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| Cuckoo Cuculus canorus |
Grim and cloudy day but still good enough to be on the Karst enjoying some spring sights. I'm still in a
Cuckoo mood as they are now singing from almost every woodland. This morning I heard 7 of them; 6 were relatively close to each other. A bird in particular was especially collaborative while singing and catching caterpillars from an exposed perch (above). A singing
Hoopoe on the top of a bush was a similar thrilling sight. Other good birds included 2
Wrynecks, 1 male
Common Redstart (year's first), 4
Northern Wheatears, 1
Grey-headed Woodpecker, Rock, Cirl & Corn Buntings plus Yellowhammer and loads of commoner species.
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| Singing Hoopoe Upupa epops. Note the inflated throat. |
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| Male Common Redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus |
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| Male Northern Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe |
A flock of +20
Common Swifts above the local patch, earlier this morning was a welcome sight. My firsts were seen just yesterday in the late afternoon on the cliffs of Mt.Grisa, where among the several
Alpine Swifts I also had 1-2
Pallid Swifts migrating past. On the vis-mig front a flock of about 70
Curlews was of note and a female
Marsh Harrier was seen flying above the sea.
Nightingale is now regularly heard singing in the patch (from the house) as well.
Two days ago I had my first
Wood Warbler of the year, singing in a patch of woodland, together in a chorus with
Willow Warbler and Chiffhcaff. The same evening I also had a double chorus of
Scops and
Tawny Owl.
And to round up with some flowers...
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| Paeonia officinalis |
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| Iris illyrica |
