Zvezda & Alex BY2022: Back on track

[xelas]

On 3/15/2022 at 11:08 AM, Kitsafari said:

such lovely shots @xelas

Thanks Kit. Shots may be lovely but birds are not as colourful as those closer to equator .

 

On 3/16/2022 at 5:48 PM, Dave Williams said:

Numbers coming along nicely Alex.

Oh well, struggling to reach #50, and no foreign (birding) trip in near future .

 

45 minutes ago, TonyQ said:

Wow, a Brambling in your garden!

Yes, I was also surprised !

[xelas]

On our way to #50, first one is the most regular visitor to the feeding station, and also the most numerous one. It hangs around the whole year so one can easily forget to count it.

 

BY 046 / SI 046

Tree Sparrow - Passer montanus

 

Ljubljansko Barje, 17-Mar-2022

[xelas]

Season newcomers brings an excitement vibe with them even when they are not a rare sighting.

 

BY 047 / SI 047

European Serin - Serinus serinus

 

Ljubljansko Barje, 17-Mar-2022

[xelas]

When the really rare guest shows then the excitement level is off the roof. This one was shy at first but eventually it decided to get on the ground for closer and unobstructed photo.

 

BY 048 / SI 048

Hawfinch - Coccothraustes coccothraustes

 

 

Ljubljansko Barje, 18-Mar-2022

 

 

[xelas]

All three of these birds are already counted, but I really like how the Robin and the Great Tit have adopted the Nuthatch pose.

 

 

 

[PeterHG]

Wonderful to have a Hawfinch visit the garden!

[xelas]

3 hours ago, PeterHG said:

Wonderful to have a Hawfinch visit the garden!

It should be a more frequent visitor!

[Zim Girl]

Love the Hawfinch!

[xelas]

As many of fellow birders are either passing the #100, or approaching it fast, we are still below #50. Therefore a quick mini local birding trip has been taken. Our initial paln was to head west for the first weekend, and then east for the second weekend. West part was coastal birding included Isola della Cona, Škocjanski zatok and Sečoveljske soline. Here are the results.

 

Isola della Cona, 26-March-2022

 

BY 049 / SI 049

Pygmy Cormorant - Microcarbo pygmaeus

 

 

[xelas]

BY 050 / SI 050

Eurasian Teal - Anas crecca

 

 

 

[Kitsafari]

beautiful additions!

[xelas]

BY 051 / SI 051

Green Sandpiper - Tringa ochropus

 

 

 

BY 052 / SI 052

Wood Sandpiper - Tringa glareola

 

 

 

BY 053 / SI 053

Common Greenshank - Tringa nebularia

 

 

[xelas]

Smaller waders were represented by one specie only.

 

BY 054 / SI 054

Little Ringed Plover - Charadrius dubius

 

[xelas]

Below bird is well known to @Galana, and was spotted at the same location again as in 2019. This time two of them gave us another excellent show.

 

BY 055 / SI 055

Spotted Crake - Porzana porzana

 

 

 

 

[xelas]

Valle Cavanata is where we can get at least a glimpse of an African vibe.

 

BY 056 / SI 056

Greater Flamingo - Phoenicopterus roseus

 

 

 

[Galana]

A swimming Spotted Crake beggars belief. It is hard enough to get them on dry land (as I remember my excitement from my visit.)

Looks like you have handed the Baton and camera to Zvezda at last.

[Dave Williams]

Very envious of the Crake! Some cracking shots there too.

[xelas]

13 hours ago, Galana said:

Looks like you have handed the Baton and camera to Zvezda at last.

The Baton was always in her hand . For the camera, she waited for an upgrade, and finally she got it. Now I can not pry it out of her hands . 

[xelas]

Day 2 of our mini birding trip was dedicated to Škocjanski zatok. Although smaller to Isola della Cona it always delivers. We have spent a whole day there, doing 3 full laps in the morning and 2 more in the afternoon. 

 

Škocjanski zatok, 27-March-2022

 

Morning birding:

 

BY 057 / SI 057

Little Grebe - Tachybaptus ruficollis

 

 

 

BY 058 / SI 058

Spotted Redshank - Tringa erythropus

 

 

 

BY 059 / SI 059

Northern Lapwing - Vanellus vanellus

 

[Galana]

Nice Dabchick. Have you counted Ruff yet?

[xelas]

Afternoon birding:

 

BY 060 / SI 060

Garganey - Anas querquedula

 

 

 

 

BY 061 / SI 061

Black-winged Stilt - Himantopus himantopus

 

 

 

[Soukous]

19 minutes ago, xelas said:

For the camera, she waited for an upgrade, and finally she got it.

 

seems like everyone is getting new cameras. I'm feeling very left out 

[xelas]

2 minutes ago, Galana said:

Nice Dabchick. Have you counted Ruff yet?

Thanks! Not yet, it will be counted as next bird with a (much) better photo. Speaking of Ruffs, there were many of them both in Cona and in Zatok.

[xelas]

1 minute ago, Soukous said:

seems like everyone is getting new cameras.

I've said an upgrade, not a new camera . It is a second-hand D500, the body I should buy back in 2017.

[Soukous]

2 minutes ago, xelas said:

I've said an upgrade, not a new camera . It is a second-hand D500, the body I should buy back in 2017.

 

new or not, it is sill a super camera.