mvecht`s Big Year

[Galana]

You have a great garden. I would never want to go to work!

[mvecht]

@Galana  That is why I work from home

[mvecht]

Weather has not been great lately but I got a chance to get out at lunchtime today.

Skanderborg, Denmark 7 February.

#49 Longtailed Tit (Aegithalos caudatus)

Not the greatest shot but I only got one opportunity.

I had not seen Coal Tits for a long time but today I had a flock of about 20. Some of them are now starting to feed on the terrace but they are very skittish

#50 Coal Tit (Periparus ater)

Just a bonus shot to make @Galana green. May we have a picture please

Two Bullfinches in the garden. Actually three but the female never showed up at the same time as the males.

[TonyQ]

Well done on reaching 50!

[Peter Connan]

50 already! Well done!

[Galana]

Another one on his half century. Well done.

9 hours ago, mvecht said:

Just a bonus shot to make @Galana green. May we have a picture please

As you asked so I comply.

[mvecht]

A few addittions from the garden today

#51 Woodpigeon (Columba Palumbus)

 

#52 Eurasian Siskin - male (Spinus spinus)

This is actually the first one I have seen this winter. Normally we have 5-10 feeding on the terrace.

PS please remind me to clean the living room windows 

[mvecht]

Today was a beautiful day in Denmark with blue skies .

We spotted 3 Red Kites from the car but by the time I managed to park, get out of the car etc they were a bit distant.

Red Kites are getting more common but I usually only see one at a time.

15 February, Voervadsbro, Denmark

#53 Red Kite (Milvus milvus)

[mvecht]

We tried a different lake today.

Bygholm Lake, Denmark. 17 February.

#54 Common Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna )

#55  Grear Crested Grebe (Podiceps cristatus)

I had actually expected this to be one of the first birds on my list. We have multiple pairs at our local lake but they have been hiding.

He was taking a lot of interest in her, but she was not quite ready yet.

[mvecht]

Nuthatch was one bird I would have expected in my first 15 birds but it has been eluding me although I have frequently heard it.

Today I had success close to home.

#56 Eurasian Nuthatch (Sitta Europaea caesia)

In Denmark we have two subspecies caesia and europaea which can be told apart by the latter having a light coloured belly and the caesia being much darker. Where I live we get the caesia and further east you would find the europaea.

First a shot in a tree where it did the usual trick of climbing down the trunk of the tree head down and the second shot on the ground which is something I have not seen too often.

[Peter Connan]

What stunning shots of the Nuthatch!

[Dave Williams]

Agreed , excellent captures.

[mvecht]

No new species today but had a Greenfinch that I would like to share with you as it is abnormally big.

Unfortunately no side by side shots with other Greenfinches but I did see it next to other Greenfinches briefly a few times. It appears to be almost 50% bigger in bulk.

Does anybody else have experience with abnormally big examples of other bird species?

@Galana  we now have at least 8 Bullfinches feeding. Typically taking turns 4 and 4. The males are turning redder and redder as spring approaches. Here it is a fairly common bird

Edited February 22, 2019 by mvecht

[Galana]

Certainly an odd Greenfinch. Could this be some sort of hybrid?

[mvecht]

#57 Brambling (Fringilla Montifringilla)

This is normally a common visitor on our terrace, but this is the first I have seen this year, so I had to accept that the subject was backlit from a rising Sun.

[PeterHG]

I continue to be amazed at your garden birds!

 

[mvecht]

The Brambling came back and I got some better shots.

 

but not quite 2 million Bramblings as @xelas  is reporting from Slovenia 

 

Edited February 27, 2019 by mvecht

[xelas]

Bramblings must have read that famous graffiti: "Been here, gone to Maui" (not literally).

[mvecht]

Todays bird is very attracted to the bird feeding area and swoops by several times per day. However it rarely stops.

Today I got a rare opportunity as it sat down for a few seconds allowing me some EBC shots, however no time for any camera setting adjustments.

#58  Female Eurasian Sparrowhawk (Accipiter Nisus) another sofa shot 

[Galana]

How much will you sell me that Sofa for??

[mvecht]

@Galana it is priceless

[Galana]

5 hours ago, mvecht said:

@Galana it is priceless

The very word I would have chosen myself.

[mvecht]

After a very slow period with bad weather and a business trip to Finalnd that did not produce any new sightings, I was off to Philadelphia.

As I would be busy working the entire time I did not bring a camera as I was not expecting to get to see anything new. Philadelphia has some nice Peregrine Falcons but they were already on my list. I did come across some sparrows that were trusting enough to use my I Phone.

#59 House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)

On the way to the airport in New York I had a nice sighting of two Cranes. Too far away for identification but they must have been Sandhill Cranes that were listed as a rare sighting in the area for the previous days. I was on a highway, so no chance of stopping to get a better look.

Edited April 1, 2019 by mvecht

[mvecht]

During the winter several birds have been absent from the garden feeding so what a nice surprise to get back in the sofa and immediately seeing

Home 23 March

#60  Hawfinch (coccothrausthes coccothrausthes)

[mvecht]

and a few mintues later, still from the sofa

#61 Tree Sparrow (passer montanus)