Michael's Ninth Year

[michael-ibk]

21/E21) Little Grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis) / Zwergtaucher

 

Chiemsee/Germany, 21/1/24. Not uncommon but always difficult for me because of its diminutive size. The converter really helped.

 

Edited January 26 by michael-ibk

[michael-ibk]

22/E22) Arctic Loon (Gavia arctica) / Prachttaucher

 

Chiemsee/Germany, 21/1/24. Another very rare one for me. Very distant, so I was pleasantly surprised I got something recognizable at least.

 

 

[michael-ibk]

23/E23) Whooper Swan (Cygnus cygnus) / Singschwan

 

Chiemsee/Germany, 21/1/24. Again veeeery distant, but this is the only location where it's possible for me to see them, and in Winter only, so I doubt I will get another chance.

 

 

[michael-ibk]

24/E24) Eared aka Black-necked Grebe (Podiceps nigricollis) / Schwarzhalstaucher

 

Chiemsee/Germany, 21/1/24. They are regulars in Winter but mostly a bit too far from shore. Think this is actually my best effort so far even though the light was deteriorating quickly. ebird was totally confusing me with the "Eared" thing, don't know when that change happened. To make it worse the German translation of "Eared Grebe", Ohrentaucher, is our name for Slavonian Grebe (which now seems to be Horned Grebe).

 

 

[michael-ibk]

25/E25) Black-headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus) / Lachmöwe

 

Chiemsee/Germany, 21/1/24. I will never get into Gulls (hardcore birders find them endlessly fascinating but I think just so that they can show off ) but at least they are good subjects for BIF exercises.

 

[michael-ibk]

26/E26) Common Gull (Larus canus) / Sturmmöwe

 

Chiemsee/Germany, 21/1/24. An uncommon Gull in my area.

 

[michael-ibk]

27/E27) Yellow-legged Gull (Larus michahellis) / Mittelmeermöwe

 

Chiemsee/Germany, 21/1/24. Only exciting because there's always hope it could be a Caspian (much rarer here).

 

 

 

So that was a really nice day out - also got my #1, the Waxwings, here.

[Kitsafari]

congrats on the lifer! i hope some of the waxwings continue to fly east, perhaps to our shores one day? they're such beautiful birds. 

[TonyQ]

Excellent day, beautiful light. beautiful photos.

 

Yellowhammer.  I read that the name in UK  and goes back to Anglo-Saxons and German language of the time (before we were invaded by the Normans). "Ammer" was   "Bunting". I notice the German name you have is  "Goldammer"

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/apr/28/bird-names-origins-blackbird-yellowhammer

 

The book the article is based on is an interesting read also

[michael-ibk]

Ah yes, that makes sense, should have figured it out myself. Almost all other Buntings are "Ammer" in German.

 

Thanks Tony!

Edited January 29 by michael-ibk

[Zim Girl]

Lovely selection of birds from Chiemsee, Michael.

[pedro maia]

Early start this year Michael, do you need help to set a reasonable goal for your BY?

 

You know I’m here to help.

[michael-ibk]

It’s so good to have friends like you Pedro.

[michael-ibk]

28/E28) Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (Dryobates minor) / Kleinspecht

 

Gaisau/Tirol, 3/2/24. Rare but I don't think I ever had a BY without one. Always a treat to see.

 

 

This was also the day I had my great Stoat sighting:

 

[michael-ibk]

29/E29) Horned Grebe (Podiceps auritus) / Ohrentaucher

 

Walchensee/Germany, 4/2/24. February was not very productive for me. Pretty busy, and the weather was awful most weekends. This was a "bycatch" of  a failed quest to get a White-Billed Loon. Not a bad one, only my third sighting. Unfortunately these birds always tend to stay far away from shore.

 

 

[michael-ibk]

30/E30) Grey-headed Woodpecker (Picus canus) / Grauspecht

 

Tiebelmündung/Carinthia, 10/2/24. One of my favourite (and usually most productive) places but the weather was just awful, so did not take many photos. But can never pass a chance for this one, one of our rarest Woodpeckers. Probably had more Big Years without it than with it.

 

 

[michael-ibk]

31/E31) Greater Scaup (Aythya marila) / Bergente

 

Tiebelmündung/Carinthia, 10/2/24. Highly unlikely I will get this  one again (my third sighting of this bird) this year so might as well post this ebc.

 

[BRACQUENE]

Congratulations Michael !  Two Woodpeckers , one I will probably never see because we don't  have him over here and another one I have been chasing for three days , seen and heard a few times but no photo yet but I will persist 

[Galana]

Never mind the birds. That's a great Ermine Stoat. Never see them like that here. Is there a green Emoji?

[michael-ibk]

32/E32) Spanish Sparrow (Passer hispaniolensis) / Weidensperling

 

Popeye Village, 23/3/24. Saying Hi from Malta - and testing my new mobile. 😄

 

[xelas]

Your new mobile is working great ... for sparrows .

[Kitsafari]

with a mobile like that, you don't need the big stuff. 

[michael-ibk]

33/O1) House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) / Haussperling

 

Muscat, Oman, 24/2/24. Starting my Oman birds with the most spectacular species. 

 

 

My birds are probably a bit redundant since Alex has posted them, and many will be basically the same shot. But every birds counts, and I need to get this going, too many unprocessed photos on my harddisc!

[michael-ibk]

34/O2) Green-winged aka Eurasian Teal (Anas crecca) / Krickente

 

Muscat River Mouth, Oman, 24/2/24. Another one I really had to travel to Oman for. 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

35/O3) Eurasian Oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus) / Austernfischer

 

Muscat River Mouth, 24/2/2024. Another familiar face from Europe (although one I rarely see here in landlocked Austria, come on, do mock me @PeterHG!)