Last week, on Friday 9 November, a Pallid Swift was seen at the last daylight in Zuid-Eierland. Two days later on Sunday, November 11, two birds were discovered, flying near the lighthouse. One of the two birds moved on to the south after some time. Later in the day another Pallid Swift was seen coming from the north over the Wadden Sea to join the remaining bird. Probably four different birds were recorded from Friday to Sunday.
The first record on Texel of a Pallid Swift was on October 25, 2013. Then a bird flew over camping Koogerstrand in De Koog. A year later, in 2014, a bird stayed from 12 to 16 November in the dunes around the lighthouse in De Cocksdorp. The bird slept in a niche of the lighthouse.
The first observation for the Netherlands of this southern European breeding bird was on October 20, 2006 on the island Vlieland. Up to and including 2017, twelve observations of this vagrant were recorded by the CDNA (Dutch Rarities Committee).
Vale Gierzwaluw / Pallid Swift Apus pallidus, 1cy, De Cocksdorp, Texel, 11-11-2018