Zvezda & Alex Big Year 2016 - first attempt

[xyz99]

Buzzard or not, common or not, I would be happy to see him (her?) and get that kind of pictures

[PeterHG]

@@xelas,

I wouldn't want it to be a Buzzard either, but I'm afraid I'm siding with the Buteo voters. We'd better decide beforehand what majority is needed for the Goshawk exit, though:)

[PeterHG]

The reasons have been stated before: the head, the eyes (perhaps most of all) are moe buzzard-like than goshawk. Also the rufous colouring of the chest. I agree with the others, though, great set op photos!

(And now, of course, you are going to prove us all wrong by showing the photos of the parents....)

Edited June 29, 2016 by PeterHG

[xelas]

I love you all, my birding friends ! And now I love also my beautiful Buteo buteo ! It is not about the number of species but in enjoyment and sharing knowledge and in having fun !!

[Galana]

Wise words. That's what makes birding so much fun. It's a bloody good set of photos and who really cares whether it was a House Sparrow or Tengmalm's Owl?? I would be proud to get photos like that.

[xelas]

@@Galana

 

A little bird told me Hebrides are excellent place for a schnellkurs in bird photography .

[Galana]

I overheard that too. Here it is being discussed by the Tutors.

 

 

But the wiser birds suggest you take more time.....(and get those telephone wires out of the background.)

 

 

 

Pardon the interruption. It is your post.

[xelas]

I always appreciate great photos of good looking birds, @@Galana !

 

As one point was deducted with majority voye here is one bird that, according to many fishermen across Europe, and surely those living in Kopačevo, do not deserve any publicity! There are over 2000 specimen nesting, eating and shitting in the quite narrow area of Kiopački Rit. Each consume 0,5 - 1 kg of fish ... per day. They move from one spot to another because they just kill the tree where they are hanging out.

 

 

175. Cormorant - Phalacrocorax carbo - Veliki kormoran

 

 

A tree condemned to death

18/06/16 - Kopački Rit

 

 

The juvenile has white chest

18/06/16 - Kopački Rit

 

They are very sociable birds

19/06/16 - Kopački Rit

 

They look great both in the water ...

19/06/16 - Kopački Rit

 

... as above the water

19/06/16 - Kopački Rit

[Atdahl]

@@xelas, beautiful cormorant shots!

[xelas]

With bird #175 I have exhausted my existing bird's database and from now on (or at least till September ) I don't have high hopes on many new birds.

 

To keep me and you "linked" and interested, I will show a couple of already posted birds, but being photographed, much better, by Zvezda in Kopački Rit. I hope you don't mind and is allowed under the rules of Big Year .

 

I will start with one that surprised @@Peter Connan when I have found it in Slovenia:

 

 

 

Male Red-backed Shrike

18/06/16 - Kopački Rit

 

 

Female Red-backed Shrike

19/06/16 - Kopački Rit

Edited June 30, 2016 by xelas

[Galana]

Plenty more birds in Slovenia and then there is Sri Lanka?

Good to so those you have captured so now go out and get more.

[xelas]

Not much birding is on the menu this weekend, and next week etc, and as I will not have time to post a separate trip report about Kopački Rit, some more photos from there. No subtitles needed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[xelas]

Back on track again. But it looks like this month will be a slow one . Some due to business trip some due to heat wave.

 

Visitin friends in Vipavska dolina, I was able to capture one only new species.

 

 

 

176. Clin Bunting - Emberiza cirlus - Plotni strnad

 

 

[Galana]

To avoid confusion the English name is "Cirl Bunting." Zaunhammer in Deutsch.

 

Nice bird.

[xelas]

Thank you for correcting my mistake (or was it mine??), @@Galana !

 

Or I have been already half asleep after the lunch, or it was an Autocorrect dwarf in action! At least the Latin and the Slovenian part of the name is correct (not that the later is of much use to others than me ).

Probably the "half asleep" is the correct answer, as I have also forgot to add the place and the date.

 

09/07/16 - Vipavska dolina

[Galana]

(or was it mine??),

 

Well I would guess it was your computer and the dreaded 'autofill'.

Or the glass of wine you had with sunday lunch?

[xelas]

The wine surely not, I have added some ice to cool it down (white wine not from fridge). But it might be that glass of Jura, just at the right temperature (no ice goes in that one)?! Definitively the best whisky I have tasted.

[Galana]

So you have some redeeming habits after all? A man who does not put ice in his Scotch can't be all bad!

[xelas]

No ice but a shot of water yes. Learned while having a couple of minutes free with a bartender in one of the whisky places we have visited in Scotland.

A story: when the man (probably your age group) has found out I am genuinely interested in whisky, he puts the "taste it for free" bottle down, and pull out one from below the counter, then he poured a glass for himself and for me!

Not much words were exchange while we have enjoyed the uisge beatha. With water.

Edited July 11, 2016 by xelas

[Galana]

It gets better but don't tell EVERYONE the tricks of the trade! With water is fine. It brings out the tangs.

I have a fair selection of Single malts and some cooking whisky at home. When 'new' guests call I ask what mixer they want, Orange**, Ginger, soda, tonic, Ice or just water? Guess what bottle gets brought out for the first five options!

 

**Can you imagine that??

Better get back to birding.

[xelas]

While this weekend we should enjoy hot coffee, sweet cake and fresh air, and probably also snapping some high altitude birds, reasons beyond our control forced us to postpone this time.

Thus I was back to my usual "hunting grounds". All same usual suspects but this one, a very rare sighting indeed. My first one was about 8 years ago, far away and only a yellow speck on the sensor. The second one only two weeks ago in Kopački Rit; one was sitting on the pole ... only to fly away before the camera was ready. This time I was lucky. Still far away and heavy cropping however here it is, in its Full Yellow Jacket:

 

 

177. Golden Oriole - Oriolus oriolus - Kobilar

 

17/07/16 - Barje

 

17/07/16 - Barje

 

17/07/16 - Barje

Edited July 17, 2016 by xelas

[Galana]

Well done. Always a nice bird to see. (Even better to photograph!)

[PeterHG]

Great catch, @@xelas! In spite of their bright yellow colour they rarely allow themselves to be spotted, let alone be photographed!

[xelas]

Slowly, one -by-one I am adding species to the bird's collection from Slovenia!

 

 

178. Spotted Flycatcher - Muscicapa striata - Sivi muhar

 

 

17/07/16 - Barje

 

17/07/16 - barje

[xelas]

Finally I had time to put all of the birds on a spreadsheet and there I have found that 2 birds were posted twice; Montague's Harrier from Kgalagadi and Ljubljansko Barje, and Spotted Flycatcher from Kopački Rit and Ljubljansko Barje.

I am officially resetting my count to 175. Sorry, it won't happen again!