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Michael´s Sixth Year


michael-ibk

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Peter Connan

Congratulations!

 

Lovely birds, lovely photos!

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Congratulations on getting to 100 and beyond. A very special one for your #100 ! Also cracking photos again: Red-crested Pochard, flight shots of the swallows etc, etc. Even your doubles would make me jealous...;)

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congratulations on the century with some stunning shots.

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michael-ibk

Many thanks everybody!

 

On 4/9/2021 at 9:01 AM, xelas said:

After vaccination (any date?) numbers will only get better.

 

I will only believe it when it actually happens but we do have an appointment in just 8 days! Can hardly wait. And to my huge relief my parents both got their first jab yesterday.:)

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michael-ibk

104/E104.) Jack Snipe (Lymnocryptes minimus) / Zwergschnepfe

 

Söll/Tirol, 11/4/21. Onwards with a perfect ebc. Still, very happy with this - such a tough bird to see. And not one you stumble upon by accident normally - this was a rubber boot mission, and indeed we flushed two (and six Snipes). Supposed to be very, very rare in Austria - but who knows really with birds like these.

 

908003075_SllerWiesen_5_Zwergschnepfe.JPG.1c177fdb559e78fdd2efc7624889d9b7.JPG

 

And a bonus Willow Warbler from today which posed much more nicely than the original posting:

 

Schanz_8_Fitis.JPG.7c2b665f8bf5f20b661211bdc097c91d.JPG

 

 

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105/E105.) Little Grebe (Tachybaptus ruficolli) / Zwergtaucher

 

Schanz/Tirol, 11/4/21. Another dwarf. Not that uncommon but shy and, well, little! So I was reasonably pleased with this one swimming not too far away in the Inn river.

 

Schanz_3_Zwergtaucher.JPG.6f97383d0e01c1b813dbb2dba2a5ab8c.JPG

 

And speaking of little things - saw two Stoats today. Distant but too nice an animal not to show it.

 

Kirchbichl_5_Hermelin.JPG.b232ad052c4958707b1bf13e1c0b829f.JPG

 

 

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106/E106.) Greylag Goose (Anser anser) / Graugans

 

Schwemm/Tirol, 11/4/21. They are abundant in some areas (like in Seewinkel where it´s difficult not to stumble over them) but not here - this is actually a new bird for my Tirol list. An extensive bog area where some of them started to breed last year.

 

Schwemm_6_Graugans.JPG.a9db2ad1995865e83798c83b62557897.JPG

 

 

Edited by michael-ibk
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michael-ibk

107/E107.) Eurasian Hoopoe (Upupa epops) / Wiedehopf

 

Ebbs/Tirol, 11/4/21. Yabbadabbadooh, Hoopoe Hoopoe Hoopoe! :) My favourite bird, so good to see it at home.

 

Ebbs_102_Wiedehopf.JPG.7ccab3a432b80b4b53f81ce31d20eec2.JPG

 

While it´s actually the fourth individuaI´ve seen in two weeks (well, it´s migration time but still quite exceptional) they are normally so much more difficult to get close to than in Africa. I am on a Birding WhatsApp Group (we alert each other to significant sightings). One of us reported a Hoopoe and gave me the general whereabouts. Did not expect much, it was hours ago but thought no harm in trying.

 

Ebbs_14_Wiedehopf.JPG.25bfb710e75f6ceeaf62990bb672acc1.JPG

 

And to my surprise we really found it after a bit of searching. While it flew off initially we approached very, very slowly and carefully the second time. And it was so busy feeding (amazing how much stuff it found) that the Hoopoe tolerated us for almost 15 minutes, maybe only 20 or 30 metres away in the end.

 

Ebbs_31_Wiedehopf.JPG.2aecacb140c565f2b8a6fa11dacb2440.JPG

 

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Ebbs_107_Wiedehopf.JPG.237b054b42457a312cb2d9afb36d00b5.JPG

Edited by michael-ibk
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Well you certainly indulged yourself in Hoopoe and why not?  Special tick for the Stoat. Always a good find.

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That is almost like a model shooting session! Great work, Hoopoe and Michael.

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I am enjoying reading the BY threads and am learning lots about birds all around the world so thank you all.

I am fascinated by the response to @michael-ibkposting of the photo of a stoat. In New Zealand the word stoat elicits a very negative response along with other mustelids, weasel, pole cat and ferret. This is because in our country introduced species such as these, along with brush tail possums from Australia,  are devastating our bird life. The only place our ground dwelling and flightless birds (kiwi, kakapo etc) are safe are on offshore predator free islands or mainland predator fenced sanctuaries. With no endemic mammals apart from 2 species of bats and a number of marine mammals our birds are so vulnerable to introduced species and have little defence against them. Presumably in your country they are more in balance?

The government has a vision of being predator free by 2050 - a laudable aim but an extremely difficult one. https://predatorfreenz.org/big-picture/pf-2050-vision/

 

 

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@KiwiGran

 

I read about the damage introduced species are inflicting on the natural (avi)fauna in your part of the World. And I think it´s a good thing the government tries to get rid of them - certainly a very difficult task. Maybe not undoable, they´ve managed to accomplish something similar in New Georgia. Much smaller scale of course but still.

 

But here Stoats are very much part of the natural ecology system. I don´t think they pose any real threat to any bird species population. Certainly House Cats devour way more songbirds and are much more of an issue. Then again, most garden birds are not threatened. But some species like Serin (much on the decline) are certainly under pressure from them I assume.

Edited by michael-ibk
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A really excellent set of Hoopoe photos, @michael-ibk. It's such a beautiful bird and I do share your joy at finding and photographing one! That Jack Snipe was a good find, too!

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Stoats are no real threat to avifauna in their natural habitat. More than enough rabbits and hares to keep them happy. As always it is unnatural introductions that cause the problems. Here it is the darn Hedgehog that devastates ground nesting terns. Fortunately IOM Government are very strict in controlling idiots you seek to upset things. a few years back somebody brought over his 'pet' Grey Squirrel (aka American Tree Rat) and let it go. He got thrown in jail til he confessed where it was to be found.

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love those hoopoe shots, especially with its crest fanning out and up.

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Super shots of the Hoopoe. I still find it strange to see them in green grass rather than the browns of Africa or India.

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Congrats on the 100, and what a fascinating history the Northern Bald Ibis has, worthy of the spot. 

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michael-ibk
On 4/8/2021 at 7:27 PM, michael-ibk said:

This one was ringed, and I got the characters. Apparently a Polish project, I sent in the data hope to hear from them soon.

 

Many thanks everybody! About my Mediterranean Gull: It was ringed as a 3rd-year bird in Mietkow, Southern Poland, in May 2019. In July 2019 it was seen in Plerin at the Atlantic Coast in France - these birds sure get around.

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108/E108.) Common Redstart (Phoenicurus phoenicurus) / Gartenrotschwanz

 

Mils, 13/4/21, Tirol. A female - very similar to Black Redstarts but a more sandy (than ashy) colour. Hope to get the beautiful male later in the year.

 

Mils_40_Gartenrotschwanz2.JPG.c692d5df2c41cc1663188d20966402c5.JPG

 

We´re also getting a decent number of Western Yellow Wagtails right now - including a few more special ones, like this "Thunbergi" - the Northern race:

 

Mils_52_Schafstelze (Thunberg)2.JPG

Edited by michael-ibk
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109/E109.) Eurasian Crag Martin (Ptyonoprogne rupestris) / Felsenschwalbe

 

Baumkirchen/Tirol, 15/4/21. I usually see this species later in the year up in the mountaints. We still have a lot of snow up there this year, and it´s unseasonally cold. Spent a nice hour sitting by the Inn with hundreds, probably thousands of Swallows migrating East. Some Crags among them, they are probably waiting for better wetter until they go up.

 

Baumkirchen_12_Felsenschwalbe2.JPG.9caefa26cbb89b23abc38b793b1d938c.JPG

 

 

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110/E110.) European House Martin (Delichon urbicum) / Mehlschwalbe

 

Baumkirchen/Tirol, 15/4/21. Also moving through in good numbers.

 

Baumkirchen_47_Mehlschwalbe2.JPG.13d906ea006edc5441812b1c1ae977ba.JPG

 

Majority was Barns though - I was hoping for a Red-Rumped among the huge flocks but no luck there.

 

Baumkirchen_53_Rauchschwalbe2.JPG.8bd224f01c8ee6553fb3dc8d9f1c1d25.JPG

 

 

 

 

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111/E111.) Common Swift (Apus apus) / Mauersegler

 

Baumkirchen/Tirol, 15/4/21. I love it when they return to the city and their sharp cries are everywhere again. This single individual was an interesting sighting - it´s very, very early in the year for them, normally they don´t return before end of April. There was some speculation about it being a Pallid but I don´t think so. The first reported Swift in Austria this year, although there have been some in Germany.

 

Baumkirchen_26_Mauersegler2.JPG.68cd1963595d565d5192d553b2821843.JPG

 

This Merganse was slowly drifting downriver - immediately took off once it noticed me.

 

1337637724_Baumkirchen_58_Gnsesger2.JPG.91ec9ff3ce2bdf562041c9002a48b61d.JPG

 

Another Wagtail:

 

Baumkirchen_1_Schafstelze2.JPG.423d9c70a4ff3f8b6e580134a342c7e4.JPG

 

 

 

 

 

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Good news on the MED Gull. I find the history fascinating (much as I dislike the jewellery on birds messing up a decent photo at times.)

Good to see the Hirondenes gathering to clear the alps and a beautiful Thunbergi photo.

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Excellent series of birds in flight! Great skill, Michael.

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michael-ibk

112/E112.) European Pied Flycatcher (Ficedula hypoleuca) / Trauerschnäpper

 

Tratzberg/Tirol, 17/5/21. Another one migrating through. They can be quite variable, while some are really nicely "pied" (ie. black and white) this male is more brownish.

 

845158125_Tratzberg_11_Trauerschnpper.JPG.ca0e1eb29d81e852e54caae688333719.JPG

 

 

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