Winter waterbird census - March

[Saturday, March 17, 2012]

As usual, closest weekend to 15th day in a month is the date of winter waterbird census. I have visited my counting section for the 5th time this winter. We had first real spring days after frozen winter in western Slovakia. Indeed I started the day wearing sweater, softshell jacket and gloves on my hands as it was only 2°C in Hamuliakovo, but 2,5 hours later and 6km upstream of the seepage channel it was already 15°C so the upper parts of my clothes went to my backpack. I will mention the numbers of observed water birds on my counting section. Due to warm weather and the fact that several banks of were mowed of grass and its reed the numbers of birds were smaller than expected: Mute Swan 10, Mallard 56, Wigeon 8, Gadwall 20, Garganey 6, Tufted Duck 55, Pochard 1, Ferruginous Duck 1, Little Grebe 48, Coot 24, White Wagtail 8, Grey Wagtail 1, Reed Bunting 6, Muscovy Duck 1. Even though it was an amazing fieldwork day that was laced with valuable observations, weird headwrecker and lifer in the end. Let's check it!

Hooded Crow - Corvus cornix

 Sometimes your birdwatching starts already in the city.

Garganey - Anas querquedula

 First look in the start of my counting section brought new species into my yearlist.

Pair of Garganeys and Gadwall (Anas strepera).

Robin - Erithacus rubecula

Great view on Robin always makes me smile.

My route alongside the seepage channel.

Bicycle path on the top of the embankment of Hrušovská zdrž water dam. Dam is on left, seepage channel on right hand side.

Large surface of water dam. Despite calm water there were only few birds in good sight. Most of them were far or in bad counterlight.

Tree Sparrow - Passer montanus

Chirping mates in morning sun.

Calm water of seepage channel.

Guess who was passing by recently.

One of the day's highlights - Eurasian Beaver (Castor fiber).

Few Wigeons (Anas penelope) found just a while later.

 I didn't remember this nest from my previous walks. It must be this year's work. Another species to my yearlist.

Penduline Tit - Remiz pendulinus.

Penduline Tit feeding near its nest.

I've spotted few Song Thrushes, Robin, immature Black Redstart and this lonesome Starling with beatiful glossy feathers.

Muscovy Duck - Cairina moschata

You need to be prepared for everything when you are in the field but this observation was kind of shocking for me. At first I thought that Great Cormorant in courtship plumage landed on the channel but when I checked it closer a found this weird looking bird. I was unable to make any ID, I thought it's some kind of hybrid. Later in the evening my friends helped me to solve this headwrecker. It's an escapee from some near lying farm. Muscovy Duck is kept on farms due to its size and large liver.

Another Garganey.

Snowdrop - Galanthus nivalis

Flowers in bloom are sign that winter is over.

Yellow Star of Bethlehem - Gagea lutea

Two-leaf Squill - Scilla bifolia

Coltsfoot - Tussilago farfara

Great Grey Shrike - Lanius excubitor

After hearing my first Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita) of the year I spotted Great Grey Shrike in the treetop. If you think that first Chiffchaff, Penduline Tit, Garganey of the season, great video of mostly night -active Beaver and weird headwrecker are enough for great day you're wrong.

Near the end of my counting section I found most elegant duck that can be found in Slovakia. Ferruginous Duck (Aythya nyroca) is rare breeder in our country. Number of breeding pairs is estimated from only 5 to 20. Such great days use to bring some bonus reward. I found it in the small area of forest steppe that is embraced by old river arm of River Danube. In Protected Reserve "Ostrov Kopáč" I heard and saw my first ever Woodlark (Lullula arborea). You can find photos of this marvel area inside River Danube's alluvial forests here.

List of observed bird species during the day:

Common Pheasant    (Phasianus colchicus)
Mute Swan    (Cygnus olor)
Gadwall    (Anas strepera)
Wigeon    (Anas penelope)
Mallard    (Anas platyrhynchos)
Garganey    (Anas querquedula)
Pochard    (Aythya ferina)
Ferruginous Duck    (Aythya nyroca)
Tufted Duck    (Aythya fuligula)
Common Goldeneye    (Bucephala clangula)
Little Grebe    (Tachybaptus ruficollis)
Great Crested Grebe    (Podiceps cristatus)
Great Cormorant    (Phalacrocorax carbo)
Sparrowhawk    (Accipiter nisus)
Common Buzzard    (Buteo buteo)
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)
Great Spotted Woodpecker    (Dendrocopos major)
Green Woodpecker    (Picus viridis)
Great Grey Shrike    (Lanius excubitor)
Jay    (Garrulus glandarius)
Common Magpie    (Pica pica)
Rook    (Corvus frugilegus)
Hooded Crow    (Corvus cornix)
Marsh Tit    (Poecile palustris)
Great Tit    (Parus major)
Blue Tit    (Cyanistes caeruleus)
Penduline Tit    (Remiz pendulinus)
Woodlark    (Lullula arborea) - Lifer!!!
Long-tailed Tit    (Aegithalos caudatus)
Chiffchaff    (Phylloscopus collybita)
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)
White Wagtail    (Motacilla alba)
Chaffinch    (Fringilla coelebs)
Greenfinch    (Carduelis chloris)
Goldfinch    (Carduelis carduelis)
Linnet    (Carduelis cannabina)
Yellowhammer    (Emberiza citrinella)
Reed Bunting    (Emberiza schoeniclus)

Muscovy Duck  (Cairina moschata f. domestica) - escapee

Winter waterbird census - February

[Saturday, February 18, 2012]

Can you imagine that cloudy day you walk the damp grass, muddy roads with scarce snow and ice can be perfect day of birdwatching? After the two weeks of strong frosts came few days with snow and rain and terrain changed its face to that you don't like. I started my usual counting section in Hamuliakovo. I took few looks on the surface of Hrušovská zdrž water dam. After mentioned frosts it is fully covered with ice with few exceptional places of unfrozen water. I found group of Smews (Mergellus albellus), few Goosanders (Mergus merganser), bunch of Tufted Ducks (Aythya fuligula) and Common Goldeneyes (Bucephala clangula). And as bonus a pair of Pygmy Cormorants (Microcarbo pygmeus) and pair of Great Scaups (Aythya marila). Pretty fine for just 20 minutes.

Smew - Mergellus albellus

Pygmy Cormorant - Microcarbo pygmeus

Wigeons, Gadwall and Coots

Then I moved to the seepage channel that I came to count. I spotted few Gadwalls (Anas strepera) and this surprise lasted on all 12,5 km long counting section as I finished by number 42 - my largest ever count of Gadwalls in one day. I've added plenty of Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos), Tufted Ducks and Pochards (Aythya ferina). 19 Wigeons (Anas penelope) made me smile along with my first sighting of Pygmy Cormorant on this counting section. Surprisingly (may be the result of the frosts) the largest counts were not made by Little Grebes (Tachybaptus ruficollis) - only 86, but by Coots (Fulica atra) - 583. In the final part of seepage channel I found  Mute Swan (Cygnus olor) with yellow neckband ("19CK"). I wrote an e-mail to guy that is in contact with all-european ringers and he informed me that Swan was ringed in Poland but we need to wait for further information.

seepage channell

frozen dam

frozen dam

Numbers of observed birds on the counting section: Mute Swan 121, Mallard 219, Gadwall 42, Wigeon 19, Tufted Duck 228, Pochard 105, Little Grebe 86, Grey Heron 2, Great Cormorant 1, Pygmy Cormorant 2, Moorhen 3, Coot 583.

Mute Swan with neckband

In addition I have got very good sighting of Jay (Garrulus glandarius) and Black Woodpecker (Dryocopus martius). Even though I needed to hurry to catch my bus back home  it was a beautiful day of birdwatching with my largest number of observed bird species in one day this year with total 42 species.

List of observed bird species:

Common Pheasant  (Phasianus colchicus) 3
Mute Swan  (Cygnus olor) 140
Gadwall  (Anas strepera) 42
Wigeon  (Anas penelope) 19
Mallard  (Anas platyrhynchos) 250
Pochard  (Aythya ferina) 120
Tufted Duck  (Aythya fuligula) 250
Greater Scaup  (Aythya marila) 2
Common Goldeneye  (Bucephala clangula) 100
Smew  (Mergellus albellus) 8
Goosander  (Mergus merganser) 6
Little Grebe  (Tachybaptus ruficollis) 86
Great Crested Grebe  (Podiceps cristatus) 1
Grey Heron  (Ardea cinerea) 2
Pygmy Cormorant  (Microcarbo pygmeus) 4
Great Cormorant  (Phalacrocorax carbo) 3
Common Buzzard  (Buteo buteo) 4
Common Kestrel  (Falco tinnunculus) 1
Moorhen  (Gallinula chloropus) 3
Coot  (Fulica atra) 600
Black-headed Gull  (Chroicocephalus ridibundus)
large Gull  (Larus cachinnans/michahellis) 20
Feral Pigeon  (Columba livia f. domestica)
Collared Dove  (Streptopelia decaocto) 15
Great Spotted Woodpecker  (Dendrocopos major) 3, H - drumming
Black Woodpecker  (Dryocopus martius) 1
Jay  (Garrulus glandarius) 1
Common Magpie  (Pica pica) 4
Rook  (Corvus frugilegus)
Hooded Crow  (Corvus cornix) 3
Great Tit  (Parus major)
Blue Tit  (Cyanistes caeruleus) 1
Long-tailed Tit  (Aegithalos caudatus) 3
Wren  (Troglodytes troglodytes) 1
Blackbird  (Turdus merula) 6
Fieldfare  (Turdus pilaris) 30
Robin  (Erithacus rubecula) 1, H
House Sparrow  (Passer domesticus)
Tree Sparrow  (Passer montanus)
Goldfinch  (Carduelis carduelis) 5
Yellowhammer  (Emberiza citrinella) 3
unidentified Goose  (Anser sp.)
number of individuals is mentioned only if we were able to count them or make an estimation; "H" means that we heard it