10,000 Birds

JULY 24, 2014

With binoculars around my neck, I am leaving home, wondering which will be the first species on my year list. Obviously, I am talking of Feral Pigeons (also called city, town or street pigeons). The scientific name of the Feral Pigeon is Columba livia domestica and that last world tells the story. New Year’s Day 2014.

Feral 260

Feral Meat Species Serbia 260

10,000 Birds

APRIL 2, 2015

Two Feral Pigeons. Three Feral Pigeons. One more Feral Pigeon. One Feral Pigeon. Some lovely and touristy cities of Western Europe are justly proud of their cathedral Peregrines (Barcelona, Norwich, Bristol), even London (which has its charms, but is far from lovely) – why not Belgrade (isn’t proud, I mean)?

Switzerland 207

Switzerland Serbia Feral Falcons 207

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 1, 2018

I had just a split-second glimpse of this species – my only second ever – yet immediately knew what is it, but I was driving through a snowbound countryside and had another car behind me, therefore I stopped a good 50 metres later to eBird it. Feral Pigeon – Columba livia. Fortunately, B. managed to see it, his largest owl ever.

Owls 108

Owls Greece Serbia Woodpeckers 108

10,000 Birds

JUNE 12, 2014

These days I am busy with something called the “avitourism product“ of Belgrade, Serbia. Defining Belgrade bird specialties is the hard part – there is no defined criterion, beside attractiveness which often comes from how uncommon some species is. Pygmy Cormorant – winter (it breeds in Serbia, but overwinters in Belgrade).

Serbia 190

Serbia Eagles Birds Sparrows 190

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 17, 2019

The other day I counted my favourite section of the Danube River, the wide and shallow Labudovo okno Ramsar site in Serbia. The biggest count ever was less than 10 birds in the whole of Serbia. Here in Serbia, in the south of the continent, this species is a proper rarity. And this one chose to fly right in front of us.

Geese 160

Geese Serbia Birds Estonia 160

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 4, 2016

This section of the river is known as the Labudovo okno reserve, a Ramsar site and the most important waterbird wintering area in the whole of Serbia. Scanning the water for rarer species… S. Labudovo okno reserve, photo (2) by Marko Sciban. warns me of two locally rare Bean Geese. Watch for the dark beaks.” Yeah, right.

Geese 186

Geese Hunting Boars Birds 186

10,000 Birds

MARCH 30, 2017

The species he was thrilled to see was the Mute Swan. Well, for me – no, but for Nicolaas, Mute Swans were a lifer species. He has seen them before in Cape Town, but those were introduced and feral birds, while in the Balkans they are indigenous and – countable!

Birds 134

Birds Namibia Greece Feral 134