![](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EJlT_FKiTHM/VUZyu1sMqLI/AAAAAAAAL3k/MFaRufscbMk/s1600/Strix%2Buralensis%2BDSCN5114.JPG) |
Male Ural Owl Strix uralensis (same ind. in all three pics). |
![](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pC5VrYVcFKU/VUZ0N4TqvOI/AAAAAAAAL4g/5djNFlEV_Ps/s1600/Strix%2Buralensis%2BDSCN5137.JPG) |
The 3rd uralensis of the day. |
![](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hRhY_byz888/VUZypQZM4SI/AAAAAAAAL3U/3tbBBkQXgLE/s1600/Picoides%2Btridactylus%2BDSCN5065.JPG) |
Male Three-toed Woodpecker Picoides tridactylus - note the thin yellow stripe on the head. |
![](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GBRkJq76gJo/VUZ1i-AFOqI/AAAAAAAAL4s/29M9zAX7Mlw/s1600/00%2BDSCN5077.JPG) |
Old nesting cavities of Three-toed Woodpecker in a dead conifer. |
![](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ghiO1KghneE/VUZy6iUnIcI/AAAAAAAAL30/RCXSPnI99c4/s1600/00%2BDSCN5081.JPG) |
Three-toed habitat. |
![](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TShhMLes-XE/VUZy9368SbI/AAAAAAAAL38/1SQvBfv3KGU/s1600/00%2BDSCN5150.JPG) |
Somewhere in that fog was lurking the 5th Ural Owl of the day. |
![](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yoFeur7WLlw/VUZz0Ix80XI/AAAAAAAAL4Q/ayzg7YRdhDo/s1600/00%2BScopolia%2Bcarniolica%2BDSCN5104.JPG) |
Scopolia carniolica - never tired of these! |
![](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FhR3ZSuQL28/VUZyz6L_EkI/AAAAAAAAL3s/N7vQwB9wcxE/s1600/00%2BCardamine%2Btrifolia%2BDSCN5127.JPG) |
Cardamine trifolia |
Excellent day in the Kočevje forests doing a census of
Three-toed Woodpecker Picoides tridactylus. Had 3 individuals, one of which was a nice male with yellow crown. Thus I accomplished one of my targets for 2015: to see a male (after last year's 15 or so females). In the daytime hours
Ural Owls Strix uralensis were particularly active with a total of 5 birds contacted. Four of them were seen (2 pairs and one singleton). An adult
Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos gliding above a forested slope was also of note. By far the commonest bird of the day was Cuckoo
Cuculus canorus - heard one at every census stop (about 15 in total).