Bird migration on Danube in early September

Hrušovská zdrž water dam on Danube below Bratislava is an important migration stop for plenty of birds. I had several interesting sightings last few days, mostly waders. 3 lifers + 2 Slovakia list additions.

Thursday, September 5: 2 Lapwings, 2 Ringed Plovers - yearlist addition, Curlew - my first ever in Slovakia, 8 Dunlins, 3 Wood Sandpipers, 3 Little Egrets, flock of c3000 Starlings

Friday, September 6: 15 Ringed Plovers, late Little Ringed Plover, 5 Curlews, rare Red Knot - lifer, 42 Dunlins, Greenshank - yearlist addition, 5 Little Egrets

Sunday, September 8: 13 Ringed Plovers, 3 Black-tailed Godwits, 5 Curlews, 52 Dunlins, 6 Sanderlings - lifer, 8 Little Stints - my first ever in Slovakia, 6 Curlew Sandpipers - another lifer, Ruff, 3 Shovelers, 30+ Teals, 6 Little Egrets singing Chiffchaff, Kingfisher

Sunday, September 15: 5 Curlews - probably the same as last weekend, 13 Dunlins, 3 Grey Plovers - my first ever in Slovakia, Common Snipe, 6 Little Egrets, 5 Great Egrets, singing Chiffchaff, Kingfisher, Wheatear - lifer, White-tailed Eagle, Osprey and Canada Goose - present since end of June, may be it is an escapee

Lake Tisza and Hortobágy in September

We needed to make some arrangements before our October trip to Hortobágy in Hungary. We visited Ecocentre at Lake Tisza, checked our accomodation, tasted local cuisine and of course we did some birdwatching.

 view on the vast surface of Lake Tisza from the tower of Ecocentre in Poroszló

Purple Heron (Ardea purpurea) landed on the small channel next to the tower, beside it there was a juvenile Night Heron

trail on the lake is accesible only with a boat

wooden trail in the reeds of Lake Tisza

one of 4 Ferruginous Ducks (Aythya nyroca) on the lake

surface of the lake is covered with the water plants

two of 4 Little Crakes (Porzana parva) that we observed from the first hide

Pygmy Cormorant (Microcarbo pygmeus)

fields in puszta - on this site we spotted unbelievable 40+ Red-footed Falcons (Falco vespertinus)

Common Snipe (Gallinago gallinago) along with Teal (Anas crecca)

List of observed bird species:
Greylag Goose (Anser anser)
Mute Swan (Cygnus olor)
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)
Teal (Anas crecca)
Ferruginous Duck (Aythya nyroca) 4
Little Grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis) 2
Great Crested Grebe (Podiceps cristatus)
White Stork (Ciconia ciconia)
Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) 3
Squacco Heron (Ardeola ralloides) 2; yearlist addition
Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea)
Purple Heron (Ardea purpurea) 2
Great Egret (Egretta alba) 5
Pygmy Cormorant (Microcarbo pygmeus) 3
Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo)
Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) 2; yearlist addition
Marsh Harrier (Circus aeruginosus)
Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo)
Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus)
Red-footed Falcon (Falco vespertinus) 40+; lifelist and yearlist addition
Hobby (Falco subbuteo)
Little Crake (Porzana parva) 4; lifelist and yearlist addition
Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus)
Coot (Fulica atra)
Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus)
Common Snipe (Gallinago gallinago)
Wood Sandpiper (Tringa glareola)
Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos)
Ruff (Philomachus pugnax)
Black-headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus)
Gull (Larus cachinnans/michahellis)
Common Tern (Sterna hirundo)
Whiskered Tern (Chlidonias hybrida) c50
Feral Pigeon (Columba livia f. domestica)
Wood Pigeon (Columba palumbus)
Turtle Dove (Streptopelia turtur)
Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto)
unidentified Woodpecker(Dendrocopos sp.)
Magpie (Pica pica)
Rook (Corvus frugilegus)
Hooded Crow (Corvus cornix)
Great Tit (Parus major)
Bearded Reedling (Panurus biarmicus) 10
Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)
House Martin (Delichon urbicum)
Sedge Warbler (Acrocephalus schoenobaenus)
Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)
Whinchat (Saxicola rubetra) 1; yearlist addition
Stonechat (Saxicola rubicola)
House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)
Grey Wagtail (Motacilla cinerea)
White Wagtail (Motacilla alba)

Bike birding on floodplains of Morava

I guided another watching.sk bike birding trip. We have visited floodplain along Morava River. Full of meadows, wetlands and dead river-arms. Best sightings were 2 Cuckoos (Cuculus canorus), Purple Heron (Ardea purpurea), 10+ Little Egrets (Egretta garzetta), 2 adult and 2 juvenile White-tailed Eagles (Haliaeetus albicilla), Imperial Eagle (Aquila heliaca). You can read more about the observed species here.

Purple Heron (Ardea purpurea)

bike birders

meadow near dead river-arm

White-tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla)

Great Tit nest in a streetlight

As I was walking home just few blocks away from my flat I spotted a bird that flew out from the hole in a pole of the streetlight. At Americké námestie square, almost in the city center I found nesthole of Great Tit (Parus major). Another example how these cavity nestlers accomodate in urban areas.

Great Tit (Parus major) nesthole

Great Tit (Parus major) nesthole

Great Tit (Parus major) nesthole

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.

Great Tit Fledglings

As I was walking in Bratislava - Ružinov suddenly I heard a birdcall just few meters from me. I found 6 Great Tit fledglings. Five of them were close to the small bush and one, probably the most brave, was in the nearby park. Check the photos and videos. One of them landed on my foot...

Bee-eaters and Orchids

I took part on our another guided walk in Bratislava surroundings. Our main targets were newly arrived Bee-eaters and orchids in bloom that can be found on the slopes of Devínska Kobyla, most southward part of the Small Carpathians.

I came to Devínska Nová Ves 2 hours sooner to take short walk across the bridge over Morava River to have glimpse on floodplain meadows and fields on Austrian side. I heard my first Corncrakes (Crex crex) and spotted first Golden Oriole (Oriolus oriolus) of the year. This visit was worth of it because I have seen  not very common female Montagu's Harrier (Circus pygargus), pair of Gadwalls (Anas strepera) and heard few Greylag Geese (Anser anser). For geese and ducks it could be sign of breeding in the area.

At 9:00 I met with my watching.sk colleague Katka and together with participants we started our guided walk. We heard and spot our first Bee-eaters (Merops apiaster). Katka as a leading guide was talking about Bee-eaters's habits and habitat, apart of it showing various rare flowers and plants (e.g.: Adonis vernalis, Stipa ioannis, Globularia punctata or Scorzonera austriaca). Two Black Kites (Milvus migrans) flew over our heads.

Then we moved to the site where man could find several species of orchids. We found Burnt-tip Orchids (Neotinea ustulata) and purple, pink and white variety of Green-winged Orchid (Orchis morio). Katka gave us short lecture on orchids and after that we slowly moved to Devín, where our guided walk ended.

Have a look on a pics of landscape, phonescoped animals and flowers. In the end you can find list of observed birds species in the area along Morava River and on the slopes of Devínska Kobyla.

bridge over Morava River

female White Stork on the nest

Corncrakes were calling from the floodplain meadows

rabbit on the field near Schlosshof

male Stork searching for food

Gadwall (Anas strepera)

observing our first Bee-eaters

land between Danube and Morava rivers is called Marchpfeld

a bit blurry phonescoped Bee-eaters (Merops apiaster)

Katka giving us short lecture on orchids

Burnt-tip Orchid (Neotinea ustulata)

Green-winged Orchid (Orchis morio)

List of observed bird species:

Common Pheasant   ( Phasianus colchicus )
Greylag Goose   ( Anser anser )
Mute Swan   ( Cygnus olor )
Gadwall   ( Anas strepera )
Mallard   ( Anas platyrhynchos )
White Stork   ( Ciconia ciconia )
Grey Heron   ( Ardea cinerea )
Great Egret   ( Egretta alba )
Great Cormorant   ( Phalacrocorax carbo )
Black Kite   ( Milvus migrans )
Marsh Harrier   ( Circus aeruginosus )
Montagu's Harrier   ( Circus pygargus )
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 )
Common Cuckoo   ( Cuculus canorus )
Common Swift   ( Apus apus )
Bee-eater   ( Merops apiaster )
Great Spotted Woodpecker   ( Dendrocopos major )
Black Woodpecker   ( Dryocopus martius )
Green Woodpecker   ( Picus viridis )
Golden Oriole   ( Oriolus oriolus )
Common Magpie   ( Pica pica )
Jackdaw   ( Coloeus monedula )
Hooded Crow   ( Corvus cornix )
Raven   ( Corvus corax )
Great Tit   ( Parus major )
Blue Tit   ( Cyanistes caeruleus )
Common Skylark   ( Alauda arvensis )
Barn Swallow   ( Hirundo rustica )
House Martin   ( Delichon urbicum )
Long-tailed Tit   ( Aegithalos caudatus )
Chiffchaff   ( Phylloscopus collybita )
Wood Warbler   ( Phylloscopus sibilatrix )
Sedge Warbler   ( Acrocephalus schoenobaenus )
Blackcap   ( Sylvia atricapilla )
Lesser Whitethroat   ( Sylvia curruca )
Common Starling   ( Sturnus vulgaris )
Blackbird   ( Turdus merula )
Common Nightingale   ( Luscinia megarhynchos )
Black Redstart   ( Phoenicurus ochruros )
House Sparrow   ( Passer domesticus )
Tree Sparrow   ( Passer montanus )
White Wagtail   ( Motacilla alba )
Chaffinch   ( Fringilla coelebs )
Serin   ( Serinus serinus )
Greenfinch   ( Carduelis chloris )
Goldfinch   ( Carduelis carduelis )
Yellowhammer   ( Emberiza citrinella )