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

First Snow Buntings after 3 years

It was in March of winter 2010/2011 when I spotted Snow Buntings for the last time. It was near Danube below Bratislava. Until yesterday I had no luck to find this species. I'm in Rožňava for the Christmas holidays as usual. If there is some spare time I immediately go outside for a walk to the places I know. But years has passed and I have almost no opportunity to explore them. Man could just imagine, what can be found on the "boring" fields without snow cover. My walk started with Blackbird, two Goldfinches, some Great Tit calling and one Raven, that was flying over my head. I didn't await anything. I haven't seen a single Common Buzzard, nor Yellowhammers. But there was a reward for going outside and doing the ordinary birding walk. Just a few metres aside the field road three whitish birds appeared. Despite I didn't see them for three years I knew that there is a new tick in my yearlist. Amazing number 210 belongs to the Snow Buntings (Plectrophenax nivalis).

Iron Curtain Bike Birding

Bratislava offers you plenty of opportunities for birdwatching. Beside Danube that is full of waterbirds, Carpathian forest or floodplain meadows along Morava River man can find flat agricultural landscape on the border between Slovakia and Austria. Riding a bike is a best way how to explore this area in southwestern outskirts of Bratislava. In August man can spot soaring Buzzards, Marsh Harriers or Kestrels over the fields, hunting Red-backed Shrikes, or Goldfinches and Tree Sparrows along the road that is aligning the border. There is another interesting highlight of this area. While riding along the border man can discover pre-WWII fortification system of small fortresses and bunkers, that was meant to protect former Czechoslovakia against Austria that was already controlled by Hitler. Rest is history. Czechoslovakia was divided into Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia and war Slovak state with puppet government. Those objects were never used. After WWII it became part of "iron curtain" between east and west. Come and explore this part of Bratislava in my photos:

bunker "B-S 4 Lány" lies just few meters from Danube bike trail

bunker "B-S 4 Lány"

information panel in Slovak, German and English as well

historical border gate (these days not exactly on the border line)

Danube bike trail is realley next to the fortification

former military border road, today it's a bike trail (left side - Slovak cornfield, right side - Austrian cornfield)

border stone

military cemetery and WWI memorial

graves of soldiers, that were fighting in WWI

cross in the middle of the cemetery

some graves are with names, some without

behind the gate man can find bunker "B-S 8 Hřbitov"

barbed wire of former "iron curtain" (ATTENTION! Border area. Entry allowed only with the entrance permit.)

 

 

Eurovelo 13 Iron Curtain Trail - roads that were in the past used only by army are now free accessible bike trails

sign on the Austrian side of border

cornfield in the left is in Austria, buildings in the right are in Petržalka, largest borough of Bratislava

road from Kittsee (AT) to Jarovce (SK)

when you cross the highway, you will reach SPA (special protected area) Sysľovské polia - wintering grounds of Great Bustard (Otis tarda)

central part of SPA, entrance is allowed only with special permission, if you have a spotting scope you needn't go further

southern part of SPA Sysľovské polia

and this is what I found - female of rare and in Slovakia critically endangered Red-footed Falcon (Falco vespertinus)

If you liked it and want to explore this area in the future feel free to drop me an email or some tweet.

More information on the military fortification in Bratislava can be found here.

Important note! Entrance into the SPA Sysľovské polia is prohibited due to the nature protection. All my photos and observations were made outside or on legally accessible roads.

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.)

Unbelievable "white morph" Snow Goose in Slovakia

On Wednesday evening I browsed website, where interesting bird sightings in Slovakia can be found. For the first time ever there was written "Snow Goose - Anser caerulescens". It was found at fishponds near Malacky by a local expert birdwatcher and naturalist Rudo Jureček. Fishponds, only 40km from Bratislava, are used as a roosting site for wintering and migrating Geese, mostly White-fronted, Bean and Greylag. From time to time he use to find in the large flocks some great birds as Red-breasted Goose or Barnacle Goose, but this was simply unbelievable. White morph in Central Europe! Its origin is still uncertain, but it seems to be wild. No rings, or problems with flying. May be the official Slovak bird checklist will need to be recompiled again. I reported it to my colleagues and we drove to the site immediately as it was possible. We found the bird shining in the flock of Bean Geese just after our arrival. As we didn't want to disturb the flock of c4000 geese we observed it from distance of 400m. Pics are worse than documentary, but the amazing life tick is done. To be honest we really didn't care about the immature White-tailed Eagle, that was perching on the tree less than 500m from us. Who would ever say that it is possible to spot Whooper Swan, Tundra Swan, White-billed Diver, Red-breasted Goose and Snow Goose in a perimeter of less then 50km from Bratislava, Slovakia, Central Europe in 23 days.

geese flock, mostly Bean Geese (Anser fabalis)

Snow Goose (Chen caerulescens) "white morph"

Early February in Morava Floodplain

After the lifeticks earlier in the week I decided to make a birding walk in Morava floodplain NW from Bratislava. Area offers good habitats for birds of prey. I hoped to spot at least Red Kites or White-tailed Eagles. Near the waste dumping site I found at least 9 Red Kites. I observed short flyover of male Hen Harrier over the embankment. Pair of White-tailed Eagles was roosting in the meadow. After spotting my first Great Grey Shrike of the year I was already satisfied with the walk. I didn't know that I will have an opportunity to spot pair of Eastern Imperial Eagles and as I will walk to railway stop back home I'll find Water Pipit and Green Sandpiper feeding on the gravel bank of Morava River.

Check the photos and list of observed bird species during the day.

morning in Lamač

Mute Swan (Cygnus olor)

floodplain meadows

Red Kite (Milvus milvus)

Goosander (Mergus merganser)

White-tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla)

White-tailed Eagles well hidden in the grass

Eastern Imperial Eagle (Aquila heliaca)

Fieldfare (Turdus pilaris)

tea birding as usual - Bao Zhong oolong from Taiwan

List of observed bird species:
Common Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus)
Greylag Goose (Anser anser)
White-fronted Goose (Anser albifrons)
Mute Swan (Cygnus olor)
Wigeon (Anas penelope)
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)
Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula)
Goosander (Mergus merganser)
Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea)
Great Egret (Egretta alba)
Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo)
Red Kite (Milvus milvus)
White-tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla)
Hen Harrier (Circus cyaneus)
Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo)
Eastern Imperial Eagle (Aquila heliaca)
Green Sandpiper (Tringa ochropus)
Black-headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus)
Common Gull (Larus canus)
large Gull (Larus cachinnans/michahellis)
Feral Pigeon (Columba livia f. domestica)
Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto)
Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major)
Black Woodpecker (Dryocopus martius)
Green Woodpecker (Picus viridis)
Great Grey Shrike (Lanius excubitor)
Common Magpie (Pica pica)
Rook (Corvus frugilegus)
Hooded Crow (Corvus cornix)
Marsh Tit (Poecile palustris)
Great Tit (Parus major)
Blue Tit (Cyanistes caeruleus)
Long-tailed Tit (Aegithalos caudatus)
Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes)
Nuthatch (Sitta europaea)
Blackbird (Turdus merula)
Fieldfare (Turdus pilaris)
Robin (Erithacus rubecula)
House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)
Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus)
Meadow Pipit (Anthus pratensis)
Water Pipit (Anthus spinoletta)
Greenfinch (Carduelis chloris)
Bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula)
Yellowhammer (Emberiza citrinella)