Michael´s Sixth Year

[xelas]

I've heard that you are also strongly connected to UK ... variant ?

[michael-ibk]

Yes, it's spreading a lot. Not as problematic as the other one though. More contagious apparently, yes, but AstraSeneca vaccine is supposed to be equally effective. 

[Galana]

Fingers crossed for you all.

[shazdwn]

More gorgeous photos, especially the red kite. 

[Peter Connan]

19 hours ago, Dave Williams said:

The Red Kite  shots are indeed excellent. You are getting some nice sunshine..... and a few cases of South African covid according to the news. 

 

Once Africa has her claws in you, she will not let go!

 

Beautiful photos again.

[michael-ibk]

Catch-up time! I spent a few days in Carinthia recently due to family issues. Quite a procedure to even leave Tirol, test needed of course, and military controls at our own domestic borders between provinces. Quite surreal.

 

A short stop one hour from home still in Tirol gave me a short glimpse at my much longed for Hawfinch but no photo! Also saw Kingfisher and Snipe but no chance either. So will have to do with this one.

 

30/E30.) Eurasian Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus) / Feldsperling

 

Söll/Tirol, 17/2/21. The smarter looking Sparrow species.

 

 

This LT Tit made me chuckle - incredibly puffed out, this one!

 

 

And nearby I got a male Teal - not a common bird in my area.

 

 

 

Edited February 25, 2021 by michael-ibk

[michael-ibk]

31/E31.) Crested Tit (Lophophanes cristatus) / Haubenmeise

 

Reißeck/Carinthia, 18/2/21. Back home in Carinthia I had a lovely sighting of one of my favourites. Cresteds are neither uncommon nor very shy - but they tend to stay high up in spruce trees and it´s never easy getting a decent photo of them. This one popped up in an unusual habitat for them, right by a dam lake - and posed perfectly for a few seconds.

 

 

Not as nicely out but I like the crest in this one:

 

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

32/E32.) Eurasian Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes) / Zaunkönig

 

Brenndorf/Carinthia, 18/2/21. A split-second too slow for a good photo. Not as patient as the Crested Tit unfortunately. It never ceases to amaze me how loud these tiny guys can be!

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

33/E33.) Gadwall (Mareca strepera) / Schnatterente

 

Brenndorf/Carinthia, 18/2/21. The area here is quite a new "hotspot", a protective zone has been established just a few years ago and already lots of waterfowl love this place.

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

34/E34.) Smew (Mergellus albellus) / Zwergsäger

 

Brenndorf/Carinthia, 18/2/21. Very distant unfortunately but an exciting bird for me to see. Very rare winter guests in Austria, only the second time I´ve seen one. The female was also present but even further away.

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

35/E35.) Mute Swan (Cygnus olor) / Höckerschwan

 

Brenndorf/Carinthia, 18/2/21. Distance is never much of an issue with Swans. Always easy pickings for the Big Year.

 

 

[michael-ibk]

36/E36.) Eurasian Coot (Fulica atra) / Blässhuhn

 

Brenndorf/Carinthia, 18/2. Another easy one. Not the most exciting one though - a bit like Waterbird Pigeons.

 

[michael-ibk]

37/E37.) Common Crossbill (Loxia curvirostra) / Fichtenkreuzschnabel

 

Balramdsdorf/Carinthia, 19/2/21. While I was waiting for the results of a COVID test (we need them for a lot of stuff) in a nearby city I decided to check out a patch of riparian forest Google Maps showed me close by. Good decision, because two minutes after parking I found these guys.

 

 

One of our coolest species IMO, I like them a lot. As with the Cresteds a pretty unusual area to see them, they are normally deep in coniferous forest. But no complaints!

 

 

A female

 

 

And a juvenile, first time I´ve seen one. Crossbills can breed all-year, so chicks fledge even in Winter.

 

 

I´m a bit mad at myself for not getting this last photo right when this male was close for a short while - I was too excited to think of the settings!

[michael-ibk]

38/E38.) Marsh Tit (Poecile palustris) / Sumpfmeise

 

Baldramsdorf/Carinthia, 18/2/21. I walked into the forest a bit - still quite deep snow here. To my surprise I found a feeding station in a clearing after a while. A very nice one, and I think a photographer must have established it. I spent a very enjoyable hour there - at one time I even had a Sparrowhawk coming in for a (failed) kill. Much too quickly to get a photo though.

 

 

A Nuthatch bonus photo:

 

 

[michael-ibk]

39/E39.) Yellowhammer (Emberiza citrinella) / Goldammer

 

Baldramsdorf/Carinthia, 18/2. Our most common Bunting though I never see them in Winter in Tirol. Maybe they all come here!

 

 

[michael-ibk]

40/E41.) European Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis) / Stieglitz

 

Baldramsdorf/Carinthia, 18/2. One of my very favourite birds - and not often that I get close to them like that.

 

 

Away from the feeders I stumbled upon a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker - my second sighting this year!

 

 

 

[PeterHG]

A whole bunch of excellent photos and enviable species! Crested Tit, Crossbill, it's been a long time since I saw either of those, let alone take a photo. Beautiful Yellowhammer and Marsh Tit, too! 

[Galana]

Congratulations on a very worthwhile outing with some excellent results. Too hard to pick a winner but in the rarity stakes the Smew has to be in there. Quality goes to the Goldfinch with some tough competition but cuteness has to be the Crestie. There can be no overall winner here.

[elefromoz]

what a fantastic collection, an odd looking thing the Crossbill, if you didn't know any better, you'd think it was an abnormality . Going back bit, fantastic Red Kite shots, I love the way they hover overhead with just that rudder like tail moving.

[Soukous]

13 hours ago, michael-ibk said:

Common Crossbill (Loxia curvirostra)

also known as the Red Crossbill, if you use the Merlin app.

We've had several local sightings but despite repeated attempts I have still not seen one this year. 

[Soukous]

11 hours ago, Galana said:

There can be no overall winner here.

 

does there need to be a winner? they are all gorgeous

[Zim Girl]

Really impressive variety of birds, I like the smew and the crested tit.

[mvecht]

Beautiful shots

[TonyQ]

a beautiful set of photos.

I love the crested tit!

[michael-ibk]

Thanks everybody, if it comes to birding I often think I should move back to Carinthia - so much better for birding than Tirol!

 

41/E41.) Eurasian Treecreeper (Certhia familiaris) / Waldbaumläufer

 

Wörthersee/Carinthia, 20/2/21. An unusual habitat for this bird, they are to be supposed to stay in coniferous forests not lakeside areas. But they do move around in Winter, and I did confirm with a few of our local experts. Actually the "better" Treecreeper for me, Short-Toed is easier to find, I don´t think I managed to get Eurasian last year.

 

 

And a super bonus bird for me - close by I had a nice (relatively) close sighting of a Kingfisher.

 

 

 

Edited February 26, 2021 by michael-ibk