Morning walk at Devínska Kobyla

The Small Carpathians just over Bratislava provide a perfect place for a walk. The length and difficulty is completely upon yourself. I try to prove why it's worth of it to have a walk across the forests and meadows of Small Carpathians. This is what I observed during Sunday morning walk.

BIRDS:

Middle Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos medius)

FLOWERS:

Yellow Pheasant's Eye (Adonis vernalis)

Greater Pasque Flower (Pulsatilla grandis)

 INSECTS:

Oil Beetle (Meloe sp.)

 MAMMALS:

Red Squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris)

LANDSCAPES:

Devín castle over the confluence of rivers Danube and Morava

Hike in Veľká Fatra

I have spent few last days in the vicinity of Veľká Fatra National Park. Small festival took place in Mošovce. I decided to have a hike on Friday. I had only my smartphone and binoculars so I didn't take any bird photo. I will just mention sightings of soaring Lesser Spotted Eagle, glimpse of lifer Hazel Grouse or singing Tree Pipit and Wood Warbler. Have a look what I have spotted on my hike to Drieňok (alt. 1268m) and Blatnická dolina valley.

summit of Drieňok

Dianthus sp.

below the summit

Red Helleborine (Cephalanthera rubra)

Common Cottongrass (Eriophorum angustifolium)

Common Cottongrass (Eriophorum angustifolium)

Green Snaketail (Ophiogomphus cecilia)

Green Snaketail (Ophiogomphus cecilia)

Broomrape (Orobanche sp.)

Early Spring at Devínska Kobyla

The slopes of Small Carpathians provide perfect conditions for various flowers. Check the photos from our field check walk at Devínska Kobyla in NW Bratislava.

Greater Pasque Flower (Pulsatilla grandis)

Greater Pasque Flower (Pulsatilla grandis)

Greater Pasque Flower (Pulsatilla grandis)

Corydalis sp.

Common Toothwort (Lathraea squamaria)

Yellow Pheasant's Eye (Adonis vernalis)

Small Pasque Flower (Pulsatilla pratensis)

Liverwort (Hepatica nobilis)

Bumblebee on Greater Pasque Flower (Pulsatilla grandis)

young European Green Lizard (Lacerta viridis)

young European Green Lizard (Lacerta viridis)

Nature diversity of Petržalka

Today's walk in pictures:

today's route (9,4 km)

Malý Draždiak - wetland

Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus)

Mute Swan (Cygnus olor)

Two-leaf Squill (Scila bifolia)

floodplain forest with green carpet of Bear's Garlic

Bear's Garlic (Allium ursinum)

Veľký Draždiak - gravel pit

Chorvátske rameno - canal of an old Danube's riverarm

urban area of Petržalka

gardens on western edge of Petržalka

former "Iron curtain" border

fields between Petržalka and Berg, already in Austria

Iron curtain museum

Kopčany - military cemetery

Land of Beavers!

I use to find signs of Beavers occurrence regularly during my walks in the nature in the surroundings of Bratislava. Have a look what I found yesterday:

tree with freshly nibbled wood, next to the Danube's seepage channel

marks of beaver's teeth

another site, signs of beavers again: small creek along the road, red arrow shows to the dam

creek with the beaver dam

beaver dam from above

Convolvulus Hawk-moth caterpillar

As I was riding my bike to check one of my favourite birding sites on Danube below Bratislava I found this caterpillar. With the help of Twitter community (#teammoth) I identified it as a Convolvulus Hawk-moth (Agrius convolvuli).

Convolvulus Hawk-moth (Agrius convolvuli)

And now for something completely different

Two rainy days in Medická záhrada public garden lessened the number of customers in our summer tearoom. I had time to explore the surroundings. I found this butterfly.

Diaphania perspicilata

This Asian species was introduced to Europe only in year 2006 or 2007 with Buxus sp. trees. It is now spreading over the continent. This year it was added to official checklist of Slovak butterflies.

July Walks in Bratislava Surroundings

[Monday, July 23, 2012]

I know that I didn't post nothing in last few months, but I'll do my best to change it. The best way how to literally taste the nature is to go outside. I don't want to write too much, just enjoy few videos from my walks in surroundings of Bratislava.

Black Woodpecker (Dryocopus martius) in the forest over Dúbravka: European Roe Deer (Capreolus capreolus) in the forest over Dúbravka: Small flock of feeding Goldfinches (Carduelis carduelis) in the floodplain meadows near River Morava: Another day, another Roe Deer. Adult male European Roe Deer (Capreolus capreolus) in the floodplain meadows of River Morava: Just a glimpse of Black Stork (Ciconia nigra): Let's see what happens if you hesitate over your food:

Forest Steppe In The Middle Of Alluvial Forests

[Saturday, March 17, 2012]

After finishing my counting on the seepage channel I decided to visit a place that nobody expects to find in the middle of the alluvial forests. Forest steppe of Protected Reserve "Ostrov Kopáč" (Kopáč island) developed on the alluvial sediments that are embraced by old River Danube's river arm named "Biskupické rameno". It lies only few hundred meters from the seepage channel. Let's see how the landscapes changes in just 1km.

Biskupické rameno - river arm

typical alluvial forest

mix of low trees and conifers

open landscape with solitaire conifers

shrub and heath of forest steppe

dry island in the middle of former alluvial plain

solitaire deciduos trees

back in the alluvial forest on the other side of protected reserve

great lesson of biodiversity in just 20 minutes