Michael´s Fourth Year

[michael-ibk]

370/E143.) Little Tern (Sternula albifrons) / Zwergseeschwalbe

 

Apparently pretty common in the Tagus area. Like most other white terns, the little tern feeds by plunge-diving for fish, usually from saline environments. The offering of fish by the male to the female is part of the courtship display.

 

 

Which concludes my Portugal section (for now, still have some even more ebcy ebcs on my harddrive waiting to be let out at the end of the year if I can´t get better ones). A remarkably good birding area, and I hope to spend more time there in the future. After all, someone needs to point Pedro to that Little Owl. ;-)

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

And to finally conclude my desperate catch-up run the latest chapter of my Big Year - Lake Constance, last Saturday. Which is very short since it only consists of two birds. Lake Constance is one of Austria´s birding hotspots and I normally manage to find some good species there. Among other things, it is my most reliable place for Bearded Reedlings. This year, however, pretty much the only thing it got me was a terrible cold which even resulted in me totally losing my voice for two days - my colleagues rejoiced! It was raining, it was cold, it was windy,  it was really a stupid idea to go out at all.

 

371/E144.) Common Tern (Sterna hirundo) / Flussseeschwalbe

 

The Common Tern is nearly extinct in Austria because of river regulations and is dependent on artificial nests.  Which work very well at Lake Constance, the species has recovered from about 70 to more than 300 breeding pairs since the 90ies.

 

 

372/E145.) Common Merganser (Mergus merganser) / Gänsesäger

 

Like Cormorants Merganser are not very popular birds in Austria and fishermen are often lobbying to get rid of them. Lake Constance is one of their main strongholds.

 

 

 

Edited June 1, 2019 by michael-ibk

[pedro maia]

Not a bad score for your short stay down here, you have to come back, although I hope by then I have seen the owlet .

 

Today it was very good at the Leziria, in spite of the heat.

 

By the way, never heard of that Scaly-Breasted Munia, have to look for it, where did you see it?

[michael-ibk]

At the roundabout where the Little Owl is.

[Kitsafari]

You're powering ahead and edging closer the 400, and it's not even half year yet!

 

Great stuff from Portugal and hope your voice returns in full (your colleagues will despair!)

[PeterHG]

Good stuff from Portugal! Strange to see exotic birds like Waxbills, Weavers and Munias in a European country. I do hope you have recovered from the after-effects of your Lake Constance trip. 

[TonyQ]

Great sightings (and photos!) from Portugal - a very productive visit. Good to see you meeting even more Safaritalkers!

[Dave Williams]

Caught up at last. Some excellent birds and images. I didn't realise the Iberian magpie had come in to existence , it was Azure -winged when I saw one in 2017!

[michael-ibk]

Due to an injury I haven´t had a very active spring/summer. Very little hiking especially so I´m far behind on my alpine birds - shame on me. But at least managed to get two new ones when @Zim Girl and her partner Adrian were paying us a visit - for a very enjoyable and fun weekend.

 

373/E146.) Spotted Nutcracker (Nucifraga caryocatactes) / Tannenhäher

 

Stubaital, 23/6. You have seen exactly this bird already in Zim Girl´s thread. A popular species for visiting birders since many European countries do not have it. In the Alps it´s one of the fairly easy ones. Taken with my old Powershot camera.

 

 

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

374/E147.) European aka White-Throated Dipper (Cinclus cinclus) / Wasseramsel

 

Stubaital, 23/6. One of my favourites, and I especially regretted not having my DSLR with me for this one. Rarely have seen a Dipper this close. This is Norway´s national bird. A sturdy species which normally even holds on to its alpine territories in winter. Only if everything is frozen they are forced to migrate to lower altitudes.

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

375/E148.) Alpine Swift (Tachymarptis or Apus melba) / Alpensegler

 

Sofia, Bulgaria, 4/6. Travelling for work always does wonders for a Big Year. I "had to" spend this week in Sofia, and used the weekend before that to do some birding in the South of the country. This one, however, was taken straight from the hotel balcony in the very centre of Sofia. Alpine Swifts (and Pallids for that matter) are very common in the capital. Not really "alpine" birds at all, they are much more at home in the Mediterranean, and only very few colonies are known from the European Alps.

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

376/E149.) Long-Legged Buzzard (Buteo rufinus) /Adlerbussard

 

South of Sofia, 29/6. A very handsome Buzzard, comes in quite a few different morphs but this one is probably the "classic" - more rufous than its close cousin, the Common Buzzard, and quite a bit larger. Found in dry plain areas and favours open and uncultivated habitats. Bulgaria still has many of those, unlike my own country, where every parcel of land is used for something.

 

 

The area (mobile photo):

 

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

377/E150.) Eastern Olivaceous Warbler (Iduna pallida) / Blassspötter

 

Same area, 29/6. A very dull bird, the German name even translates to "Dull Warbler". But a lifer for me so we spent considerable time and effort to get a shot. A skulker, hesitant to come out, especially now in summer. Resembles a very pale Reed Warbler.

 

[michael-ibk]

378/E151.) Isabelline Wheatear (Oenanthe isabella) / Isabellsteinschmätzer

 

Same time and area. There was an abandoned quarry at this (really good birding) spot, and that´s always a good place to find Wheatears. The term isabelline refers to the parchment-like colouration. Very similar to female Northern Wheatears but the supercilium is also white from bill to eye. A mostly Central Asian breeder, they reach their westernmost distribution parts in Eastern Europe. I´ve also seen it in Kenya a couple of times.

 

 

This one had me puzzled a bit, it seemed somewhat different to my familiar Northern Wheatears and I hoped it could be a wildly-moulting (pale-chinned) Black-Eared Wheatear. But probably just a Northern.

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

379/E152.) Calandra Lark (Melanocorypha calandra) / Kalanderlerche

 

Same time and area. A drastic ebc but there´s zero chance I will see this bird again this year. Quite distinctive (for a Lark) with its black patches. Generally a tricky one to see once the grass is no longer short. Formerly a popular cagebird in its area.

 

 

To make up for the brutal ebcness one more Lark - Cresteds were very common in the area.

 

 

And a Skylark - a somewhat better picture than my Portuguese addition:

 

[michael-ibk]

380/E153.) Black-Headed Bunting (Emberiza melanocephala) / Kappenammer

 

Same time and area. One of my main targets, so I was delighted we found it within minutes. Another mainly Asian species which just about has a few breeding areas in Eastern Europe. A migrant - but one of those who don´t fancy Africa. Most of them travel to India, some birds make it as far as Singapore apparently. Ever seen it there, @Kitsafari?

 

 

And a Cirl Bunting (already in the count but only the female) - different area though, this is from the Eastern Rhodopian mountains where it´s common.

 

 

Edited July 7, 2019 by michael-ibk

[michael-ibk]

381/E154.) Short-Toed Snake Eagle (Circaetus gallicus) / Schlangenadler

 

Same time and area. The only Snake Eagle found in Europe. Quite common in the Southern countries. Not because they are particularly dependent on warmth - they are even found in the Baltics. But they need uncultivated open areas, not something there is a lot left of in Middle Europe. Still, one or two have been popping up regularly in Austria in recent summers. This is a juvenile bird, the adults are much more marked.

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

382/E155.) Sombre Tit (Poecile lugubris) / Balkanmeise

 

Moving on further South now, to the Rhodopian mountains of Bulgaria.  A mountain range in Southeastern Europe, with over 83% of its area in southern Bulgaria and the remainder in Greece. Golyam Perelik is its highest peak at 2,191 meters (7,188 ft). In Greek mythology, Queen Rhodope of Thrace, the wife of King Haemus of Thrace, offended the gods, and was changed into a mountain by Zeus and Hera as a punishment along with her husband. We first visited the Western part which is actually pretty similiar to Austria - very lush and green, lots of little creeks, pine forests, rocky cliffs. So a lot of identical species, Nutcracker for example. Sombre Tit, however, is an Eastern Europe specialty. A pretty localised bird, mainly found in Greece, Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey. But a smaller population is also around a bit more West - @xelas, you seem to have them even in Slovenia!

 

 

 

Edited July 7, 2019 by michael-ibk

[michael-ibk]

383/E156.) European Hobby (Falco subbuteo) / Baumfalke

 

Western Rhodopian Mountains, Bulgaria, 29/6. Somewhat surprising to find this Falcon up here in a pine forest, they are much more associated with water and decidous trees normally. A raptor with a huge breeding range, from Iberia all the way to Japan! Unfortunately it was hunting straight in front of the sun here.

 

Edited July 7, 2019 by michael-ibk

[michael-ibk]

384/E157.) Eurasian Jay (Garrulus glandarius) / Eichelhäher

 

Same time and area. A bit ashamed to feature a Bulgarian version of this bird. Common enough in Austria but very shy (since hunted and persecuted) and I always find it very tricky to get a picture.

 

[michael-ibk]

385/E158.) Red-Rumped Swallow (Cecropis daurica) / Rötelschwalbe

 

Same time and area. Another basically Southern European species. But just like the Hobby a huge range, again from Portugal to Japan. A winner of climate change, gradually expanding its range more to the North. A couple of them were collecting feathers, I can only assume for a second brood.

 

[michael-ibk]

386/E159.) Black Woodpecker (Dryocopus martius) / Schwarzspecht

 

Same time and area. By far the largest European Woodpecker. Require mature trees and a fair amount of dead wood for breeding. A bit of a nemesis bird of mine, it´s regularly seen in "my" forests but somehow I always miss them. We had a top sighting when @Zim Girl was visiting but could not get a picture. This one was also not cooperating too much but at least I could snatch a few in flight - unfortunately it never really showed its attractive red cap.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 7, 2019 by michael-ibk

[michael-ibk]

387/E160.) Firecrest (Regulus ignicapilla) / Sommergoldhähnchen

 

Same time and area. Much trickier to find here in Austria than its Goldcrest cousin but quite common in the Rhodopian mountains. This area is also good for some specialties like Hazel Grouse (fair chance) and Corncrake - we heard a lot of them but this late in summer there´s little chance they will ever emerge from the grass.

 

Edited July 7, 2019 by michael-ibk

[michael-ibk]

388/E161.) Common Whitethroat (Sylvia communis) / Dorngrasmücke

 

Raven, Bulgaria, 30/6. We left for the Eastern side the next day. The mountains are a mighty weathershed so that area is very different - dry, arid and Mediterranean. This very different habitat also results in a lot of different birds living there. We stopped for this singing Whitethroat on the road - not much traffic in this part of Bulgaria. Most people gravitate towards the cities, and even more, especially the well-educated leave the country for the West. A lot of "ghost villages" in the remote areas with only a few old people still living there.

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

389/E162.) Eurasian Golden Oriole (Oriolus Oriolus) / Pirol

 

Zornitsa, Kardzahli Province, Bulgaria, 30/6. I really hate Orioles. It should be easy to get a good picture of a shiny Golden very vocal bird which is not uncommon in suitable habitats. But fourth year in a row I am failing.