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| The white beast: Short-toed Eagle Circaetus gallicus |
Spent a few hours on the karstic grasslands of Divača this afternoon. The main star was the above
Short-toed Eagle Circaetus gallicus perched on a pine for half an hour or so. Watched it from about 400m away - great scope views. Always impressive to see those cracking yellow eyes.
Also plenty of small migrant birds around in the bushes making the overall scene quite autumn-ish: Whinchats
Saxicola rubetra and Stonechats
Saxicola torquatus on every bush, lots of Blackcaps
Sylvia atricapilla, 2 Lesser Whitethroats
Sylvia curruca, 2 Garden Warblers
S. borin (1st of the autumn), 3 Common Whitethroats
S. communis, 1 Melodious Warbler
Hippolais polyglotta, a nice
Icterine Warbler Hippolais icterina (1st of the season), Wood Warbler
Phylloscopus sibilatrix, Nightingale
Luscinia megarhynchos and a Wheatear
Oenanthe oenanthe on Divača's airfield. On the higher trees also 2 Spotted Flycatchers
Muscicapa striata and a Pied Flycatcher
Ficedula hypoleuca, along with small flocks of migrant Tree Pipits
Anthus trivialis making a stop. A single female/imm Red-backed Shrike
Lanius collurio was probably also on migration as the local breeders seemed already gone. Of the local birds a juvenile
Goshawk Accipiter gentilis, 4 Cirl Buntings
Emberiza cirlus (one still feeding its youngs), Woodlark
Lullua arborea, Crested Tit
Lophophanes cristatus and a Black Woodpecker
Dryocopus martius calling from the woods.
All in all a quite productive couple of hours!
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| Female Common Whitethroat Sylvia communis looking a bit like a Ian Lewington's painting. |
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| Male Cirl Bunting Emberiza cirlus |
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| Allium senescens (montanum) now in full bloom. |
