Canadese Kraanvogel.

[Rommert]

What an afternoon.

Got home about 13.00 and listened to messages on the answerphone. Last one said that someone had seen what they thought might be a Crane down at Liddell Loch on Sth Ronaldsay.

"Hmm, good place for heron" I thought, " but it may be a crane..... and then again (being greedy) there have been strong Westerlies recently so it may be a Sandhill Crane..Ha Ha!!

So I threw my brother in the back of the car and off we went. Checked the area for over half an hour, no sign of anything but Grey Herons. One last track to walk down, no sign,it started to pour with rain, and then something made me walk up to the next gate rather than turn back to the car. There was another field that you couldn't see from any of the roads. Stopped, scanned..Crane, about 300 yds away into the sun, and pouring rain and force 6 to 7 winds. Zoom on scope up to 50x and it all started to fit together - and I started to fall apart. Quick call to Rare Bird Alert " Can you just look up Sandhill Crane in a Field Guide and tell me I am not going mad" No I wasn't.

All the local birders who came got to see it, and I left it at 18.00 hrs. A local Farmer reckons it has been there about ten days, so everything crossed it's still there over the next few days for those that travel for it.

If any of you are flying in to Kirkwall Airport, I am the guy at the Car Rental Desk, with a big stupid grin and an even bigger hangover.

Just going to download my pics, will post if any are not too shaky...

Cheers,

Paul

[Rommert]

Zodra de vogel niet meer wordt gemeld in Schotland moeten we maar weer op de dijk bij Paesens gaan staan!

[Rommert]

De Canadese kraanvogel is vanmorgen opgevlogen richting zuidoost.
Onze kant op! De vorige Canadese kraan deed er 25 uur over om bij Paesens aan te komen!

Morgen dus maar posten langs de kust!

Zie ook: http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=152400&page=7

Later is de vogel opgepikt langs de Schotse kust:

10.54 uur Wick, Schotland
11.15 uur Atheron, Schotland
Dat is ongeveer 25 km, in een dik kwartiertje.....
Helaas in zuidwestelijke richting....
Laatste melding 11.35 Dunbeath, Schotland.

De vogel volgt de kustlijn.

[Rommert]

12 oktober zat de/een Canadese Kraanvogel in Frankrijk!

[Rommert]

Dear all, Note sure this info has filtered out of France yet, and if it has already sorry for repeating it. A (the???) Sandhill Crane was photographed in SW France, in Landes department near the city of Dax. The bird remained in the area until October 12th but was not seen after. The picture has been examined by some experienced French birders and the ID is correct. A hoax seems highyl improbable as the bird was first dismissed as an escape by the discoverer (too rare to be wild) and the info only emerged by chance several days latter. Besides, there is a Grey Heron in the pictures next to the Sandhill... The area is along the main migration pathway of Common Crane in France along their travel to wintering sites in Spain. This suggest that a (the?) Sandhill Crane must be currently somewhere in Spain among wintering Common Cranes. Good luck to Spannish birders... Pierre

[Rommert]

De (een?) Canadese Kraanvogel is dit weekend eindelijk gevonden! Hij werd gevonden bij het meertje La Sotonera bij Montmesa in de regio Huesca in Spanje. Vanavond om 18.00 uur zat hij in het veld bij Alberca de Alboré ten noordwesten van het Sotonera reservoir. Er zitten daar trouwens op dit moment nog 40.000 Kraanvogels. De Canadese Kraanvogel is er blijkbaar in geslaagd om (bijna) een gehele winter in Spanje onzichtbaar te blijven. Een nieuwe soort voor Spanje.

[Janbi]

foto's hier:
http://birdscatalonia.brinkster.net/ReservoirBirds/

ziet er een beetje raar uit voor een Sandhill: grootte, lichte snavel, te lichte hals en afwijkend postuur voor Sandhill....? Misschien toch een afwijkende gewone Kraan? Wachten op beter platen...

Groeten,
Jan

[Janbi]

...over afwijkende Kranen gesproken. Hier 2 plaatjes van een rare Sandhill die ik in december in Arizona heb gefotografeerd.
Groeten,
Jan