10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 23, 2021

It was also great to finally travel overseas again, meet a lot of people I did not know (and some I did), to be in a new country… and not just the new country, but its best birding area, where almost all local hotspots are yellow (150+ species) and several are ochre (200+ sp.), impressive for Central Europe.

Austria 299

Austria Factory Asia Battery 299

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 29, 2016

Presuming that you live somewhere in Europe and plan a car trip to Greece, let me suggest a couple of routes that will increase your tour list. Head for the sea only when you fully recharge your batteries. The local bird list is impressive at 273 species and my September daily averages were around 50 bird species.

Greece 180

Greece Albania Macedonia Europe 180

10,000 Birds

JULY 7, 2016

Not so long ago, Ortolans were as common as Corn Buntings still are in this part of Europe (not so in the north), but somewhere during the 1980s they plummeted to become rather uncommon birds of the rural countryside.

Romania 149

Romania Sparrows Battery Turtles 149

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 15, 2015

This species is still uncommon in the Balkans and despite the recent spread, Kalamas is the most reliable site for it in Greece (and this made my only second ever observation of them in Europe). I reach for my camera, only to realise that the batteries were flat. Further north, I reach the Kestrini River and turn left.

Greece 239

Greece Dogs Pelicans Fish 239

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 1, 2019

Born in a different era, when bird photography was difficult, I gave many advice how to write the basic info, but the strangest thing to novices today turned out to be the advice on sketching the unknown species. Still, besides documenting rare species, forms, or odd individuals (e.g. Why should I sketch it, I am lousy at that.

Birds 152

Birds Costa Rica Greece Colombia 152

10,000 Birds

MARCH 2, 2023

Not a cover species The Black Kite is not actually black, but of course, misleading bird names are not exactly rare. No surprise then that the species is listed as Vulnerable. But then, sanity (or maybe respect for you, the reader) prevailed. Fortunately, they are quite common in Shanghai. It is also called Chinese Bulbul.

Birds 130

Birds Iraq China Ireland 130