Zvezda & Alex BY attempt #8

[Tdgraves]

your sand martin looks like a house martin Alex

[xelas]

8 minutes ago, Tdgraves said:

your sand martin looks like a house martin Alex

Indeed it looks like a House Martin! Corrected. Thanks!

[PeterHG]

Great to have two falcons in the last batch! 

[TonyQ]

Well done on racing past 300, and an excellent score from Thailand with really good quality photos 

[xelas]

This year May is like April, with plenty of rainy days. Only on the coast the weather was better thus I have used every opportunity to go there. Always to Škocjanski Zatok, and surprisingly, there were always new birds to be photographed. Some of them surprised me with their presence (like Stork and Pheasant) while others are regulars, and in the Spring, very vocal!

 

 

BY 341  /  SI 071    

White Stork  -  Ciconia ciconia    

Škocjanski zatok    12-maj-2023

 

 

BY 342  /  SI 072    

Common Pheasant  -  Phasianus colchicus    

Škocjanski zatok    12-maj-2023

 

 

BY 343  /  SI 073    

Red-backed Shrike  -  Lanius collurio    

 

Škocjanski zatok    12-maj-2023

 

 

BY 344  /  SI 074    

Common Nightingale  -  Luscinia megarhynchos    

Škocjanski zatok    12-maj-2023

 

 

BY 345  /  SI 075    

Great Reed Warbler  -  Acrocephalus arundinaceus    

Škocjanski zatok    12-maj-2023
 

[xelas]

With Zvezda having now her own camer gear I am a sole user of Nikon gear, and it is time to master the camera for better results. I am still struggling with BIF, that I will leave to Zvezda. 

Another visit to Škocjanski Zatok happened the next day. Why so often? Because Tanja has a job there (cruise ship guiding) and she prefers to have a driver .

 

 

 

BY 346  /  SI 076    

Common Reed Warbler  -  Acrocephalus scirpaceus    

Škocjanski zatok    13-maj-2023

 

 

BY 347  /  SI 077    

Garden Warbler  -  Sylvia borin    

Škocjanski zatok    13-maj-2023

 

 

BY 348  /  SI 078    

Cetti’s Warbler  -  Cettia cetti    

Škocjanski zatok    13-maj-2023

 

 

BY 349  /  SI 079    

Little Bittern  -  Ixobrychus minutus    

Škocjanski zatok    13-maj-2023
 

 

[PeterHG]

Also from the home country you show us good photos and species! I love your Nightingale and Great Reed Warbler shots!

 

[michael-ibk]

Yes, nightingale and Garden Warbler are tough ones, well done. 

[xelas]

Usually Nightingale is a tough one, but on these two days there was one singing out loud from every tree ! 

[Galana]

Conversely I like the Little Bittern. Always good to see one.

[xelas]

These are Big Year duplicates but are counting for my home country (hoping to get over 100).

 

 

 

 

BY ---  /  SI 080    

Eurasian Hoopoe  -  Upupa epops    

Škocjanski zatok    1-Apr-2023

 

 

BY ---  /  SI 081    

Common Sandpiper  -  Actitis hypoleucos    

Škocjanski zatok    16-Apr-2023

 

 

BY ---  /  SI 082    

Spotted Redshank  -  Tringa erythropus    

Škocjanski zatok    16-Apr-2023

 

 

BY ---  /  SI 083    

Wood Sandpiper  -  Tringa glareola    

Škocjanski zatok    16-Apr-2023

 

 

BY ---  /  SI 084    

Black-winged Stilt  -  Himantopus himantopus    

Škocjanski zatok    16-Apr-2023

 

 

BY ---  /  SI 085    

Great White Egret  -  Ardea alba    

Škocjanski zatok    16-Apr-2023

 

 

BY ---  /  SI 086    

Cattle Egret  -  Bubulcus ibis    

Škocjanski zatok    13-maj-2023

 

 

BY ---  /  SI 087    

Glossy Ibis  -  Plegadis falcinellus    

Škocjanski zatok    13-maj-2023

 

 

BY ---  /  SI 088    

Purple Heron  -  Ardea purpurea    

Škocjanski zatok    16-maj-2023

 

 

BY ---  /  SI 089    

Common Redshank  -  Tringa totanus    

Škocjanski zatok    16-maj-2023
 

[xelas]

To clear the bird database before upcoming trip to Seewinkel, Austria.

 

 

BY 350  /  SI 090    

European Pied Flycatcher  -  Ficedula hypoleuca    

Škocjanski zatok    12-maj-2023
 

[Zim Girl]

Very good collection of local birds!

[Kitsafari]

congrats on the Thai count! a good haul but you'll have to come back for the pittas.  

 

 

[xelas]

On 5/18/2023 at 1:25 PM, Zim Girl said:

Very good collection of local birds!

Thanks! 

[xelas]

On 5/19/2023 at 10:59 AM, Kitsafari said:

congrats on the Thai count! a good haul but you'll have to come back for the pittas.  

 

 

I surely will! Adding south to the north.

[Peter Connan]

Congratulations!

300 and 350!

[xelas]

Thanks, @Peter Connan! We will reach #400 in Europe, for #500 we will have to travel to South Africa .

[xelas]

After two covid-restricted years we have restarted our (Michael, Andreas, Zvezda and I) BTG trips to Seewinkel area last year, and were scheduled to do it again together this May. However, Michael's surgery kept him in the bed, and Andreas at home to keep an eye on him ; thus only Zvezda and I went to what used to be a prime birding location. originally we should be there between 17th and 21st May (Wednesday to Sunday). Due to very bad weather forecast, we have decided to leave Ljubljana on 18th, arriving in Illmitz in the cold, drizzly and overcasted weather. Luckily the weather forecast for the weekend was much better, and as our host was kind enough to let us stay all 4 paid nights, we have postponed our return to Monday, 22nd.

 

Well, it is still very good birding location, just not anymore for water birds, especially waders, as we know from our previous visits. Below photos are mainly for Michael, to asses the (huge) difference between our last visit and this year situation. In total we have photographed 84 bird species of which 33 were new additions for this year BY.

 

Two areas that are affected seriously are Darscho See and Zicksee; the water level of these two shallow but wide lakes has dropped significantly. At the time of the waders arrival there was even less water so they have not stopped here.

 

Darscho

 

 

 

 

Zicksee

 

 

 

There is (still) enough water at Neusidler See; here they have cut down trees opposite of the parking/boating place to create an artificial pond; not sure how this will work in the future as only a few birds were seen using it while we were there.

 

 

Seebad

 

The positive surprise was the Obere Stinkersee and its hide.

 

 

 

And a good news for Andreas and other fans of Dolce Vita!

 

 

 

[xelas]

Day 1 - 18/05

 

 

We have arrived in the early afternoon on a grey and drizzly Thursday. After unpacking at our b&b we did the reconnaissance drive around the main birding area (Darscho and Zicksee). After seeing the (sad) situation I have lowered my expectations significantly (but I was wrong ... again).

 

There are several birding locations within 30 min drive from Illmitz, commonly known as Seewinkel; I will not allocate each bird to a specific location as many has been seen (and photographed) at several locations. For those less widespread species there will be a specific location given in the comment.

 

As always majority of the photos were taken by Zvezda as I was busy with driving; this was her first time she had with new camera and lens - Olympus OM-1 and Zuiko 100-400 mm. The learning curve with these mirrorless cameras is steep but she is managing it as good as Janja Garnbret is managing the boulders!

 

 

BY 351  /  AT 001    

Bank Swallow  -  Riparia riparia

only 1 photo, over the Darscho see

 

BY 352  /  AT 002    

Carrion Crow  -  Corvus corone

 

this one was taken on the next day

 

BY 353  /  AT 003    

Eurasian Linnet  -  Linaria cannabina

 

BY 354  /  AT 004    

Syrian Woodpecker  -  Dendrocopos syriacus

 

[xelas]

Day 2 - 19/05

 

 

It was still cloudy but the dry so we decided to do the (long) walk towards the Red-footed Falcon nesting place at Weisse Essel / Sandeck. We did spend some quality time with Red-footed Falcons and white donkeys, and managed to get a few surprises along the way.

 

 

BY 355  /  AT 005    

European Starling  -  Sturnus vulgaris

 

BY 356  /  AT 006    

Common Cuckoo  -  Cuculus canorus

 

BY 357  /  AT 007    

Eurasian Golden Oriole  -  Oriolus oriolus

 

 

BY 358  /  AT 008    

Common Ringed Plover  -  Charadrius hiaticula

flying over Darscho See, accompanied by Little stints and Broad-billed Sandpipers

 

BY 359  /  AT 009    

Northern Lapwing  -  Vanellus vanellus

 

 

BY 360  /  AT 010    

Long-eared Owl  -  Asio otus

first photo at its usual location Badesee apetlon. The second and third photo was a surprise at the parking lot near the Neusiedler See hide, early evening time

 

 

[xelas]

Day 1 - 19/05 

 

 

After a quick stop at Dolce Vita we have returned to see what the hide near the Neusiedler See has to offer ... nothing, zero. So we decided to do another walk, this time along the reed beads on the road to Seebad. Some of the birds were what we have expected to find, and some of them were a nice surprise.

 

 

BY 361  /  AT 011    

European Turtle-Dove  -  Streptopelia turtur

 

BY 362  /  AT 012    

Red-crested Pochard  -  Netta rufina

 

BY 363  /  AT 013    

Black Tern  -  Chlidonias niger

Excellent target for Zvezda to polish her BIF skills

 

 

 

 

BY 364  /  AT 014    

Bearded Reedling  -  Panurus biarmicus

The Bird Of The Day! Soooo difficult to get a clear shot. Zvezda persist (it took her more than 30 minutes) and I am glad she did.

 

Edited June 6, 2023 by xelas

[pedro maia]

Great pictures of the Bearded Reedling (and other species), I don´t get to see those here.

[michael-ibk]

Awesome to finally see your photos Alex, great stuff. Next time we'll hopefully be along again. Sad to see the state of the soda lakes, although it was much worse a few weeks before your visit. Interesting about the Carrion Crow, not sure I've ever seen one in the area (should be Hooded or Rook there). 

[PeterHG]

I'm glad Seewinkel deliverd after all, in spite of the low water levels at some locations. A lot of good species and photos in your batch ; Long-eared Owl, Oriole, Syrian Woodpecker and many more. I can imagine the switch to the OM-1 took (and pehaps still takes) some getting used to, but Zvezda vertainly did a good job there!