Michael´s Sixth Year

[michael-ibk]

113/E113.) Ruddy Shelduck (Tadorna ferruginea) / Rostgans

 

Angath/Tirol, 17/4/21. There are several feral populations in Europe these days, our closes ones at Lake Constance and Chiemsee. These birds were not ringed so I guess they must derive from one of those two. Have hung around this place for several weeks now.

 

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

114/E114.) Common Greenshank (Tringa nebularia) / Grünschenkel

 

Angath/Tirol, 17/4/21. Waders normally fly over Tirol, so it´s always a happy (and rare) occassion when they rest here. The cold weather must have done the trick. My first Greenshank in Tirol - four birds even. They were shy and would not tolerate approach.

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

115/E115.) Tree Pipit (Anthus trivialis) / Baumpieper

 

Mils/Tirol, 17/4/21. They really should have the decency to sit on a well, tree, to tell them apart from Meadow Pipits. This bird favours a dung heap right now though and stubbornly refuses to go arboreal. Thin streaks on the flank, slightly stronger bill, shorter hindclaw, slightly different face markings, more yellow on the flanks (than a Meadow P. in spring) are the ID markers here. A breeding bird here but up in the mountains - I guess they are waiting for the snow to melt.

 

 

 

A Meadow Pipit for comparison. Note the difference in flank stripes and the more yellowish bill especially. Also more strongly marked on the mantle.

 

 

[michael-ibk]

116/E116.) Eurasian Hobby (Falco subbuteo) / Baumfalke

 

Mils/Tirol, 17/4/21. Not a raptor I see very often and they rarely give me a good show like this one did yesterday. It was very windy, and he was having fun catching insects.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

117/E117.) Wood Sandpiper (Tringa glareola) / Bruchwasserläufer

 

Mils/Tirol, 18/4/21. I should be able to better this photo when or IF I can make it to Seewinkel this year. But such a surprise sighting I have to post it. First time I´ve seen one in Tirol - and it was sitting on a dung heap of all places! Certainly brought down by the bad weather as well.

 

 

 

[Soukous]

stunning Hobby Michael

[michael-ibk]

118/E118.) Greater Short-Toed Lark (Calandrella brachydactyla) / Kurzzehenlerche

 

Mils/Tirol, 18/4/21. A super-rarity in Austria, one of those that need to be reported to our "authorities". Discovered by a friend yesterday so I was searching for it. Quite lucky to find it at all - unsurprisingly an ebc was the result. A super tick for me here. They are Southern European birds, we are well North of their range.

 

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

119/E119.) Red-Throated Pipit (Anthus cervinus) / Rotkehlpieper

 

Mils/Tirol, 18/4/21. Another rarity, a new one for my Tirol list. Have seen them in Austria only once. They were quite common during my Ehtiopia trip. A high Arctic breeder. As you can see I spend most of my time staring at dung heaps these days.

 

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

120/E121.) White Stork (Ciconia ciconia) / Weißstorch

 

Mils/Tirol, 18/4/21. Another nice surprise today! Not a difficult bird for my Big Year, they are very common in Seewinkel (where they nest in every village), and there are also a few in Carinthia. But White Storks fly around the Alps, we don´t get them often here. The first ones I have seen here.

 

 

 

Not quite sure what this one caught here:

 

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

Caught up again - a few doubles from this week:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Soukous]

3 minutes ago, michael-ibk said:

Caught up again

 

I don't think I'll be catching (you) up any time soon.  Spring is not yet yielding the species it should. 

[michael-ibk]

I can send our lousy weather to you Martin, it has helped me a lot this year.

[Galana]

A nice study nevertheless. We don't get these at all so especially envious.

You are posting too fast it is hard to remain in sequence. "This" as a comment about your brown Pied Flycatcher.

Since then there have been many more worthy of comment so I will just say 'wow' for the lot especially the Hobby sequence and the excellent Swallow sequence at the end.

 

Enjoy Dung heaps. Birds hypermarkets. Food, warmth and an element of security. I actually have large one in Val de Venosta marked on my Garmin under 'favourites'. An hour parked up in the car there can be very rewarding. Even Lady G is impressed.

Edited April 18, 2021 by Galana

[xelas]

That was a very fruitful Sunday. After all, the Seewinkel trip in May may just not be necessary ; maybe one in September ?!

[Zim Girl]

Fantastic Hobby pictures!

[Kitsafari]

great additions but a stunning series of the Hobby! 

that dung heap is a popular restaurant for the birdies.

 

[Peter Connan]

Stunning shots Michael!

[michael-ibk]

Thanks, I was lucky the Hobby was giving me such a good show.

 

121/E121.) Black-Winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus) / Stelzenläufer

 

Flughafen Innsbruck/Tirol, 20/4/21. An easy pick for me in Seewinkel (if and when I get there) but a rarity in Tirol - only the 6th record here since 2013. A bit too distant for a good photo but as a specialty deserves the entry.

 

 

 

And my Wood Sandpiper was still around - favoured the dung heap again. Much nicer conditions than on Sunday early morning in the rain.

 

 

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

122/E122.) Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos) / Flussuferläufer

 

Flughafen Innsbruck/Tirol, 21/4/21. While I was waiting (in vain) for the Stilt to maybe fly over to my side this Sandpiper arrived. The one Wader one can expect to see here in Spring with some certainty. They do breed here, last year we had some confirmed breeding records. Today I saw five of them in one place, two chasing each other constantly.

 

 

 

 

 

[xelas]

Nice to have an airport with access and waders!

[michael-ibk]

It´s just outside the airport area, so planes fly right over the Sandpipers´ heads.

[PeterHG]

A lot of very good species in your additions: Red-throated pipit, Short- toed lark and stunning flight shots of the Hobby and Swallows!

 

[michael-ibk]

123/E123.) Wood Warbler (Phylloscopus sibilatrix) / Waldlaubsänger

 

Brenndorf/Carinthia, 23/4/21. Another family visit, another opportunity to enjoy Carinthia´s far superior birding. (My parents are accusing me of coming not for them but for the birds. Totally unfounded of course!). A nice Warbler I don´t see a lot, so was quite happy about this sighting.

 

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

124/E124.) Greater Whitethroat (Sylvia communis) / Dorngrasmücke

 

Brenndorf/Carinthia, 23/4/21. A bird I rarely see out of Seewinkel (where they breed). But I must have picked a "moving day", saw at least 6 of them.

 

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

125/E125.) Lesser Whitethroat (Sylvia curruca) / Klappergrasmücke

 

Brenndorf/Carinthia, 23/4/21. The smaller cousin, also obviously migrating through. Saw 5 to 7, very unusual! This one is a breeding bird in our mountains but I´m not able to find it up there very often.