Migration update

Yesterday I was on quick check at Vrbje pond and it was preety nice. I was again pleased to see Night Heron but this time there were 3 individuals on the island in the middle of the pond as usual. Also 9 Common Sandpipers and 1 Garganey and this is it out of interest. Later I went to check fields around the town of Šempeter. As usual some singing Crested Larks, 1 Wheatear, 1 Lapwing, 2 Stonechats and some Stock Doves. At home also first 2 Red-backed Shrikes (my earliest record for Slovenia i must say), singing Woodwarbler and around 3 Common Redstarts singing in the willage (one pair is again nesting on our house above the balcony). Today i went to lake Žovnek and i was suprised with low number of birds but anyway there was something to see. around 20 Great-crested Grebes, Little Grebes, Coots, Grey Herons (again found 7 dead herons in the fishfarm and they were probalbly shot by the fishfarmers...), 1 Cormorant, 1 Greenshank, 7 Common Sandpipers and 3 Little-ringed Plovers. Ponds of the fishfarm were again interesting with feeding Black Stork, 1 Purple Heron, 2 Lapwings (they will probalbly nest in one of the empty ponds), my years first singing Great Reed Warbler and an awful lot of hirundines (few hundred). Also White Stork is back in the nearby willage and already sitting on the eggs.

Rače ponds, Požeg reservoir and Medvedce reservoir

On saturday me and Alen were leading a small group of birders to Rače and Požeg. Weather was quite miserable at first so birds were not much active but anyway there were some good birds around. Ponds held usual seasonal stuff with lots of Ferruginous Ducks, Pochards, Tufted Ducks, Shovelers, Teals, Garganeys and other commoner waterfowl. Later on we headed to Požeg where we spotted Osprey as soon as we get out of our cars. Bird was soaring low above the water surface and then flew towars the fish farm and there he get a fish in about a minute. After he get the fish two other Ospreys apeared above the fish farm and also they get their fish soon. All 3 birds were later feeding on some nice low perches above water. Other birds included 5 nice Black-necked Grebes, lots of Shovelers and Teals among some Aythyas, 1 Night Heron, 2 Kingfishers, 1 Common Sandpiper and others.

 White Stork

 Osprey with freshly cought fish

Common Buzzard

When we finished leading the group me and Alen went to Medvedce reservoir which was as allways much lively. Water surface was covered with birds. Most numerous were Coots, Pochards up to 200 and Tufted Ducks. Other ducks included 2 male Goldeneyes (quite late record for this area), Teals, Garganeys, Shovelers, Gadwalls, Mallards, Pintailed Ducks, Wigeons and Ferruginous Ducks. It was also nice to see 16 Black-necked Grebes displaying and they were probalbly one of the loudest birds around. Also 1 female Montagu's Harrier, 1 Osprey, Black Kite, first Hobby of the year, few Marsh Harriers, 17 Black Terns, 1 Common Gull etc.

Ferruginous Ducks 

Lapwing

 Lapwing on the nest

Male Shoveler

Cerknica lake and Vrbje pond

Yesterday I was on a school trip to Cerknica lake and I had one our to look for some birds at one part of the lake. Nothing much interesting to report just one Osprey, 1 Night Heron, 1 Little Egret, 4 Little-ringed Plovers, 1 Greenshank and other commoner birds.

 Osprey

 Night Heron

 Little-ringed Plover

Yellow Wagtail

Today I was on Vrbje pond for just aboud 15 minutes and spotted 1 Night Heron perching on some low trees and 7 Shovelers and this was it from the interest. This small pond of a size only 13 acres had 7 breeding pairs of Great-crested Grebes which is quite high number for such a small water space.

Night Heron

Magic weekend on Pohorje!

Tengmalm's Owl

An amazing weekend is behind me. Around 24 birders from DOPPS gathered on Pohorje to get as many locations for out target species (Tengmalm's Owl, Pygmy Owl, Ural Owl, Three-toed Woodpecker, Hazel Grouse and Western Capercaillie) as we can and we did that quite well though! We were seperated in several groups and I was with Alen, Matej and Aleš Tomažič.We started on Friday night with owls and we got 3 Tawny Owls and also 1 Tengmalm's Owl. Next morning we were searching for Three-toed Woody but with no luck on our locations. Later on we got one but it was on the other's group territory but all in all it was good when we flushed Ural Owl sitting by the road. After lunch we decided to check nearby Črno lake and also there no Woodpeckers but the situation was much better when we heard Tengmalm's Owl calling in the middle of the day and after a while we find male singing above our heads. Amazing!

After we fed up with it we went back towards our car and about 20 metres away from the main path the male Pygmy Owl started to sing on the top of a tree and also there we got amazing views!

Pygmy Owl

Night owl census was again bad with only 1 Tawny Owl. Today in the morning we headed to Lovrenška lakes for Black Grouse and for Woodpeckers. Before we park our car on Rogla we stoped by the main road and we got another Pygmy Owl singing on a high tree in amazing morning light. When we arrived to car park Alen and I stayed around the nearby hotel and we were photographing Crossbils, Ring Ouzels,Wheatears and others while Matej and Ivan headed to Lovrenška Lakes and they got 2 Grouses and 3 Woodpeckers.

 Ring Ouzel

Crossbil

While we were waiting for them I decided to go a little bit further around the forest and after 10 minutes I found female Black Grouse sitting on a branch and nicely saw her.

Black Grouse

Together all groups had more than 40 Tengmalm's, many Pygmy's, 5 Ural Owls, Woodpeckers, one Hazel Grouse, 3 Capercaillies, some Black Grouses, Woodcock and other commoner forest species. What an amazing weekend i must say!!!

Water hide test

Yesterday I went to Medvedce to test new water hide, that I and Jure made. We found picture on the internet and made some improvements.

This is how it looks like from the distance (with Jure in it). I went to the lake at 5.a.m. I camouflage the raft and waited in the water for about 2 hours, when the light was appropriate for photographing. Some birds were shy but I managed to get some good photos.

First bird of the day - Grey Heron.

Shovelers were rather shy as they were being chased by White-tailed Eagle.

Most photogenic was this pair of Ferruginous Ducks. They were passing my hide 3 meters in front.

Osprey was eating fish for about 2 hours in front of me. I was in hide from 5.a.m. to 1.p.m. 8 hours in water, walking on knees (water level is very low). When I came to the shore I was exhausted and I felt like I was driven by a train. More pictures to come as this was only the beginning!