Michael´s Sixth Year

[Galana]

At the risk of repeating others, that Bluethroat sequence is worth every pixel. Well done indeed.

[mvecht]

fantastic shots. Love the Bluethroat, Spotted Crake and many others!

[michael-ibk]

Thanks everybody! I doubt I´ll ever have a Bluethroat sighting like that again.

 

81/E81.) Black Redstart (Phoenicurus ochruros) / Hausrotschwanz

 

Flughafen Innsbruck/Tirol, 20/3/21. Same area as the Bluethroat. The male was less cooperative but I´m sure I´ll get one later - they are pretty common birds in summer.

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

82/E82.) European Stonechat (Saxicola rubicola) / Schwarzkehlchen

 

Flughafen Innsbruck/Tirol, 19/3/21. Another female. Stonechats are very rare breeders here but right now quite a good number of migrants are stuck because of the bad weather.

 

 

We´re also getting tons of Reed Buntings right now. Good birds to see for us, they are not breeding in our province.

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

83/E83.) Ruff (Calidris pugnax) / Kampfläufer

 

Flughafen Innsbruck/Tirol, 19/3/21. Tirol is a wasteland for waterbirds, and we very rarely get waders (except the odd Common Sandpiper or Little Ringed Plover which do breed in small numbers). So very cool to see this species here.

 

 

They must have been starved. They fed frantically and did not really care about us. We sat for a while (a trick that really did wonders yesterday) and they approached very closely.

 

 

 

 

 

[Peter Connan]

Magnificent!

[PeterHG]

Another beautiful set of pictures! You managed to see a lot of migrants at the airport I noticed. That is probably due to the fact that they are waiting there for an end to lockdown measures preventing them to leave the country? 

[Kitsafari]

another set of brilliant shots. 

[xelas]

Beautiful, and going strong even this year .

[TonyQ]

Excellent additions - racing along.

The Bluethroat sighting (and photos!) - superb

[Zim Girl]

Beautiful Bluethroat pictures!

[michael-ibk]

84/E84.) Mistle Thrush (Turdus viscivorus) / Misteldrossel

 

Mils/Tirol, 21/3/21. Moving through in good numbers. A bird I´m always having much difficulty with, and I doubt I´ll get a much better picture. Brutal crop here.

 

 

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

85/E85.) Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) / Kormoran

 

Innsbruck/Tirol, 24/3/21. All colonies are far away but there are always a few stragglers exploring along the Inn river. This one was unusually relaxed and enjoyed the mornig sun.

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

86/E86.) Garganey (Anas querquedula) / Knäkente

 

Innsbruck/Tirol, 24/3/21. Saw quite a few migrants over the last few days. Did not have one in my last BY, so a nice change.

 

 

It was in the company of one Wigeon and several Teals.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

87/E87.) European Serin (Serinus serinus) / Girlitz

 

Innsbruck, 24/3/21. Our smalles finch, just returned from their Winter quarters. Austria´s bird of the year 2021 - for quite a sad reason: 80 % of our population has disappeared for the last two decades.

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

88/E88.) Water Rail (Rallus aquaticus) / Wasserralle

 

Tiebelmündung/Carinthia, 27/3/21. The ultimate skulker, so I was happy to get any kind of shot. On occassion I´ve been lucky to get them out in the open but they very rarely are that cooperative.

 

 

And I found the Spotted Crake again!

 

 

A very obliging individual - it was very cool to get such a nice, close sighting of this rarity:

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

89/E89.) Hawfinch (Coccothraustes coccothraustes) / Kernbeißer

 

Baldramsdorf/Carinthia, 28/3/21. My bogey bird. I have seen them in Austria exactly three times during my entire birding "career", and only got a (terrible) photo once. This one is not much better but a Hawfinch it is - hooray!

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

90/E90.) Black Kite (Milvus migrans) / Schwarzmilan

 

Münster/Tirol, 28/3/21. While its Red cousin is staying through the Winter this bird travels far South to Africa during the cold months.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[PeterHG]

Great flight shot of the Kite!

[xelas]

Excellent finds and photos!

[Soukous]

another terrific batch Michael. 

[Zim Girl]

Lovely Black Kite and jealous of your Hawfinch.  We went searching for one at the weekend but no luck.

[Galana]

A great outing indeed. Sunk a couple of bogeys into the bargain. Lovely Garganey.

[Kitsafari]

stunning shots. that spotted crake was so obliging and so focused on its food. 

[elefromoz]

On 2/27/2021 at 3:34 AM, michael-ibk said:

This bast*'§$ was laughing at me for almost 40 minutes as only a Green Woodpecker can

I thought birding was a genteel pastime..

 

Brilliant Buzzard shots and the camouflage on the Snipe, I missed it totally. The bluethroat is a dazzler.

Looks like you've had some real lucky finds this year, and the year is very young...