First winter guests on Danube

I made another birdwatching bike ride. Despite it is November already, the weather was pleasant. I rode along Danube and I made several stops to check the surface of Hrušovská zdrž water reservoir for newly arrived winter or migration guests. I got my only second sighting of Shelducks (Tadorna tadorna) in Slovakia. Ten of them were swimming in compact flock along with thousands of other ducks. First Goldeneyes (Bucephala clangula) appeared. There was a group of 13 Goosanders (Mergus merganser). Beside Tufted Ducks and Mallards the numbers of Teals (Anas crecca) and Wigeons (Anas penelope) are arising. I counted 83 Teals and c130 Wigeons today. I spotted only 2 Pygmy Cormorants (Microcarbo pygmeus), but at least I know first of these unusual migrants are here. Pygmy Cormorants migrate not southwards but to the northwest from the Danube delta. In the peak of winter we could have here up to 1000 birds. In addition I observed Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) for a while and flyover of a White-tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla).  Great Egret (Egretta alba) with something like tumour on its leg need to be mentioned as well. I'm not sure if it will survive winter.

Black-headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus)

signs of presence of Beavers

Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)

pair of Pygmy Cormorants (Microcarbo pygmeus) in the right

Great Egret (Egretta alba) with tumour on its leg

numbers of waterbirds are beginning to rise

flock of 10 Shelducks (Tadorna tadorna)

White-tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla)

White-tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla)

Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis)

Teals (Anas crecca)

Great Crested Grebe (Podiceps cristatus)

List of recorded birds:

Mute Swan (Cygnus olor) c250
Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) 10
Gadwall (Anas strepera) 1
Wigeon (Anas penelope) 130+
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) 2000
Teal (Anas crecca) 83
Red-crested Pochard (Netta rufina) 3
Pochard (Aythya ferina) 50
Tufted Duck (Aythya fuligula) 700
Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula) 8
Goosander (Mergus merganser) 13
Great Crested Grebe (Podiceps cristatus) c20
Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea) 20+
Great Egret (Egretta alba) 2
Pygmy Cormorant (Microcarbo pygmeus) 2
Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) 200+
White-tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) 1
Coot (Fulica atra) c100
Black-headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus)
large Gull (Larus cachinnans/michahellis)
Feral Pigeon (Columba livia f. domestica)
Common Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) 1
Black Woodpecker (Dryocopus martius) 1, calling
Common Magpie (Pica pica)
Jackdaw (Coloeus monedula)
Rook (Corvus frugilegus)
Hooded Crow (Corvus cornix)
Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes)
Blackbird (Turdus merula)
Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis)

Business Trip to Neusiedler See - Seewinkel National Park

[Thursday, March 1, 2012]

My colleagues from travel agency watching.sk have planned a business trip to Neusiedler See area. It included meeting with manager from Neusiedler See - Seewinkel National Park in the National Park Information Centre in Illmitz. We needed to discuss an excursion which will be part of Pannonian Bird Experience 2012. The other thing on our "to do list" was to check accomodation possibilities in Illmitz and nearby lying villages on the Hungarian part of Lake Neusiedl. I needed to dust off my ability to speak Hungarian but later I was satisfied with my performance. In the spare time we tried to make some birdwatching in this beautiful area. We visited several places but it's better to see it. And the late afternoon short stop on one watching tower brought a lifelist tick for two of us.

Modern building of information centre and headquarters of Neusiedler See - Seewinkel NP.

 We have about 20 minutes before the meeting with manager so we visited this hide.

This was the view from the hide - low grey clouds over Zicklacke periodic lake.

One of the Greylag Geese (Anser anser) that were feeding just few meters from the hide.

On the top of the watching tower next to the information centre.

Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major) seen from the watching tower.

Flatlands of Seewinkel.

After visiting of several guesthouses in Hungary we moved to the Hungarian part of the lake near Fertóujlak

Large flock of Geese was composed mostly of Greylag Geese (Anser anser) and White-fronted Geese (Anser albifrons). There were only few Bean Geese (Anser fabalis). Beside the Geese man could spot here 5 different duck species of Anas genus (Mallard, Gadwall, Teal, Pintail, Shoveler) and my favourite Shelducks.

Diving Pintails (Anas acuta).

Northern Shovelers (Anas clypeata) were showing their diving skills too.

My beloved Shelducks (Tadorna tadorna).

After the late lunch in Fertód we drove back to Bratislava,  but we decided to make two more stops near Illmitz. We stopped near Zicklacke (the same lake that could be seen from mentioned hide). I just asked if we have 10 spare minutes to go up on the watching tower and check some birds. In a while I spotted something that I have never seen before. Shelduck's rusty cousins. Two Ruddy Shelducks (Tadorna ferruginea) were feeding amidst Geese. What a great observation! It was lifelist tick for me and Katka. None of the photos is good enough but maybe this video:  With Ruddy Shelducks in our minds we moved to reeds that are all around the lake Neusiedl.

 Crisscross of channels, reeds and open water.

Sunset over vast reed belt.

List of observed bird species during the day:

Common Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus)
Bean Goose (Anser fabalis) 3000 (all Geese together)
Greylag Goose (Anser anser)
White-fronted Goose (Anser albifrons)
Mute Swan (Cygnus olor) 8
Shellduck (Tadorna tadorna) 15
Ruddy Shellduck (Tadorna ferruginea) 2; Lifer !!!
Gadwall (Anas strepera) 50
Wigeon (Anas penelope) 10
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)
Northern Shoveler (Anas clypeata) 3
Pintail (Anas acuta) 3
Teal (Anas crecca) 30
Pochard (Aythya ferina) 20
Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula) 1
Great Egret (Egretta alba) 4
Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) 3
Hen Harrier (Circus cyaneus) 4
Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo) 15
Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) 7
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) 2
Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto)
Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major) 1
Common Magpie (Pica pica)
Jackdaw (Coloelus monedula) 2
Rook (Corvus frugilegus)
Hooded Crow (Corvus cornix)
Great Tit (Parus major)
Blue Tit (Cyanistes caeruleus)
Common Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)
Blackbird (Turdus merula)
House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)
Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus)
Greenfinch (Carduelis chloris) H
Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis)
Reed Bunting (Emberiza schoeniclus) 3

number of individuals is mentioned only if we were able to count them or make an estimation; "H" means that we heard it