Michael's Ninth Year

[xelas]

13 hours ago, michael-ibk said:

xelas, do your photos show something of the ring?

Nope. Same angles as yours.

[Galana]

A good record of an excellent trip. Too many to comment but, OK, another Long-eared Owl is well up there.

As @Zim Girlsays. They sit so nicely for the camera.

[pedro maia]

Another vote for the terns sequence, and of course for the BIFs.

[Kitsafari]

awesome collection. the red-footed falcon is so pretty. 

[michael-ibk]

Thanks @Galana, @pedro maiaand @Kitsafari!

 

270/E134) Common Firecrest (Regulus ignicapilla) / Sommergoldhähnchen

 

Telfer Wiesen, Tirol / Austria, 4/5/2023. Not uncommon in our forests.

 

 

[michael-ibk]

271/E135) Western Bonelli's Warbler (Phylloscopus bonelli) / Berglaubsänger

 

Telfer Wiesen, Tirol / Austria, 4/5/2023. One of our migrant breeders. Franco Andrea Bonelli (10 November 1784 – 18 November 1830) was an Italian ornithologist, entomologist and collector.

 

[michael-ibk]

272/E136) Common Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs) / Buchfink

 

Gaisau, Tirol / Austria, 5/5/2024. As much at home in forests as around human settlements. A true habitat generalist.

 

 

[michael-ibk]

273/E137) Eurasian Wryneck (Jynx torquilla) / Wendehals

 

Drauhofen, Carinthia / Austria, 9/5/2024. My best location for this species in Spring. Even though they are quite vocal still very hard to find with their perfect camouflage.

 

 

This is also my best spot for another difficult species, Grey-headed Woodpecker, and indeed, found one again.

 

[michael-ibk]

274/E138) Whinchat (Saxicola rubetra) / Braunkehlchen

 

Stausee Reißeck, Carinthia / Austria, 9/5/2024. Becoming rarer and rarer.

 

[michael-ibk]

275/E139) Black Grouse (Lyrurus tetrix) / Birkhuhn

 

Dobratsch, Carinthia / Austria, 10/5/2024. Good bird to get. Only the female unfortunately. Glimpsed two males but they were very much on edge. Very understandably, since a hunter had just killed another male and had it spread out on his car. Not the way I wanted to see one! Open season on (only) the males is from May 10th to end of the month.

 

 

[michael-ibk]

276/E140) Ring Ouzel (Turdus torquatus) / Ringdrossel

 

Dobratsch, Carinthia / Austria, 10/5/2024. A strictly Alpine bird in Austria.

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

277/E141) Water Pipit (Anthus spinoletta) / Bergpieper

 

Dobratsch, Carinthia / Austria, 10/5/2024. The most common bird up in the Mountains but very rarely approachable.

 

[michael-ibk]

278/E142) Dunnock (Prunella modularis) / Heckenbraunelle

 

Dobratsch, Carinthia / Austria, 10/5/2024. Not a garden bird in Austria (like in the UK), occurring in higher elevations.

 

[michael-ibk]

279/E143) Red Crossbill (Loxia curvirostra) / Fichtenkreuzschnabel

 

Dobratsch, Carinthia / Austria, 10/5/2024. One of my favourite locals, just love the colour and the charismatic look due to the weird bill.

 

[michael-ibk]

280/E144) Citril Finch (Carduelis citrinella) / Zitronenzeisig

 

Dobratsch, Carinthia / Austria, 10/5/2024. The only known population in Carinthia. Almost failed getting one this time, took this photo 2 minutes before we got back to the car.

 

 

Their habitat:

 

 

Dobratsch is just a beautiful place. Very convenient to get several Alpine species because one can drive up quite high. Still a fair bit to the summit but great views waiting there.

 

 

Also the time for Crocus now:

 

[michael-ibk]

281/E145) Mute Swan (Cygnus olor) / Höckerschwan

 

Tiebelmündung, Carinthia / Austria, 11/5/2024. Doing very well here. Too well in fact, they have become a political issue since farmers are vehemently complaining about the damage they are inflicting on the neighbouring fields in the area.

 

 

I was very excited when I found this Lesser White-fronted Goose (which would be a lifer):

 

 

But just an escapee unfortunately. We do get some wild ones every year, but only in Winter in Seewinkel.

[michael-ibk]

282/E146) Marsh Warbler (Acrocephalus palustris) / Sumpfrohrsänger

 

Tiebelmündung, Carinthia / Austria, 11/5/2024. Always a very late arrival and very busy singing right now. Not a common bird in Austria at all. And not an easy one.

 

[michael-ibk]

283/E147) Eurasian Golden Oriole (Oriolus oriolus) / Pirol

 

Drauhofen, Carinthia / Austria, 12/5/2024. It's really hard to believe how such a colourful bird that should stick out like a sore thum can be so hard to spot. And shy - don't think I ever got a photo I did not have to heavily crop.

 

 

Love this area in Spring. The song of Oriole is everywhere, good stuff like Wryneck, Red-backed Shrike, Cuckoo, Hoopoe, Woodpeckers and many more interesting species. Got 50 birds on my morning walk which is pretty good for me in Austria.

 

 

[michael-ibk]

284/E148) Icterine Warbler (Hippolais icterina) / Gelbspötter

 

Drauhofen, Carinthia / Austria, 12/5/2024. Thought to be just a migrating guest in Carinthia but I really cannot see why they would not breed in this perfect area. Not impossible, had the first breeding record for Carinthia (in a different area) a couple of years ago, and I don't think anybody except me is really birding here.

 

[michael-ibk]

285/E149) Eurasian Treecreeper (Certhia familiaris) / Waldbaumläufer

 

Drauhofen, Carinthia / Austria, 12/5/2024. No ID doubt here, it was singing loud and clear. Totally wrong habitat, so certainly just moving through.

 

[michael-ibk]

286/E150) Fieldfare (Turdus pilaris) / Wacholderdrossel

 

Drauhofen, Carinthia / Austria, 12/5/2024. A fairly common Thrush.

 

[michael-ibk]

287/E151) Spotted Flycatcher (Muscicapa striata) / Grauschnäpper

 

Drauhofen, Carinthia / Austria, 12/5/2024. Another recent returner, on the lookout for a partner.

 

 

And I am really having a Hoopoe year:

 

 

Taken in my mother's garden! A pair is nesting in our neighbour's garden, and they are visiting regularly.

 

All caught up now, and just in time - this Friday we are off to Namibia.

[xelas]

Pulling away strongly! I would love to join you at Dobratsch; this time I would bring proper hiking shoes 😁.

[Galana]

Way to many to single out the 'wows'. A truly great selection.

Sad about killing Blackgrouse especially so in May which will do neither sexes any good. Very unenlightened.

[Peter Connan]

A truly magnificent area! And you got some really nice shots there. I especially like the Firecrest. Such a pretty little bird.

 

Enjoy the trip to Namibia!

Edited Tuesday at 10:03 AM by Peter Connan