In the afternoon I found the above female Green Woodpecker digging a hole into the snow, on a field not far from a country road. The bird remained on view for a about 5 minutes, until it flew up on the nearest oak tree, still showing well (here is a video). A common bird set in a nice wintery context.
The increasing wind in the late afternoon put a rough stop to my waiting-for-the-Wallcreeper plan. However I managed to see 3 smart ALPINE ACCENTORS on the cliffs of Mt.Stena (Glinščica valley NR) foraging in the short grass on the steep slope. I located them thanks to their frequent calls. In the area a male Peregrine was sitting on its usual perch and a pair of Ravens was constructing its nest in a crevice in the cliff. Two Rock Buntings and a male Black Redstart were also on the cliff face, but few other birds were around in the wooded areas, apart from the usual tits and a Siskin (heard).
Also the other places I visited during the day (mainly on the Slovene Karst) were quite calm and my search for a potential Rough-legged Buzzard ended with no actual lagopus in the bag. Two Fieldfares and some other commoner countryside birds were nice to see though.
Peregrine in the Glinščica valley/Val Rosandra
The first Helleborus braving the snow
Oh, and here I put a video of the Cirl Bunting I had in the garden the other day. Sorry for the black dot...it must be some kind of dirt on the inner camera lenses.
