Desert in the polder

Desert Wheatear

No, this has nothing to do with climate change or any of these current problems. Sometimes a bird just takes a wrong turn somewhere and ends up in a place where it doesn’t belong. This Desert Wheatear is supposed to be…. right, in the desert of Northern Africa (just like the White-crowned Wheatear I wrote about some weeks ago). This Desert Wheatear was present in a polder on Schiermonnikoog, one of the Dutch Wadden Sea islands. While taking pictures and filming this rarity, I was asked one question several times today. “What will happen to this bird? Will he go back home someday?” This is of course very hard to say. This bird was discovered earlier this week and might stay for a bit. But most of the time rarities suddenly disappear… Caught by a predator? Gone back home? Died in another way? It’s very hard to follow these birds, but I doubt many will make it back home safely….