DOTTEREL at last!!

A perfect day, for a perfect bird! I spent today's afternoon looking for Dotterels on the hillsides of the mount Vremščica in nearby Slovenia, with my friend Igor Maiorano. After almost 2 hours of walking the grassy slopes and having just heard a weak call of a probable bird, our effort was rewarded. At 17.45 two EURASIAN DOTTERELS flew over our heads, calling (it was the call we heard before!) and landed on a nearby hill top. So we went to check. The birds remained there for the whole time. The moments that followed cannot be described with simple words, but let's say that excitment was of course the prevailing feeling. We had the two birds feeding on the stony path down to 5 metres in front of us! From the plumage features I can say they were juv/1st winter birds...or something like that (see pics above). Very tame; they approached us even more when we sat down on the ground and waited. Simply gorgeous, especially with the perfect orange light of the sun setting! They showed very well on the path (and in the nearby low vegetation) until 19.00-19.30 when we left the site.
The search in the early afternoon was not too boring, as we had some other birds for good company too: 2 Kestrels, lots of Whinchats and Northern Wheatears, Skylark (being the commonest bird), 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 imm Marsh Harrier (hunting over the hills), Raven, Buzzard, 1 Honey Buzzard, 1 Lesser Spotted Woodpecker calling in the nearby wood, 1 Willow Warbler and a nice immature GOLDEN EAGLE being mobbed by a Common Buzzard (an interesting sightings here).

And here a photo by Igor Maiorano with 300 mm lenses:

Final score: 7 BLUETHROATS!

Škocjanski zatok NR: a great day with an interesting passage of passerines, including some pretty rare ones. Early in the morning when I saw the first BLUETHROAT (first pic above) I was quite amazed by the find of this rare migrant. But when I began to see them everywhere, I realised there was a strong passage going on. I counted a total of 7 different birds in different parts of the reserve. Usually preferring reedbed-filled ditches, hedges (by the main path) and reedbed borders. The second bird was hopping on the path and feeding in the nearby hedges. The third and fourth were seen in a reedbed, usually feeding on the ground (sometimes chasing each other). While these two uttered a "tack-tack" call, a third bird called back, rising the score to 5 birds! At the end of the path, by the biggest reedbed area, I could spot 2 other Bluethroats chasing each other in flight - identified by the diagnostic reddish tail-sides. One also landed on a willow and gave some short views.

All were either 1st winter males or adult males/females in autumn plumage: with a blue band on the lower throat. Some were more colorful (having a bigger blue band) thus suggesting males.

This was undoubtely one of my best birding sights on the reserve!

Other birds of note included: 1 juv Purple Heron, 1 juv Spoonbill (the usual one), 20 Shovelers, 232 Teals (!), 2 female GARGANEY, 1 juv/female Marsh Harrier, 8 Common Sandpipers, 9 juvenile Spotted Redshanks, 18 Greenshanks, 3 Wood Sandpipers, 2 Green Sandpipers, 2 Snipes, Kingfisher, 1 singing Wryneck (always the same one), Tree Pipits on passage, 5 Yellow Wagtails, 3 Nightingales, 10 Whinchats on the grazing marsh, 1 first winter Northern Wheatear (by the railway line), 1 Fan-tailed Warbler, 3 Great Reed Warblers (in the hedges), 4 Sedge Warblers, 1 Reed Warbler, 1 juv/female Common Whitethroat (first of the autumn), +8 Blackcaps, +10 Garden Warblers and 2 juv Red-backed Shrikes.

Some waders were pretty close...

Juvenile Spotted Redshank:



Greenshank:



Spotted Redshank and Greenshank:



Wood Sandpiper:



Not a wader, but worth a picture - Goldfinch:

Cerkniško jezero - Saturday 25th June 2011

Had some enjoyable birding yesterday on the Cerkniško jezero (Slovenia) in the company of Nikolaj Noel Christensen. The area held the usual fantastic summer mixture of great birds: 2 singing Quails, at least 4-5 COMMON ROSEFINCHES singing in bushy areas around Dolenje Jezero (some seen), Grey Wagtail, Common Whitethroat, 1 male Reed Bunting, Yellowhammer, pair of White Storks at Martinjak, 1 ad WHITE-TAILED EAGLE soaring above Dolenje Jezero, 1 singing Wryneck, Linnet, Ashy-headed Yellow Wagtails, Sedge Warbler, 2-3 Tree Pipits, at least 2 singing male BARRED WARBLERS in bushy area near Dolenje Jezero (seen a female + males in flight), 1 singing Marsh Warbler, Great Crested Grebe, 2 Short-toed Eagles hovering and "hanging" (one over Otok, the other near Martinjak), 3 Honey Buzzards, 1 Hobby (Otok), Great Reed Warbler heard, 1 Bittern heard singing from Otok, 1 Great Egret, Whinchat, Skylark.
Before arriving to the lake area we stopped at Planinsko polje where another Quail was singing + some Red-backed Shrikes and Grey Wagtail.
The area just out of Postojna held the usual breeding colony of Crag Martins plus a Honey Buzzard. Also 2 White Storks were at Razdrto.
Pics above: doc shot of the Common Rosefinch and Short-toed Eagle.

Two days in the Alps with BLACK GROUSE special

I spent the last two days (Thursday and Friday) in the Italian Alps of Friuli Venezia Giulia with two other friends, trying to see some alpine gamebirds and other upland specialities.

Day 1 - Thursday 9th June:
We nearly spent the whole day at the Cornino lake Nature Reserve, near Forgaria. The main target here was a mega rarity: a Black Vulture reported in the previous days...that we dipped at the end. Instead we got another pretty much rare bird, a *LONG-LEGGED BUZZARD*, also reported in the past few days. The birds was soaring quite high with other raptors, so the views were not extremly grateful (not as those in Hungary!). Other interesting birds in the area: about 96 Griffon Vultures, lots of Ravens, 10-15 Black Kites, several singing WESTERN BONELLI'S WARBLERS, singing Common Redstarts (the first for me this year), about 8 Honey Buzzards (far commoner than Common Buzzard), 2 Short-toed Eagles, 1 female Kestrel, 1 Hobby (hunting House Martins), 2 Siskins (flew overhead), Spotted Flycatcher, 2 Red Squirrels and 3 Wild Boars (see pic).
Later on the mount Cuar a quite far away singing Ural Owl. Also there Eurasian Treecreeper, Coal Tit, Bullfinch ect.
A stop near Portis (Venzone) produced: nesting Griffon Vultures and some Crag Martins plus 6 ALPINE IBEXES.
Griffon Vultures:





Wild Boar:


Day 2 - Friday 10th June:
At 03.00 am in a park in the town of Udine a Little Owl was singing.
We then headed to the Mount Oisternig (2050 m a.s.l.) on the border with Austria, to try and see some truly alpine birds. The main target were of course Black Grouse, Ptarmigan, Cappercaillie ect.
We were actually very lucky with the BLACK GROUSE - no less than 4 birds! The first one (a female) was seen as we were ascending to the top of the Oisternig - it took off some 10-20 metres away from the path. The second encounter was with a stunning male. Firstly spotted at great distance as it was sitting on the ground below a spruce tree... we then approached it and got nice views. When it took off, another one followed him in flight. But the best came at the end. When we were walking back on the steep grassy slope, I almost trod on a female Black Grouse! It bursted away with great noise, hitting my leg with the wing and leaving me quite schocked! I then realised that few centimetres away from my foot there was a nest with 7 eggs!! The nest was actually well concealed in a cup of grass, beneath the top of a fallen spruce. We had a quick look at it, took some photos and left the site as soon as possible. A probably quite scary encounter for the grouse, but a great one for us!
This was of course the highlight, but there were other interesting sightings too during the day. Here are the species we had: Song and Mistle Thrush, Wren, Grey Wagtail, Goldcrest & Firecrest, Crested, Coal and Willow Tit, Eurasian Treecreeper, several Bullfinches, 2 Lesser Whitethroats, Dunnock (in upland habitat), a Siskin family, both Tree and Water Pipit (marking their upland territories), Linnet, several RING OUZELS (superb males!), 2-3 pairs of Northern Wheatear, 8 Alpine Choughs flew past, 1 ALPINE ACCENTOR, Crossbills in flight, some Honey Buzzards, 2 calling Nutcrackers (one seen), Spotted Flycatcher, 1 Black Woodpecker heard, 2 WHITE-THROATED DIPPERS (in flight and perched...on a mountain stream), 1 Buzzard and 1 male Red-backed Shrike. Mammals included: 1 male RED DEER at dawn, 1 European Hare, 1 Roe Deer, 6 ALPINE CHAMOISES and several ALPINE MARMOTS (on the grassy slopes). Also 2-3 Small Tortoiseshells on the top of the mount.
Black Grouse's nest:


Small Tortoiseshell:

Some landscape views:

Wagtail tree

Škocjanski zatok: nice to have 3 subspecies of Yellow Wagtail on the same tree! The flock present in the freshwater marsh included mainly Blue-headed (flava), some Ashy-headed (cinereocapilla) and 2 Black-headed (feldegg) Wagtails (see pics above).
Other birds in the area today: 4 Shovelers, 21 Garganeys, 1 male Pochard, 1 White-fronted Goose (the usual blind one), 19 Black-winged Stilts, 10 Little Ringed Plovers, 22 Ruffs, 3 Curlews, 1 breeding plumaged Black-tailed Godwit, 1 Common Sandpiper, 1 Spotted Redshank, 20 Greenshanks, 25 Wood Sandpipers, 1 Green Sandpiper, 7 Snipes, 11 Common Terns, 2 Swallows, 1 House Martin, 5 Cetti's Warblers, 7 Blackcaps, 3 Chiffchaffs, 2 Long-tailed Tits, 31 Jackdaws (landed in the freshwater marsh to drink), 1 Serin, 1 Linnet (overhead). Also the first Wall Brown Butterflies and Scarce Swallowtail.
Pics above: the first two show the overview of the tree; the third concentrates on one Black-headed (right), one Ashy-headed (centre left) and two Blue-headeds (left above and below); the fourth concentrates on the Blue-headeds (and one Ashy-headed in the background); the fifth shows again one Black-headed, one Blue-headed and one Ashy-headed; the sixth shows a Black-headed while the last is zoomed on a Blue-headed.

"superciliaris" Yellow Wagtail and spring arrivals

Škocjanski zatok: another day of migratory movement. In the morning I managed to find the year's first BLACK-WINGED STILT for the reserve (and for me). The bird was feeding in the freshwater marsh, quite apart from the other waders. In the extensive reedbed a MOUSTACHED WARBLER was singing and even showed up for a while. One of the other highlights was an unfamiliar Yellow Wagtail subspecies...that was later identified as a "superciliaris" YELLOW WAGTAIL. The bird was a male with a black cap (feldegg-like), but with a prominent white supercillium and a kind of white submoustachial stripe (see pics above). Other Yellow Wagtail ssp. present in the area were: mainly flava, some cinereocapilla and 1 feldegg all in the same flock of 11-12.
Other birds present in the reserve included: 2 Black-necked Grebes in the lagoon, 15 Wigeons, 4 Pochards, 1 Water Rail, 7 Little Ringed Plovers (see pics), 16 Curlews, 1 Common Sandpiper, 2 Redshanks, 1 Spotted Redshank, 22 Greenshanks, 2 Green Sanpipers, 9 Snipes, 6 Common Gulls, 2 Kingfishers, at least 5 ALPINE SWIFTS, 2-3 Skylarks, 1 Crested Lark, 1 single SWALLOW (passing by), 2 HOUSE MARTINS (over the lagoon), 2 Meadow Pipits, lots of White Wagtails, 7 Stonechats, 4 Cetti's Warblers, 1 Jackdaw (flew overhead), singing Chiffchaffs everywhere (!), several Penduline Tits (also showing well - see pics), 1 singing Cirl Bunting and +20 Reed Buntings.
Also of interest were 2 DICE SNAKES and several Marsh Frogs.
Below: Black-winged Stilt (2x), Penduline Tit and Little Ringed Plover




In the early afternoon a stop by the fields near Srmin/Bonifika (KP) produced a ringtail HEN HARRIER (hunting) and a flock of 40-50 Skylarks.

Winter's first Merlin for Škocjanski zatok

Škocjanski zatok (KP): today's highlight was a superb male MERLIN perched on the grass in the freshwater marsh. It remained there for at least 10-15 minutes, giving great views (see pics above). It represents the first record of the species this winter. Other birds in the area included: 2-3 Wigeon, Shoveler, lots of Teals, 2 males Pochard (in the freshwater), 2 females Tufted Duck, +6 Pygmy Cormorant, 1 Great Egret, 1 Buzzard, 2 Sparrowhawks, 10-15 Greenshanks over the brackish lagoon and 1 female Brambling (ringed) at the feeding station (with all the other finches and tits).

Lazzaretto - Muggia (TS) - on the sea: +12 Red-breasted Mergansers, 1 Curlew on the mudflats, 5 Great Crested Grebes, +5 Black-necked Grebe, 2 Kingfishers, 1 Black-throated Diver and 1 male Common Eider, which seems to be an irregular visitor to the area.