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!!!