Zvezda & Alex 4th time: Just birdin'

[xelas]

This is our 4th year in a row, and this year we will took it in a more relaxed way then the BY2018 . However, the bird count for us has started right on January 1st! I am looking forward to see as many, if not more participants this year as they were around in the past one, which gave us plenty of fantastic photos and excellent descriptions from almost all corners of the globe. Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines!

Edited January 7, 2019 by xelas

[Dave Williams]

You can't help yourself Alex. In it to win it. 

I hope to make you sweat.

[xelas]

1 hour ago, Dave Williams said:

You can't help yourself Alex. In it to win it. 

 

For sure we will give our best - blood, sweat & tears !

Edited January 7, 2019 by xelas

[Galana]

On 1/7/2019 at 10:51 AM, xelas said:

However, the bird count for us has started right on January 1st

Am I missing something here? I see no photos and it is the 8th and almost dark!

 

20 hours ago, Dave Williams said:

I hope to make you sweat.

You are not alone.

I would say "Great start" but he hasn't. Probable too much choke in the Tipo.

[xelas]

3 hours ago, Galana said:

Am I missing something here? I see no photos and it is the 8th and almost dark!

Because I am on a busines trip in Vienna; Wednesday evening look here again -

3 hours ago, Galana said:

Probable too much choke in the Tipo.

This time it is a Jeep Renegade ... driven by my colleague 

[xelas]

Ljubljansko Barje

1-Jan-2019

 

 

BY 001 / SI 001

Hen Harrier - Circus cyaneus

 

 

BY 002 / SI 002

Common Buzzard - Buteo buteo

 

 

BY 003 / SI 003

Blue Tit (European) - Cyanistes caeruleus

 

 

BY 004 / SI 004

Marsh Tit - Poecile palustris

 

 

BY 005 / SI 005

Nuthatch (Eurasian) - Sitta europaea

female

 

male

 

Above Nuthatch couple must have a nest somewhere close, as what I think is a male is easy to identify due to its special "haircut", and thus spotted as a regular guest to our feeder.

 

Edited April 2, 2019 by xelas

[Tdgraves]

What a way to start the BY 2019 @xelas and with your own fair hand. We'll be expecting big things from you this year....

[Galana]

So he got the car started off the grid after all.

And with some great results.

[Zim Girl]

Marvellous Hen Harrier, great start @xelas

[Peter Connan]

Beautiful start Alex!

[Kitsafari]

all the tits and the nuthatches make me want to fly to europe!

Beautiful shots, @xelas

[Dave Williams]

I'm gobsmacked Alex... all your own images!! I've noticed this has been creeping in more and more over the last few months.

Time Zvezda cut you loose and made you stand alone while she has her own BY.. let's see if you can keep up with her as well!

 

Anyway, what a way to kick off with the Hen Harrier. Just to demonstrate how far you have progressed I'll post mine from the other day now too.

[xelas]

1 hour ago, Dave Williams said:

Time Zvezda cut you loose and made you stand alone while she has her own BY

 

Maybe next year ... but I think together we are a great team !

 

[xelas]

Ljubljansko Barje

2-Jan-2019

 

 

BY 006 / SI 006

Great Egret - Ardea alba

 

 

BY 007 / SI 007

Grey-headed Woodpecker - Picus canus

 

 

BY 008 / SI 008

Shoveler (Northern) - Anas clypeata

female

 

 

BY 009 / SI 009

Mallard - Anas platyrhynchos

male

 

 

BY 010 / SI 010

Collared Dove (Eurasian) - Streptopelia decaocto

 

 

[Dave Williams]

6 minutes ago, xelas said:

 

Maybe next year ... but I think together we are a great team !

 

 

You certainly are and you are lucky to have a partner who fully engages the same hobby!!!

[Dave Williams]

Taking on one Hare is bad enough, two and no wonder I eat dust!

 

[xelas]

Birding in January can not be that much fun, cold and snow anetc. But this year all the snow has fallen in Austria and south of Germany, and we have it none, and this Saturday has decent weather so I decided to try my luck with browsing for the water birds along the Kamniška Bistrica river. 

 

However, as soon as I have stepped out of our house, there was this bird waiting for me. Does not happens often that I needed to walk away as I was too close to the bird (MFC is not the best on 200-500 zoom).

 

Ljubljansko Barje

12-Jan-2019

 

BY 011 / SI 011

Blackbird (Common) - Turdus merula

[michael-ibk]

Some great birds already Alex, but I bet Zvezda will be cross with you for stealing her camera all the time! I´m jealous about the Bussard (which hates me), and really like the Shoveler. Are these your garden feeders in the first posts? Grey-Headed Woodpecker is an excellent bird to get around home!

[xelas]

After dropping Zvezda at her office (yes, photographing in cold winter day is not her idea of having fun, @michael-ibk) I drove to Domžale. As said, mainly for birds that likes to hang around running water.

 

 

Kamniška Bistrica
12-Jan-2019

 

BY 012 / SI 012

Grey Heron - Ardea cinerea

 

 

BY 013 / SI 013

Goosander - Mergus merganser

 

male

 

 

female

 

 

BY 014 / SI 014

Dipper (White-throated) - Cinclus cinclus

 

 

BY 015 / SI 015

Coot  (Eurasian) - Fulica atra

 

 

BY 016 / SI 016

Kingfisher (Common) - Alcedo atthis

 

 

In the bushes and trees that lines the river bank I was hoping to find a Bullfinch; not this time around. Still, two nice birds to add to the count.

 

BY 017 / SI 017

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker - Dendrocopos minor

 

 

BY 018 / SI 018

Jay (Eurasian) - Garrulus glandarius

 

 

All-in-all, not bad for 2 1/2 hours of slow walking. Only next time I need to bring the hat and the gloves .

 

 

 

Edited January 12, 2019 by xelas

[xelas]

19 minutes ago, michael-ibk said:

Are these your garden feeders in the first posts?

 

Yes, that is the feeder in our garden. Birds in my second post were all found within easy walking distance from our house.

[PeterHG]

10 minutes ago, xelas said:

All-in-all, not bad

What do you mean, "not bad"? Goosander, Dipper, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, it's a good thing for us, you didn't take you gloves with you or you could have stayed longer and we could just as well give up for this year...

[mvecht]

@xelas  I am jealous  I was out today but it was raining most of the time. The Dipper was not at its usual place and the Kingfisher was just a distant blue lightning. I see Jay almost everyday but only a glimpse. They will not even let me close enough for an EBC.

@michael-ibk  if you want to see Buzzard you should come to Denmark. A one hour drive by car in the winter time will typically give you 5-10 Buzzards.

My record for migration was 1700 in a day!

[michael-ibk]

@mvecht

 

I see quite a lot of Buzzards here as well (daily in fact) but they all hate me, I´ve never managed to get close enough to them for a really satisfying shot.

[xelas]

Patience, @michael-ibk, patience ... and maybe a visit to Slovenia over one of the weekends ?!

[Galana]

A great start. Are you the same guy who I met last year and who was very keen to see a Dipper?

Now you find one just near home. Patience indeed.