Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Late winter Bullfinches

Short walk across the streets of Nové Mesto, Bratislava just inside 1km radius from my flat brought 2 Magpies, 6 Jackdaws, 4 Rooks, 2 Chaffinches, 6 Great Tits, 10 Blackbirds, c25 House Sparrows and small flock of 5 Bullfinches. I did little phonescoping: 
female Bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula)
male Bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula)
male Bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula)

Saturday, February 23, 2013

Thrush street

I took a short walk in my borough. Just 300m from my flat I spotted small flock of c35 Waxwings. I turned into the Strážnická street. Mistle Thrush was calling from the treetop. Then I stopped at the crossing with Moskovská street. I just took short look at small tree with several Blackbirds. In a minute there was Redwing and later one more. Two Fieldfares appeared and surprisingly one Song Thrush too. It is almost unbelievable that you can spot 5 from 6 Slovak Turdus sp.Thrushes in one street in the center of Bratislava. Ring Ouzel will come in the end of March and certainly couldn't be spotted here as it breeds in mountainous regions outside big towns. In addition I found male Black Redstart on the roof of nearby embassy, Kestrel and 2 Sparrowhawks flew over my head. 

Later in the afternoon I observed Peregrine Falcon as it flew over Main square (Hlavné námestie) and c15000 Rooks mixed with Jackdaws that were gathering over Danube before flight to their night roost site.

What an amazing day! Let's check the photos from "Thrush street":
Waxwing (Bombycilla garrulus)
location of Thrush tree
Redwing  up, Redwing down
Redwing (Turdus iliacus)
Redwing and Waxwing I
Redwing and Waxwing II
Song Thrush (Turdus philomelos)
Fieldfare (Turdus pilaris)

Friday, February 22, 2013

Afternoon walk along Danube

Karloveské rameno - Danube's river arm
one of two male Goldeneyes (Bucephala clangula)
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)
Black-headed (Larus ridibundus) and Common Gulls (Larus canus)
Danube near center
hybrid Crow (Corvus corone x cornix) with some food, Common Gull (Larus canus) tried to steal it
pair of Jackdaws (Coloeus monedula)
List of observed bird species:
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) 26
Pochard (Aythya ferina) 1
Tufted Duck (Aythya fuligula) 1
Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula) 2
Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) 1
Black-headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus) 250
Common Gull (Larus canus) 30
large Gull (Larus cachinnans/michahellis) 1
Feral Pigeon (Columba livia f. domestica) 4
Common Magpie (Pica pica) 1
Jackdaw (Coloeus monedula) 6
Rook (Corvus frugilegus) 3
Hooded Crow (Corvus cornix) 6
Marsh Tit (Poecile palustris) 2
Great Tit (Parus major) 8
Nuthatch (Sitta europaea) 2
Blackbird (Turdus merula) 3
Fieldfare (Turdus pilaris) 5
Black Redstart (Phoenicurus ochruros) 1
Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs) 1
Greenfinch (Carduelis chloris) 4

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Home office birding

I'm just curious what will I find on nearby roofs. If only omnipresent Feral Pigeons or something more. There was one Jackdaw today, but spotting scope was in the shelf.

Monday, February 11, 2013

Short walk in Medická záhrada public garden

fraction of c400 Waxwings
one Fieldfare joined the Waxwing flock
House Sparrows in the snow
Chaffinch was hungry too
No photos!
Okay! You may take one...

Sunday, February 10, 2013

Neusiedler See NP in February

February in the area of Lake Neusiedler See and nearby Seewinkel region is great for geese and birds of prey. Both groups brought a lifer for me today. 

On our way from Bratislava to Neusiedler See - Seewinkel National Park we were "forced" to stop behind Gattendorf as unknown large raptor was sitting on a branch. In short time we realized that it is a juvenile Imperial Eagle (Aquila heliaca). Weather just started to get worse but it didn't any matter to us as we had great birdwatching start. This great entrée was followed by Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus) near Illmitz - Hölle. Male Hen Harrier (Circus cyaneus) was gliding over Hochstätten. We stopped to check the geese flock in the field and another Sparrowhawk just flew around. I tried to find it but I spotted "only" Merlin (Falco columbarius). Finally connected with this small falcon. My first lifer of the year. Another stop was in the hide next to the national park information centre in Illmitz. Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo) was soaring over the reeds. Another bird of prey was slowly gliding over the reeds around Zicklacke but it was not usual Hen Harrier. It was female Marsh Harrier (Circus aeruginosus) that is much rarer in winter in the area. As I was scanning the flock of Greylag and White-fronted Geese in Sandeck - Lange Luss I spotted my only one Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) of the day in Austria.

Several thousands of geese are wintering in the flatland of Seewinkel. Flocks mostly consist from Greylag Geese (Anser anser) and White-fronted Geese (Anser albifrons). I hoped to tick Bean Goose (Anser fabalis) from my yearlist but I need to try again. I  read reports of some Barnacle (Branta leucopsis) and Red-breasted Geese (Branta ruficollis) in the area. Search for these species is sometimes harder than looking for a needle in a haystack. We were satisfied with 7 different birds of prey and plenty of geese, some of them only few meters from the road. On our way back, as we were approaching Podersdorf I spotted small flock of Mute Swans (Cygnus olor) in the field. I realized that there was Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) reported in such small flock next this village. I asked for another quick birding stop. I checked that flock and it there it was - my another yearlist tick, and lifelist of course. Beautiful Canada Goose with 5 Mute Swans.

How can you name the day that you start with Imperial Eagle and end with Canada Goose? Small birdwatcher's heaven?
Illmitz - Zicklacke
Greylag (Anser anser) and White-fronted Geese (Anser albifrons) at Illmitz - Lange Luss
Black Redstart (Phoenicurus ochruros) - another not very usual winter inhabitant of the area
lifer Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) in Mute Swan (Cygnus olor) flock
List of observed bird species during the day in Austria:
Common Pheasant  (Phasianus colchicus)
Greylag Goose  (Anser anser)
White-fronted Goose (Anser albifrons)
Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) 1 Podersdorf - Zeiselfeld
Mute Swan (Cygnus olor)
Gadwall (Anas strepera) 10+ Illmitz - Zicklacke
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)
Great Egret (Egretta alba) 1 near Berg
Marsh Harrier (Circus aeruginosus) 2f; 1 Illmitz - Zicklacke, 1 reed belt on the road to Illmitz - Seebad
Hen Harrier (Circus cyaneus) 1m Hochstätten
Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus) 2; 1 Illmitz - Hölle, 1 Untere Luss
Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo) 1 Illmitz - Zicklacke
Eastern Imperial Eagle (Aquila heliaca) 1juv between Gattendorf and Neudorf
Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) 1 Sandeck - Lange Luss
Merlin (Falco columbarius) 1 Untere Luss
unidentified Gull (Laridae sp.)
Feral Pigeon (Columba livia f. domestica)
Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto)
unidentified Woodpecker (Dendrocopos sp.)
Rook  (Corvus frugilegus)
Carrion Crow (Corvus corone)
Hooded Crow (Corvus cornix)
Great Tit (Parus major) 1 Sandeck - Lange Luss
Blue Tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) 3 reed belt on the road to Illmitz - Seebad
Fieldfare (Turdus pilaris) 1 Illmitz - Hölle
Black Redstart (Phoenicurus ochruros) 1 Illmitz - Kirchsee
Reed Bunting (Emberiza schoeniclus) 2m, Darscho

Saturday, February 9, 2013

From port to park

I made another walk in urban areas of Bratislava. Started home, walked through old Ružinov where I found 130 Waxwings roosting in the tree. Then I checked the basins of port on Danube. I spotted just one Coot, male Pochard, male Mallard and Great Cormorant flew along. I crossed the river and walked on the embankment upstream to the Sad Janka Kráľa public park. There was European Hare pair running across thin strip of floodplain forest that lies between the Danube and embankment. At first I just heard some knocking on the wood, then I found fresh holes in the tree and male Black Woodpecker appeared in the moment. Great Spotted Woodpecker sat on the top of dry tree. The park showed its usual  inhabitants and seasonal guests: Great Tit, Nuthatch, Blackbird, Carrion Crow, Wood Pigeon and few others. Squirrel was hiding just two meters from the park sidewalk.
Waxwing (Bombycilla garrulus)
Danube river port
Common Pochard (Aythya ferina)
Feral Pigeon (Columba livia f. domestica)
Black Woodpecker (Dryocopus martius)
Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major)
Carrion Crow (Corvus corone)
Blackbird (Turdus merula)
Great Tit (Parus major)
Nuthatch (Sitta europea)
Wood Pigeon (Columba palumbus)
Squirrel
List of observed bird species:
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)
Pochard (Aythya ferina)
Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo)
Coot (Fulica atra)
Black-headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus)
Common Gull (Larus canus)
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)
Magpie (Pica pica)
Jackdaw (Coloeus monedula)
Rook (Corvus frugilegus)
Carrion Crow (Corvus corone)
Hooded Crow (Corvus cornix)
Waxwing (Bombycilla garrulus)
Marsh Tit (Poecile palustris)
Great Tit (Parus major)
Blue Tit (Cyanistes caeruleus)
Nuthatch (Sitta europaea)
Blackbird (Turdus merula)
Fieldfare (Turdus pilaris)
Mistle Thrush (Turdus viscivorus)
Robin (Erithacus rubecula)
House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)
Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis)
Bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula)
Hawfinch (Coccothraustes coccothraustes)

Friday, February 8, 2013

Corvids in Sad Janka Kráľa public park.

Large flocks of Rooks and Jackdaws are using eastern side of public park as gathering site before they move on to their night roost site below Bratislava. It is great opportunity to compare these overlooked birds. Man can spot here Rooks (Corvus frugilegus), Jackdaws (Coloeus monedula), Hooded Crows (Corvus cornix), if lucky its western brother Carrion Crow (Corvus corone). In addition Magpie (Pica pica) and even Jay (Garrulus glandarius) can be found near this eastern side of park. That makes 6 different Corvids in small area during the winter months. Another reason to explore Sad Janka Kráľa public park that lies on opposite side of Danube just next to the city center. (all photos were made yesterday afternoon)
Rook (Corvus frugilegus)
Rook (Corvus frugilegus)
Rook (Corvus frugilegus) and two Jackdaws (Coloeus monedula)
Hooded Crows (Corvus cornix)
Hooded Crows (Corvus cornix) and Jackdaw (Coloeus monedula)
mixed flock of Rooks and Hooded Crows
mostly Hooded Crows
Carrion Crow (Corvus corone)