Bee-eaters and Orchids

I took part on our another guided walk in Bratislava surroundings. Our main targets were newly arrived Bee-eaters and orchids in bloom that can be found on the slopes of Devínska Kobyla, most southward part of the Small Carpathians.

I came to Devínska Nová Ves 2 hours sooner to take short walk across the bridge over Morava River to have glimpse on floodplain meadows and fields on Austrian side. I heard my first Corncrakes (Crex crex) and spotted first Golden Oriole (Oriolus oriolus) of the year. This visit was worth of it because I have seen  not very common female Montagu's Harrier (Circus pygargus), pair of Gadwalls (Anas strepera) and heard few Greylag Geese (Anser anser). For geese and ducks it could be sign of breeding in the area.

At 9:00 I met with my watching.sk colleague Katka and together with participants we started our guided walk. We heard and spot our first Bee-eaters (Merops apiaster). Katka as a leading guide was talking about Bee-eaters's habits and habitat, apart of it showing various rare flowers and plants (e.g.: Adonis vernalis, Stipa ioannis, Globularia punctata or Scorzonera austriaca). Two Black Kites (Milvus migrans) flew over our heads.

Then we moved to the site where man could find several species of orchids. We found Burnt-tip Orchids (Neotinea ustulata) and purple, pink and white variety of Green-winged Orchid (Orchis morio). Katka gave us short lecture on orchids and after that we slowly moved to Devín, where our guided walk ended.

Have a look on a pics of landscape, phonescoped animals and flowers. In the end you can find list of observed birds species in the area along Morava River and on the slopes of Devínska Kobyla.

bridge over Morava River

female White Stork on the nest

Corncrakes were calling from the floodplain meadows

rabbit on the field near Schlosshof

male Stork searching for food

Gadwall (Anas strepera)

observing our first Bee-eaters

land between Danube and Morava rivers is called Marchpfeld

a bit blurry phonescoped Bee-eaters (Merops apiaster)

Katka giving us short lecture on orchids

Burnt-tip Orchid (Neotinea ustulata)

Green-winged Orchid (Orchis morio)

List of observed bird species:

Common Pheasant   ( Phasianus colchicus )
Greylag Goose   ( Anser anser )
Mute Swan   ( Cygnus olor )
Gadwall   ( Anas strepera )
Mallard   ( Anas platyrhynchos )
White Stork   ( Ciconia ciconia )
Grey Heron   ( Ardea cinerea )
Great Egret   ( Egretta alba )
Great Cormorant   ( Phalacrocorax carbo )
Black Kite   ( Milvus migrans )
Marsh Harrier   ( Circus aeruginosus )
Montagu's Harrier   ( Circus pygargus )
Common Kestrel   ( Falco tinnunculus )
Coot   ( Fulica atra )
Black-headed Gull   ( Chroicocephalus ridibundus )
Feral Pigeon   ( Columba livia f. domestica )
Wood Pigeon   ( Columba palumbus )
Collared Dove   ( Streptopelia decaocto )
Common Cuckoo   ( Cuculus canorus )
Common Swift   ( Apus apus )
Bee-eater   ( Merops apiaster )
Great Spotted Woodpecker   ( Dendrocopos major )
Black Woodpecker   ( Dryocopus martius )
Green Woodpecker   ( Picus viridis )
Golden Oriole   ( Oriolus oriolus )
Common Magpie   ( Pica pica )
Jackdaw   ( Coloeus monedula )
Hooded Crow   ( Corvus cornix )
Raven   ( Corvus corax )
Great Tit   ( Parus major )
Blue Tit   ( Cyanistes caeruleus )
Common Skylark   ( Alauda arvensis )
Barn Swallow   ( Hirundo rustica )
House Martin   ( Delichon urbicum )
Long-tailed Tit   ( Aegithalos caudatus )
Chiffchaff   ( Phylloscopus collybita )
Wood Warbler   ( Phylloscopus sibilatrix )
Sedge Warbler   ( Acrocephalus schoenobaenus )
Blackcap   ( Sylvia atricapilla )
Lesser Whitethroat   ( Sylvia curruca )
Common Starling   ( Sturnus vulgaris )
Blackbird   ( Turdus merula )
Common Nightingale   ( Luscinia megarhynchos )
Black Redstart   ( Phoenicurus ochruros )
House Sparrow   ( Passer domesticus )
Tree Sparrow   ( Passer montanus )
White Wagtail   ( Motacilla alba )
Chaffinch   ( Fringilla coelebs )
Serin   ( Serinus serinus )
Greenfinch   ( Carduelis chloris )
Goldfinch   ( Carduelis carduelis )
Yellowhammer   ( Emberiza citrinella )

Urban Blackbird

This Blackbird pair is truly urban breeder. I found its nest 3 years in a row in the same section of Poštová street in the centre of Bratislava. In 2011 in letter "C", in 2012 40m away on the other side of street on the top of small electronic box and in 2013 in letter "E". The meaning of the sign is "Paper store".

Spring flowers at Devínska Kobyla

We had a walk this afternoon around Sandberg, Bratislava. We hoped to spot finally some spring flowers. It is a 4 weeks later than usually but the joy was even greater. Have a look!

Pheasant's Eye (Adonis vernalis)

meadow in bloom

Pheasant's Eye and Morava River

Mahaleb cherry in bloom (Cerasus mahaleb)

Ladybird (Coccinella sp.)

Iris pumila

typical Iris ring

Iris pumila

Iris pumila - purple variety

Iris pumila - blue variety

Iris pumila - yellow variety

White Stork nest in Devínska Nová Ves fully occupied

After Thursday's observation of lonely White Stork in the nest just next to the bridge over Morava River near Devínska Nová Ves we are full of joy. As I was guiding birdwatching walk yesterday I and other nature lovers observed two White Storks on that nest. We also saw them mating. Great news in this chilly spring.

White Storks are standing next to each other just while after they finished mating

Birdwatching at Devínska Nová Ves

Surroundings of Devínska Nová Ves, Bratislava is great birdwatching site in every season of the year. Man can spent here one hour or whole day. Spring should be already here, but gloves, cap and snow blanket were saying that winter doesn't want to retreat. Despite this I observed my first White Storks of the year. Luckily one of them is local and already on the nest waiting for its partner. I took a walk across the bridge to Austria and back. Later I met my colleague and went to check slopes of Devínska Kobyla for first spring flowers but we need to wait few more days as they are still under snow, very unusual for this time of year. I made a few photos:

male Bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula)

one of  three Teals (Anas crecca)

Cormorants (Phalacrocorax carbo) on Morava River

my first White Stork (Ciconia ciconia) of the year, check Tree Sparrows (Passer montanus) under the nest

European Hares (Lepus europaeus) preparing for box fight

Sandberg - breeding site of Bee-eaters (Merops apiaster); first birds should arrive in a month

List of observed bird species:

Common Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus)
unidentified Goose (Anser sp.)
Mute Swan (Cygnus olor)
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)
Garganey (Anas querquedula)
Teal (Anas crecca)
White Stork (Ciconia ciconia)
Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea)
Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo)
Red Kite (Milvus milvus)
Marsh Harrier (Circus aeruginosus)
Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo)
Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus)
Coot (Fulica atra)
Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus)
Black-headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus)
large Gull (Larus cachinnans/michahellis)
Feral Pigeon (Columba livia f. domestica)
Wood Pigeon (Columba palumbus)
Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto)
Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major)
Black Woodpecker (Dryocopus martius)
Green Woodpecker (Picus viridis)
Common Magpie (Pica pica)
Hooded Crow (Corvus cornix)
Great Tit (Parus major)
Blue Tit (Cyanistes caeruleus)
Common Skylark (Alauda arvensis)
Long-tailed Tit (Aegithalos caudatus)
Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita)
Nuthatch (Sitta europaea)
Common Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)
Blackbird (Turdus merula)
Song Thrush (Turdus philomelos)
Robin (Erithacus rubecula)
Black Redstart (Phoenicurus ochruros)
House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)
Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus)
Grey Wagtail (Motacilla cinerea)
Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs)
Greenfinch (Carduelis chloris)
Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis)
Bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula)
Yellowhammer (Emberiza citrinella)
Reed Bunting (Emberiza schoeniclus)

First Barn Swallow of the year

This year I was the lucky one. Very probably I made first record of a Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) in Slovakia this year. Nice reward for the time spent outside in the field. This great observation was accompanied with other yearlist ticks: heard my first Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita); there was one Yellow Wagtail (Motacilla flava) in flock of White Wagtails; nice flock of 6 Whooper Swans (Cygnus cygnus) was silenty floating on a dead river-arm of River Morava; 3 Redshanks (Tringa totanus) made short stop on the bank and 3 Garganeys (Anas querquedula) were in the flock of 40+ Teals (Anas crecca).

Barn Swallow catching insects low over the flooded meadow:

Flock of 6 Whooper Swans:

Two male Garganeys out of three observed:

Great Cormorant in courtship plumage is a beautiful bird:

List of recorded species during the walk:

Common Pheasant   (Phasianus colchicus)
Greylag Goose   (Anser anser)
White-fronted Goose   (Anser albifrons)
Mute Swan   (Cygnus olor)
Whooper Swan   (Cygnus cygnus)
Mallard   (Anas platyrhynchos)
Garganey   (Anas querquedula)
Teal   (Anas crecca)
Grey Heron   (Ardea cinerea)
Great Egret   (Egretta alba)
Great Cormorant   (Phalacrocorax carbo)
Red Kite   (Milvus milvus)
Marsh Harrier   (Circus aeruginosus)
Hen Harrier   (Circus cyaneus)
Sparrowhawk   (Accipiter nisus)
Common Buzzard   (Buteo buteo)
Eastern Imperial Eagle   (Aquila heliaca)
Coot   (Fulica atra)
Lapwing   (Vanellus vanellus)
Common Redshank   (Tringa totanus)
Black-headed Gull   (Chroicocephalus ridibundus)
large Gull   (Larus cachinnans/michahellis)
Wood Pigeon   (Columba palumbus)
Great Spotted Woodpecker   (Dendrocopos major)
Black Woodpecker   (Dryocopus martius)
Green Woodpecker   (Picus viridis)
Hooded Crow   (Corvus cornix)
Raven   (Corvus corax)
Great Tit   (Parus major)
Blue Tit   (Cyanistes caeruleus)
Barn Swallow   (Hirundo rustica)
Chiffchaff   (Phylloscopus collybita)
Common Starling   (Sturnus vulgaris)
Blackbird   (Turdus merula)
Fieldfare   (Turdus pilaris)
Song Thrush   (Turdus philomelos)
Robin   (Erithacus rubecula)
Black Redstart   (Phoenicurus ochruros)
European Stonechat   (Saxicola rubicola)
House Sparrow   (Passer domesticus)
Tree Sparrow   (Passer montanus)
Yellow Wagtail   (Motacilla flava)
White Wagtail   (Motacilla alba)
Chaffinch   (Fringilla coelebs)
Greenfinch   (Carduelis chloris)
Goldfinch   (Carduelis carduelis)
Yellowhammer   (Emberiza citrinella)
Reed Bunting   (Emberiza schoeniclus)

Is this spring?

After the weekend that was full of duties I made regular walk along seepage channel of Danube's Hrušovská zdrž water reservoir to count the wintering waterbirds. Weather forecast looked bad but I had no other option. First 2 hours it was only cold and windy and after 8:30 it began to snow. I spotted my first Stonechats (Saxicola torquata) and Grey Wagtails (Motacilla cinerea) of the year. Snowdrops started to bloom two weeks ago, now Two-leaf Squills (Scila bifolia) appeared. I was lucky to observe Horned Grebe (Podiceps auritus) and was able to shoot short video of an Eurasian Beaver (Castor fiber). The second half of my walk was covered under snow blanket. Pretty weird to see flowers under snow. I spotted also one Fox (Vulpes vulpes) and three Roedeer (Capreolus capreolus) Fortunately the rain came in late afternoon so the only problem was snow on my spotting scope and freezing hands.

Horned Grebe (Podiceps auritus) and Great Crested Grebe (Podiceps cristatus)

happy Beaver (Castor fiber)

Two-leaf Squill (Scila bifolia)

road along seepage channel covered with snow

not very typical photo from spring birdwatching walk

Two-leaf Squill under snow

Snowdrop (Galanthus nivalis)

Bear's Garlic (Allium ursinum)

Bear's Garlic meadow under snow blanket

I found these feathers: upper two are from Wood Pigeon, undermost is from Pheasant