On the 30th of December a student of Biology, who started to screen systematically the rocks along the Meuse River, spotted a Wallcreeper in Dinant. This bird of the high mountains is largely resident and its closest breeding area is in the Alps. There are some rare reports about wintering birds in the Netherlands or England but it’s very exceptional to see it so far afield. The last record in Belgium was in 1988. Ornithologists from Belgium and the neighbor countries travelled to this small Belgian city to have a look at this special guest.
Among them two Luxemburgish guys, who couldn’t resist to add this bird on their lifelist. The weather conditions were good and we have found it quite easily on the rocks near the citadel of the city center. Nevertheless, Dave and me, we were impressed by the difficulty to spot it, despite the striking flight feathers. For about half an hour we observed the bird climbing around the mountains and flying in its butterfly style.
Jim Schmitz visited this bird on the second january with Guy Mirgain and Isabelle Zwick (from the Bridringingstation Brill).
Kommentar schreiben