Dutch Birding volume 35 (2013) no 2

Thick-billed Murre at Lauwersoog and Den Helder in July-August 2012

On 28-29 July 2012, a summer-plumaged Thick-billed Murre Uria lomvia was seen at the Wadden Sea near Lauwersoog, Groningen, the Netherlands. On 11-13 August, the same bird was swimming at Den Helder, Noord-Holland, c 130 km to the west. The bird died in the afternoon while floating on the water (the corpse could not be collected). At both locations, the bird could be observed at close range and it was extensively photographed and videoed. The detailed documentation was sufficient to identify it as third calendar-year or older of the nominate subspecies U l lomvia. This was the ninth record, the third of a live bird (two of which eventually also died), the first in summer and the first twitchable in the Netherlands.

Nils van Duivendijk, Veluwemeer 82, 3446 JC Woerden, Nederland
(nils.van.duivendijkcasema.nl)
Enno B Ebels, Joseph Haydnlaan 4, 3533 AE Utrecht, Nederland
(ebelswxs.nl)
Kees Rebel, De Zeis 27, 8091 NK Wezep, Nederland
(kees.rebelzeetrekhotmail.com)
Merel Zweemer, De Boorne 15, 8939 BS Leeuwarden, Nederland
(mzweemergooglemail.com)