I additionally noticed a couple of Snow Buntings on the seaside close to the lighthouse. I used to be scouring the world for Lapland Bunting specifically, however was not fortunate and in addition didn’t have any people flying overhead, or a minimum of none giving their distinctive calls that always point out their presence. Nonetheless, I used to be rewarded with two Crimson-throated Divers feeding proper on the seaside, and a possible however too transient Black-throated Diver additional out at sea.
October is a superb time to go to Texel, and my journey made this evident to me once more as I noticed a couple of lifers I didn’t count on. I used to be very happy with my sightings and with the possibility to discover the island extra completely and at a extra relaxed tempo than I might on my earlier day-trips.