10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 29, 2023

My British total was a mere 172 species – not bad, but not very good. Every one of my 171 species was a bird that I found myself. It keeps a monthly record of sightings, so I can tell you that it was in February that I recorded my highest monthly species total (106), while my lowest total was in August (39).

Estonia 233

Estonia Portugal Greece Barn Owls 233

10,000 Birds

JUNE 20, 2019

I was driving along the legendary eastern levee of the Kerkini Lake in northern Greece ( Google Map ) and, listening to the first Golden Oriole flute, was slowly getting closer to a wooded Mt. When I came here for the first time, the Kerkini Lake was the only place in Europe where Dalmatian Pelicans were increasing their numbers.

Greece 198

Greece Pelicans Buffalo Fish 198

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 27, 2016

While crossing Gramos Mountain in northern Greece, a Dendrocopos woodpecker flew over the road and landed in a pine tree. By the cliffs we find several Eurasian Crag-Martins and a consolation species – a family of Golden Eagles in the air! The Greater Spotted Eagle is a threatened species. Enough of the mountains. What to say?

Greece 256

Greece Woodpeckers Boars Eagles 256

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 7, 2023

It all started many years ago, when for my ninth birthday I received my first copy of Peterson’s Field Guide to the Birds of Britain and Europe (3rd revised edition, 1958). In the front was the first checklist I’d ever seen: it featured all the birds of Europe, and within days I was ticking away merrily.

Sri Lanka 239

Sri Lanka Kenya San Francisco Greece 239

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 1, 2015

The Prespa Lakes National Park in Greece is well hidden among the mountains at the triple border with Albania in the west and the FYRO Macedonia in the north. My guess is, those nervous ones were some migrants, while the majority were locally breeding birds – the southernmost population of Europe! and dual digits. Practicalities.

Greece 252

Greece Pelicans Geese Breeding 252

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 24, 2023

I first visited Kerkini and this bird-rich region of northern Greece 15 years ago, and have been returning regularly ever since. Last year, in November, I notched up a dozen species of butterflies, an impressive total anywhere in Europe so late in the year. They soon lose the colour as the spring progresses).

Greece 219

Greece Pelicans Geese Buffalo 219

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 18, 2014

The sun rises over the village of Chrysochorafa, by Kerkini Lake in the north of Greece, not far from the triple border with Bulgaria and FYRO Macedonia. Before this trip, I asked Steve Mills, the author of ‘ Birdwatching in Northern Greece ’, which sites would he recommend at this time of the year. Early September morning. Google Map.

Greece 186

Greece Pelicans Serbia Eagles 186

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 12, 2024

On my 21-day Kenyan safaris we reckoned to find around 600 species of birds and around 60 mammals, both impressive totals. Lion – much easier to see than an Aardvark In contrast to East Africa, encounters with mammals while out birding in Europe are relatively few.

Fur 194

Fur Bulgaria Otters Estonia 194

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 15, 2015

“The estuary and the delta of the River Kalamas form the most important wetland of northwest Greece”, so the “ Birding in Greece ” guidebook claims for the area where I am heading, a bit late since I overslept this morning. I am checking the grass for any flash of white and soon my suspicion is confirmed: Cattle Egrets (cover photo)!

Greece 236

Greece Dogs Pelicans Fish 236

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 17, 2015

One simply has to love Greece. I am exhilarated – I have had only a handful of chances to observe this species! Such a fascinating species. How old are they as a species? Just ten minutes later, another swift species shows, several Pallid Swifts above the outskirt of a seaside town.

Greece 232

Greece Falcons Madagascar Africa 232

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 19, 2024

There’s also a much greater variety of species of deer living here now than than there were four or five hundred years ago, for along with our native Roe and Red Deer we also have large populations of Fallow, Sika, Reeves’s Muntjac and Chinese Water Deer. Reeves’s Muntjac , a highly successful invasive species in the UK.

Fur 217

Fur Deer Boars Estonia 217

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 23, 2024

According to Storks, Ibises and Spoonbills of the World , a handsome volume written by James Hancock, James Kushan and Philip Kohl and published by Academic Press in 1992, Geronticus eremita “once nested in the mountains of central Europe, across northern Africa and into the Middle East. But this range is now much reduced.

Morocco 232

Morocco Austria Algeria Germany 232

10,000 Birds

MAY 15, 2014

It is an early April morning and we are in the hills surrounding Lake Kerkini in the north of Greece. A few metres further, something is jumping from one branch to another… a pair of Subalpine Warblers , a Mediterranean species that does not go much further north than this. Trips Europe Greece pelicans'

Greece 163

Greece Pelicans Breeding Buffalo 163

10,000 Birds

MAY 7, 2020

Like many of you, I had plans for this year’s spring migration: to bird the very best tour of the Balkans, heading for northeastern Greece. First, 800 km of driving from Belgrade through Bulgaria to very NE corner of Greece and the Dadia Forest National Park with its 36 species of diurnal raptors, out of Europe’s 38.

Greece 242

Greece Bulgaria Birds Serbia 242

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 17, 2017

In early August this year, I saw 77 species here (69 on the lake, plus 8 more in the surrounding areas) but barely more than a thousand individuals. Spring (migrants and breeding species) and winter (wintering waterbirds). Now I can say I was. Eurasian Spoonbills. Soon the lake ends. Yet, what is killing the birds of Lake Karla?

Greece 194

Greece Killing Pelicans Eagles 194

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 29, 2016

Have you read my blogs on birding Greece ? 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. By now you have crossed into Greece – what is next? That motorway takes you to the Gevgelija (MAK) – Evzonoi (GR) border crossing.

Greece 178

Greece Albania Macedonia Europe 178

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 26, 2024

According to the British Trust for Ornithology’s BirdFacts website, “Although a small number of vagrant Red-breasted Geese from the declining arctic Siberian breeding population winter in Britain each year, the species is popular in wildfowl collections and many birds are of captive origin. That was in October 1991.

Bulgaria 130

Bulgaria Geese Romania Estonia 130

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 22, 2016

Out of just under 200 bird species I observed this year in SE Europe, there are 6 threatened species. point to just one problem source, one over-abundant and highly invasive species – Homo sapiens. point to just one problem source, one over-abundant and highly invasive species – Homo sapiens.

Serbia 202

Serbia Greece Montenegro Bulgaria 202

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 3, 2020

And I am in the southeast of Europe. This is an uncommon species here – only about a dozen birds overwinter in the country annually. Out of my total of 15 observations ever, this is only the third within Serbia (the rest were half in India, the other half in Greece). Oh, who’d go back home now? My favourite poplar tree.

Serbia 278

Serbia Birds Ducks Cyprus 278

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. Fortunately, B. managed to see it, his largest owl ever. Am I satisfied?

Owls 106

Owls Greece Serbia Woodpeckers 106

10,000 Birds

MAY 1, 2014

We are in the village of Finikas on the island of Syros in the Cyclades archipelago of Greece. Nick finds a bird-shaped protrusion at the top of the rock – Black-eared Wheatear , not exactly a species I expect to observe from a boat deck. The Sun already sets and I haven’t seen a new species in a while. Practicalities.

Greece 240

Greece Malta Croatia Birds 240

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 20, 2015

This map shows the distribution of the World’s bird species, based on overlying the breeding and wintering ranges of all known species. I live in the southeast of Europe, for a while lived in the south of Africa and also have extensively birded western and central India. I am talking 600 or 700+ bird species.

Sri Lanka 257

Sri Lanka Botswana Africa Serbia 257

10,000 Birds

APRIL 30, 2015

This time I was lucky enough to join a fam trip organised by Natural Greece, an ecotourism company from Athens, and spend a few days at my favourite Kerkini Lake, which you already birded through my bins ( April and September ). Should I add, this is my best sighting of this uncommon species – ever!

Greece 250

Greece Woodpeckers Eagles Birds 250

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 7, 2016

To prove that point, this short series here will bring you plenty of pictures of three species which were formerly thought to be just one, the Herring Gull , with its former members Steppe Gull and Yellow-legged Gull. I’ll start with the Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis.

Europe 127

Europe Spain Italy Ireland 127

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. Cover photo: birding Greece.

Birds 142

Birds Costa Rica Greece Battery 142

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 20, 2018

Checking my annual list, I am where I usually am at this time of year: several species short of 200. Still, this way or another, the year is ending with some glorious species, e.g. a rare Greater Spotted Eagle. Now, one species, that I should find. 2018 is about to end. The Slavonian Grebe is also a lifer for me.

Moldova 120

Moldova Birds Serbia Greece 120

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 6, 2022

This is “the deep cradle of Western ornithology: the birthplace of bird study,” he tells us as he writes about gazing at the 8,000-year old depictions of “flamingos, herons, raptors, avocets and many other species” (p. There’s the Neolithic era; Ancient Egypt (bird mummies!);

Dissection 229

Dissection Birds Research Europe 229

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 22, 2013

And here I am on vacation in Greece, turning off the alarm at 5.30 In my native Serbia, these birds are so ill numbered that they were even deleted from the huntable species list with an explanation: “there is no surviving population of huntable size”. Trips Greece partridges' No partridges for me under these olives, either.

Greece 214

Greece Serbia Europe Goats 214

10,000 Birds

MARCH 3, 2016

Here go those moments of curiosity, in no particular order: Europe: And so, I was driving from Greece to Serbia… in central FYRO Macedonia, two birds were circling not far from the motorway… black and white… perhaps White Storks on migration? Europe: The sun is scorching the area, and the birds are nowhere to be seen.

Wildlife 183

Wildlife Tigers Asia Europe 183

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 4, 2014

My last blog has created quite a discussion among the readers, mostly from US, but also southern and eastern Africa and Europe (apologies if I forgot some region). Natural Greece: “Empathy is important too. That way passing on his/her knowledge about 3/4 species and not just the one on show. Language skills too.”. ’ TICK.

Greece 212

Greece Birds Zambia Experience 212

10,000 Birds

APRIL 2, 2016

Unlike other bird races where participants keep tight-lipped about bird species as mundane as a House Sparrow , this event gives a prize to the team that helps the most. But isn’t all of that data sharing counterproductive for a bird race where the team with the most species wins? This is a Masked Shrike.

Costa Rica 179

Costa Rica Eagles Birds 179

10,000 Birds

MARCH 30, 2017

A few years back, I birded northern Greece with a couple from Namibia. The species he was thrilled to see was the Mute Swan. The species he was thrilled to see was the Mute Swan. Well, for me – no, but for Nicolaas, Mute Swans were a lifer species. All photos (6) by Vladimir Milovanovic.

Birds 127

Birds Namibia Greece Feral 127

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 5, 2014

Editor Mitchell is the founder and managing editor of Birdwatch magazine, managing editor of Birdguides, a birding news website, and the author of two books on the birds of Europe and Great Britain. They are use the Objects concept as a framework for retelling the history of birding in an appealing, visual manner.

Mauritius 173

Mauritius Collecting Egypt Cyprus 173