Michael´s Fifth Year

[pedro maia]

Very nice pictures Michael, except for the sacred ibis it could have been a trip to somewhere here!

[PeterHG]

Definitely a good trip all in all, with some special species and great photos! I do agree with your id on the Knot, but apparently that is a rare find over there.

[Peter Connan]

Wonderful photos, both the birds and the landscapes!

[michael-ibk]

Thanks everybody - it was a lovely little trip indeed, and we were very lucky with the weather. Up to 35 ° - without AC in the accomm. we would have been less happy.

 

19 hours ago, Galana said:

I hope you don't mind but I am uncomfortable with your Knot. Leg colour and it does not look dumpy enough. I don't know the latest distribution and they change but Po delta is not given on my two books. Did you consider Ruff?

7 hours ago, PeterHG said:

Definitely a good trip all in all, with some special species and great photos! I do agree with your id on the Knot, but apparently that is a rare find over there.

 

Of course I don´t mind @Galana - waders are always a challenge. But in this case I´m fairly confident with my ID. Ruffs are familiar birds, and this one was definitely different, in the field I knew right away I had something special. My Svensson (Collins for you) for Knot shows the legs as grey-green (as in my bird). It also shows the white edges around the wing feathers, the grey-sprinkled breast and a clear supercilium. All features visible with my bird. And yes, it is a rare find for the area indeed (just as Turnstone and Marsh Sandpiper btw). But they do pop up every year, also in Austria - last autumn we even had a Knot (and a Sanderling) in Innsbruck! And I did post that photo with my respective entries for ebird and ornitho and it did not raise any red flags by the moderators (who are usually quick to intervene).

 

10 hours ago, pedro maia said:

Very nice pictures Michael, except for the sacred ibis it could have been a trip to somewhere here!

 

Indeed Pedro, I thought of Portugal - still lots of good stuff to be found there though. Unfortunately my government still has a full travel advisory against your country (which I really don´t understand) so my planned October trip seems more and more unlikely unfortunately...

 

Edited August 30, 2020 by michael-ibk

[michael-ibk]

Two Terns from the Delta I´m not completely sure about - counting on the collective Big Year knowledge. Opinions?

 

 

 

 

[Soukous]

20 minutes ago, michael-ibk said:

Unfortunately my government still has a full travel advisory against your country (which I really don´t understand) so my planned October trip seems more and more unlikely unfortunately

 

There seems to be little common ground between European governments regarding Covid-19 at the moment, which makes it very hard to plan trips to other countries.

Every week brings changes. Austria is now not clear for us, but Portugal is. 

[Galana]

43 minutes ago, Soukous said:

Every week brings changes

Leading to lemming like rushes back to the border to beat deadlines.

To misquote the guidelines - Stay home stay sane!

[pedro maia]

3 hours ago, Soukous said:

 

There seems to be little common ground between European governments regarding Covid-19 at the moment, which makes it very hard to plan trips to other countries.

Every week brings changes. Austria is now not clear for us, but Portugal is. 

but numbers here are on the rise again, I don’t know if Portugal will be clear for UK travelers after the next update.

[xelas]

It obviously was a productive birding in the Po delta, which pushed your BY number ahead again! Congratulations on all those excellent clicks. 

[michael-ibk]

Thank you @xelas - we should team up down there next year.

[Zim Girl]

Great trip and some lovely sightings, nice that you have been able to travel somewhere at least!

[elefromoz]

@@michael-ibk what a great little mini-break, nice you were able to safely cross the border. Lovely Honey Buzzard closer to home too. 

[Kitsafari]

such beautiful shots of the flamingoes. I never knew sacred ibis had such lovely underwings. 

[michael-ibk]

Nobody about the Terns? Come on guys! (And gals of course.)

 

431/E186.) Willow Tit (Poecile montanus) / Weidenmeise

 

Mischbachalm, Tirol, 13/9/20.  I usually get this bird in autumn - they seem to be out more in the open then.

 

 

 

 

[Soukous]

On 8/30/2020 at 9:44 AM, michael-ibk said:

Two Terns from the Delta I´m not completely sure about - counting on the collective Big Year knowledge. Opinions?

 

Your terns .. I think they are both White-winged Terns in evolving plumage. 

Now you can all tell me I am wrong

[Galana]

4 hours ago, Soukous said:

Now you can all tell me I am wrong

Perish the thought.

Location is wrong but whilst birds navigate well  they don't use maps. You could be correct.

 

[Soukous]

1 hour ago, Galana said:

Perish the thought.

Location is wrong but whilst birds navigate well  they don't use maps. You could be correct.

 

 

White-winged Tern - Chobe river Dec 2019

 

[Soukous]

1 hour ago, Galana said:

Perish the thought.

Location is wrong but whilst birds navigate well  they don't use maps. You could be correct.

 

 

and as I look at the picture I just posted I am doubting the ID I made 

[Galana]

2 hours ago, Soukous said:

and as I look at the picture I just posted I am doubting the ID I made

True. WWT has that 'below the eye' dark patch missing in @michael-ibk's photos.

I know it is tea time and I rather fancy a Sandwich although there is a lack of an obvious small crest. (Crest not cress!)

Or Common?

But that is for the other game.

Edited September 14, 2020 by Galana

[michael-ibk]

@Soukous, @Galana, it´s a small relief that experts of your calibre are also struggling with this. I´m tempted to just call it a WW Tern and add one point. Somebody on my Austrian FB group suggested juv. Little Tern though, what do you think?

[Galana]

8 minutes ago, michael-ibk said:

Somebody on my Austrian FB group suggested juv. Little Tern though, what do you think?

Given the bill and black inner forewing on Pic I, I could go with that.

[Soukous]

14 hours ago, michael-ibk said:

@Soukous, @Galana, it´s a small relief that experts of your calibre are also struggling with this.

 

I'm not quite sure why my name was included in that sentence Michael. When it comes to calibre, if @galana is a .45 then I'm struggling to be a .22 

Edited September 23, 2020 by Soukous

[michael-ibk]

Oh come on, i´ll at least give you a .34.

[michael-ibk]

Unfortunately I´ve had little time for autumn birding recently, and since I´m (hopefully) leaving the country next Friday, the ship has sailed for me for our migrants. So take heart and shudder my BY friends, I´m about to dump my EBC contenders on you!

 

432/E187.) Eurasian Hobby (Falco subbuteo) / Baumfalke

 

Chiemsee, Germany, 11/8. Actually not that terrible (I´ve had far worse Hobby submissions) but I had hoped to get a better one. A scarce bird in my area, and have never seen one in my province.

 

 

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

433/E188.) Common Snipe (Gallinago gallinago) / Bekassine

 

Tiebelmündung, Carinthia, 30/4/20. This, OTOH, is one of the easier waders in autumn especially so I have little excuse for not getting a better photo this year.

 

 

Edited September 27, 2020 by michael-ibk