Michael‘s Seventh Year

[michael-ibk]

I‘m in again - hard to believe it´s Nr. 7 already.

 

Kinda frustrating start to this year - a friend alerted me to a Ural Owl (which would be a lifer) but no luck there. And then it was so foggy that we aborted birding around the nearby lakes. A walk in the forest in the afternoon did not produce anything particularly exciting but it was nice to be out in the sun.

 

1/E1) Spotted aka Eurasian Nutcracker (Nucifraga caryocatactes) / Tannenhäher

 

Reißeck, Carinthia, 1/1/22. Quite a common bird a bit higher up in our forests. I did not have one last year though so good to start off the new BY with it.

 

 

 

Edited January 1, 2022 by michael-ibk

[michael-ibk]

2/E2) Crested Tit (Lophophanes cristatus) / Haubenmeise

 

Reißeck, Carinthia, 1/1/22. My favourite local Tit. Not uncommon but tends to stay high up in the canopy.

 

 

 

 

 

[Kitsafari]

Not only are you likely to top the 2021 BY table, i think, you are also the first to kick off BY 2022. well done!

[Peter Connan]

Well done on posting the first shots for the year!

[shazdwn]

Got to love starting out with one you missed last year 

[Kalaharikind]

What a lovely shot to start the competition game!

[Galana]

A good start indeed. Nutcracker is my 'local friend' that I always seek out when in the Alps.

[michael-ibk]

3/E3) Ferruginous Duck (Aythya nyroca) / Moorente

 

Chiemsee, 2/1/21. Unusual for me to get this bird so early in the year  - they are very rare in Middle Europe.

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

4/E4) Northern Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis) / Habicht

 

Mils/Tirol, 7/1/21. An ebc but I am happy - this was one of my "2022 Most Wanteds", so any photo is a spectacular one for me. Although I could kick myself since I first watched it with the binos instead of firing away immediately. Let´s see, maybe the curse is broken now and I will see it all the time! (I can hope!)

 

[michael-ibk]

5/E5) Black Redstart (Phoenicurus ochruros) / Hausrotschwanz

 

Mils/Tirol, 7/1/21. On my favourite dungheap. Quite weird that I have a favourite dungheap though. Not supposed to be here now, Redstarts are migrants. A few lazy ones always decide to stay.

 

 

 

[PeterHG]

A Ferruginous Duck, a Nutcracker and a Goshawk in the first five! You’re showing no mercy at all

[Kitsafari]

wow on the Iron duck!

[Dave Williams]

I'll be lucky to see any of those birds you have scored already! Nutcracker was one of those "must see" birds once upon a time and as I have only seen them the once I'd happily take another opportunity too!

[Galana]

18 hours ago, michael-ibk said:

Let´s see, maybe the curse is broken now and I will see it all the time!

It often happens that way.

Excellent Fudge Duck and lucky Goshawk.

[elefromoz]

On 1/9/2022 at 1:27 AM, michael-ibk said:

Quite weird that I have a favourite dungheap though.

Yes, not everyone would share your passion. Off and running....

[Galana]

On 1/8/2022 at 5:27 PM, michael-ibk said:

Quite weird that I have a favourite dungheap though.

I have one too in Italy by the main road from Curon, Val d Venosta, Actually in my GPS under favorites. How sad is that? But it holds hosts of birds from all three wagtails, pipits, and much more. I spend many a happy hour there.

[TonyQ]

A great start! 

A few birds I have never seen. 

 

[michael-ibk]

6/E6) Great Tit (Parus Major) / Kohlmeise

 

Baldramsdorf/Carinthia, 16/1/22. I´m off to a really slow start. Lousy weather mostly, and no time yet for a proper birding outing.

 

 

Edited January 23, 2022 by michael-ibk

[michael-ibk]

7/E7) Yellow-Legged Gull (Larus michahellis) / Mittelmeermöwe

 

Münster/Tirol, 17/1/22. The only Gull we are getting here in Tirol with some regularity.

 

 

 

Edited January 23, 2022 by michael-ibk

[michael-ibk]

8/E8) Greater Scaup (Aythya marila) / Bergente

 

Kirchbichl/Tirol, 17/1/22. A very distant ebc - but an exciting bird for me. Seen once before in CZ but a new one for my Austria list. They are arctic breeder and very rarely pop up in Winter.

 

 

Edited January 23, 2022 by michael-ibk

[michael-ibk]

9/E9) Eurasian Bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula) / Gimpel

 

Baldramsdorf/Carinthia, 16/1/22. One of our more colourful birds. Not seen that often but always easier to find in Winter. When it´s getting warmer again they retreat into the forests and are pretty difficult to get there.

 

 

 

 

[PeterHG]

Great sighting of the Scaup and beautiful Bullfinch shots!

[michael-ibk]

10/E9) Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea) / Graureiher

 

Mils/Tirol, 23/1/22. Our classic European Heron.

 

[michael-ibk]

This was probably my least productive BY January ever.

 

February could be a lot better - off to Munich Airport this evening, and tomorrow we´ll fly to Uganda. So I´ll either rack up a lot of clicks - or I will be quarantined and bored to death in a hotel room. Uganda does a PCR on arrival.

[Zim Girl]

Fingers crossed for you Michael, but I am sure you will have a great time!