Birding on 3 continents

[Peter Connan]

Lovely!

[xelas]

DOPPS has ruled out LBBG as being a YLG (so many acronyms ). Good catch, @Tdgraves.  I am posting a new bird instead:

 

 

BY 356 / EU 103

Whooper Swan - Cygnus cygnus

Valle Canal Novo, 20.05.2018

[xelas]

We went looking for another misidentified bird on Saturday. I know that there is a colony of Common Terns on river Drava near Ptuj. When we have arrived there (already late) dark clouds and intense shower effectively canceled any chances of a decent photo. Yet Terns were there. So we went checking out one more birding location I have learned about, water reservoir Medvedce. Lovely place, but again we were late for more birds or better light. Yet we got one new bird .

 

BY 358 / EU 105

Black Tern - Chlidonias niger

 

Medvedce, 19.05.2015

[xelas]

On Sunday we have tried our luck at Škocjanski Zatok again. First we saw Little Tern. Then also his bigger cousin . More photos because we have also tried more to get them .

 

BY 359 / EU 106

Common Tern - Sterna hirundo

 

 

Škocjanski Zatok, 20.05.2018

 

Edited May 25, 2018 by xelas

[xelas]

Up in the air quick snaps resulted in identifiable photos; as I am not sure of another occasion this year, better to post these.

 

BY 360 / EU 107

Spoonbill (European) - Platalea leucorodia

 

Škocjanski Zatok, 20.05.2018

Edited May 25, 2018 by xelas

[xelas]

Last one was also an unexpected catch. It was already late, and while waiting for Tanja to end her guiding day we made another walking around the property. There we saw this hunter.

 

BY 361 / EU 108

Squacco Heron - Ardeola ralloides

 

Škocjanski Zatok, 20.05.2018

[Dave Williams]

Moving along nicely Alex. 400 almost in sight now!

[Peter Connan]

Lovely pose from that Squacco!

[xelas]

15 hours ago, Dave Williams said:

Moving along nicely Alex. 400 almost in sight now!

 

Almost ... but still so far ...

[xelas]

5 hours ago, Peter Connan said:

Lovely pose from that Squacco!

 

Squacco was hunting; we saw him today again but furter away.

[PeterHG]

Agree on the Squacco. Great pose and angle!

[xelas]

Finding new birds is becoming tougher with each day. BIF are more frequent now that perching birds are rarer to be found.

 

BY 362 / EU 109

Swift (Common) - Apus apus

 

 

Škocjanski Zatok, 25.05.2018

[xelas]

And some obvious targets that were neglected before.

 

BY 363 / EU 110

Magpie (Common) - Pica pica

Škocjanski Zatok, 25.05.2018

[TonyQ]

You did really well with the swifts - really difficult I find!

[xelas]

12 hours ago, TonyQ said:

You did really well with the swifts - really difficult I find!

 

Thanks! With Terns the previous weekend, and this weekend with Swifts and Martins we have had good training on BIF. Although the D7200 is behind D500 for BIF autofocus, applying the proper strategy one can get some decent frames. Most important is to prefocus on a bird when it is still at some distance away, then keep it in the viewfinder simultaneously keeping your thumb on back-button AF-On. The 21 points in AF-C (these is all Nikon terminology) and the bird that will hopefully flying towards you will do the rest. Plenty of photos to be deleted back home but as in my case, a couple of them will be usable.

[Dave Williams]

41 minutes ago, xelas said:

 

Thanks! With Terns the previous weekend, and this weekend with Swifts and Martins we have had good training on BIF. Although the D7200 is behind D500 for BIF autofocus, applying the proper strategy one can get some decent frames. Most important is to prefocus on a bird when it is still at some distance away, then keep it in the viewfinder simultaneously keeping your thumb on back-button AF-On. The 21 points in AF-C (these is all Nikon terminology) and the bird that will hopefully flying towards you will do the rest. Plenty of photos to be deleted back home but as in my case, a couple of them will be usable.

That's what I do too Alex. 

It's a fast route to 1) wearing out your shutter 2) going slightly mad.

I usually give up when levels of frustration become intolerable!

[xelas]

4 minutes ago, Dave Williams said:

It's a fast route to 1) wearing out your shutter 2) going slightly mad.

 

Wearing out D7200 shutter does not worries me .... there is always a better body to be acquired (but you know this already ).

 

It could be more demanding if not handholding a relatively light combo; with 1DX and 500 mm I would probably stick tot he perched birds ... with tripod .

[xelas]

BY 364 / EU 111

House Martin - Delichon urbicum

 

 

Cerkniško jezero, 25.05.2018

[xelas]

With Pipit we have reached 1 bird/day target. In 2016 that target was achieved in October, and in 2017 only in December!!

 

BY 365 / EU 112

Tree Pipit - Anthus trivialis

 

Cerkniško jezero, 25.05.2018

 

Above birds, being on a tree, are undoubtedly Tree Pipits. However, below one was found in a meadow, and it does look slightly different. Could it be a Meadow Pipit?

 

Cerkniško jezero, 25.05.2018

Edited May 28, 2018 by xelas

[Dave Williams]

Excellent progress Alex, must admit I have lost my drive for the time being. Should pick up again soon!

[xelas]

Dave, I have no doubts you will show us many excellent photos of new birds! Your Estonia collection is to be admired .

[xelas]

Going through photos and through database to find new birds, sometimes you win sometime you lost. This time it was a lost + win situation: I have found a new bird among photos but also a double posted entry in the database.

Osprey in Hungary vs. Western Osprey in South Africa but both are Pandion haliaetus. Therefore Hungarian Osprey one must go away, and Tree Pipit must give way to a new bird to become #365 in Big Year 2018.

 

BY 365 / EU 112

Reed Warbler - Acrocephalus scirpaceus

Škocjanski Zatok, 26.05.2018

[Peter Connan]

On 5/28/2018 at 6:08 PM, xelas said:

With Pipit we have reached 1 bird/day target.

 

 

Alex, you owe us 1/4 of a bird...

[xelas]

2 minutes ago, Peter Connan said:

 

Alex, you owe us 1/4 of a bird...

 

Tell me which and I will send them to you 

[Peter Connan]