mvecht`s Big Year

[mvecht]

@pedro maia    Hi Pedro,

I live in the outskirts of a town with 20,000 people. The house has about 12 acres of land, mainly grass fields and borders a small forest and a fairly large lake, so plenty of room for both birds and animals.

[mvecht]

it is fairly quiet around here as we are waiting for the migrants to arrive.

A trip to the local lake provided a first for me. Hooded Crow picking up bread from the surface of the lake!

Also I had this unusual looking female Blackbird from the sofa.

[michael-ibk]

Can´t get over the awesomeness of your Hawfinches, how cool to see this stunning bird like this. Only ever got distant glimpses of them.

[mvecht]

@michael-ibk  Hi Michael, this is the fun bit about BY. We all live in different areas and get to see different birds. Last year you had a Wallcreeper which is a species I have wanted to see since childhood!

[Kitsafari]

how did i miss your eagle series? awesome capture and sighting. 

[mvecht]

I had this unusual looking Pheasant today. Unfortunately never with a clear view.

Does anybody know which subspecies this could be?

 

Based on @inyathi

reply below and checking on the internet I have edited from Common Pheasant to Reeve`s Pheasant

#70 Reeve`s Pheasant (Syrmaticus reveesii)  Kaershovedgaard, Denmark

Edited April 20, 2019 by mvecht

[inyathi]

@mvecht I'm not 100% certain, I think it could perhaps be a female Reeve's pheasant (Syrmaticus reevesii) I'm not certain because, I'm not sure if I've ever seen one, I know I've definitely never seen a wild one, but I might have seen one in zoo in the past. It is naturally a Chinese endemic, but has certainly been introduced to the UK and France, so maybe there are a few in Denmark as well, that I don't know, but I wouldn't be too surprised if there are, I'm sure you could find out.

[mvecht]

@inyathi  I dont have any experience with this race but yes some hunters have released them in Denmark. The bird I saw was fairly large.

It was also extrmely confident. When I first saw it I had the camera in the car 50 m`s away. I walked to the car with the Pheasant walking along less than 2 meters from me. Only when I got the camera did it get shy and disappeared in the undergrowth.

Edited April 20, 2019 by mvecht

[inyathi]

Wikipedia states that a hen Reeve's pheasant is about the same size as common pheasant cock, so if that is what it is, it would be fairly large, I suggested it really, because think your bird resembles some of the photos of Reeve's hens I've found online, as you have said that there are some in Denmark, I think a female Reeve's is the best fit, the large size and the face markings point that way, I have a lot of common pheasants where I am, so I'm confident it isn't a common pheasant hen. The male is a spectacular bird, with a very long tail and is pretty unmistakable, perhaps you'll get lucky and spot a male, if there are some around, it would be nice to see, even if it is an alien species.  

[mvecht]

@inyathi  I have changed my post above as I am now confident that it is Reeve`s Pheasant.

I will report locally and submit the photo, so we will see if the local specialists agree. It would be nice to see the male but I am sure that the purists in the local birding society dont agree.

[mvecht]

One more from the sofa.

I am afraid that the sofa will not be producing too much for the coming months, so something different planned for next weekend. More about that later.

#71 Willow Warbler (phylloscopus trochilus)

[michael-ibk]

Sure that's a Willow Warbler? 

[mvecht]

@michael-ibk

hi Michael. I am not 100% sure. The very light colours are confusing me a little. Unfortunately no sounds. The bird is already gone and was probably a migrant. The Willow warblers are arriving just now. The chiffchaffs have been around for a while and I have not heard any close to the house. Anyhow the chiffchaffs I see in Denmark are typically much darker. Which bird do you think it is?

[Galana]

Mon brave!

[mvecht]

A trip to the local Skanderbor Lake, Denmark

gave the first Swallow of the year.

#72 Barn swallow (Hirundus rustica)  not an easy BIF!

#73 Common reed bunting (Emberiza schoeniclus)

[michael-ibk]

21 hours ago, mvecht said:

Which bird do you think it is?

 

Well, I would have said Chiffchaff, our Willows tend to be a bit more colourful than that, but then I read that birds in "Northern Europe" are pretty dull in spring. But your bird also seems to have dark legs which would point towards Chiffchaff.

[mvecht]

@michael-ibk   Dark legs are an indicator, but even here there is variation. Unfortunately I did not hear the bird sing which of course would have ensured the identification.

I will still argue that I would expect the Chiffchaff to be more contrasting in colour. Anyhow both species are very common around here and I promise that both species will be shown during this BY  

Anyhow, thank you for challenging the sighting.

 

[Treepol]

@mvecht beautiful finches, thanks for sharing.

[mvecht]

I mentioned in an earlier post that the sofa was not being very productive.

Today I got out of the sofa and visited Hula Valley, Gamla Nature Reserve and Bet SHean Fishponds in Northern Israel.

All areas were very interesting but at Hula many of the birds were too far away even for EBC`s!

I am on a business trip so it will take some time to sort all the pictures.

#74 Whitethroated Kingfisher (Halcyon Smyrnensis) was seen many times at both Hula and Bet Shean. This picture is from Bet Shean 27 April 2019.

#75 Rose-ringed Parakeete (Psittacula  Krameri) was seen at all places and are abundant also close to my hotel in Tel Aviv.

Edited April 27, 2019 by mvecht

[mvecht]

This morning there was time for a short session in the Leumi Park very close to the hotel

28 April Leumi Park, Ramat Gan, Israel

#76 Egyptian Goose (Alopochen aegyptiaca)

#77 Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus)

#78 Common Myna  (Acridotheres tristis)

[mvecht]

This morning I went back to the local park

Park Leumi, Ramat Gan, Israel, 29 April

White Egreta are abundant in the park

#79 Little Egret (Egretta garzetta)

S

#80 Spur-winged Lapwing (Vanellus spinosus) were seen in all visited locations in high numbers.

previously I have shown a poor Iphone picture of a House Sparrow. The House Sparrow is seen in most locations in Israel in high numbers.

[mvecht]

Unfortunately it is hard to do such a trip without also having to resort to EBC`s

Hula Valley 27 April

#81 Red-rumped Swallow (Cecropis daurica)

#82 Purple Heron (Ardea purpurea)

#

# 83 Black-winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus)

Gamla Nature Reserve 27 April

#84 Alpine Swift (Tachymarptis melba)

#

#85 Little Swift (Apus affinis)

[mvecht]

27 April Gamla Nature Reserve

#86 White-spectacled bulbul (Pycnonotus xanthopygos) is fairly common in Israel.

#87 Chukar (Alectoris chukar)

#88 Corn Bunting (Emberiza calandra)

#89 Crested Lark (Galerida cristata) was abundant in Hula and Bet Shean

[mvecht]

27 April Bet Shean Fishponds

The Fish ponds attracts a lot of birds but the roads are very narrow and it is sometimes very difficult to take pictures if you are in the wrong side of the car.

First shot was through a very dirty frontwindow of the car but there were no other options.

#90 Common Snipe  (Gallinago gallinago)

I did not do much better for the next bird

#91 Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos)

# 92 White Stork (Ciconia ciconia)

Seen in large numbers throughout the day.

#93 was a pleasant surprise Black Stork (Ciconia nigra)

[Dave Williams]

That Glossy Ibis is an absolute peach!