10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 13, 2020

In the chill morning of late January, I am driving east of Belgrade towards the Two Towers section of the Danube and the best waterfowling bonanza in the whole of Serbia. The post Going Medieval: Waterfowling the Two Towers of Serbia appeared first on 10,000 Birds. Cover photo : Ram Fortress by Ilija Jacanovic.

Serbia 264

Serbia Geese Eagles Louisiana 264

10,000 Birds

MARCH 12, 2020

It has been a while since I wrote on where to watch birds (unbelievable, I know), and will now focus on the nature reserve of Deliblato Sands and the adjoining Labudovo okno Ramsar Wetland, about an hour east from Belgrade, Serbia. When to go: breeding and migration seasons (April to June and late August to mid-September). To be continued.

Europe 234

Europe Serbia Woodpeckers Birds 234

10,000 Birds

APRIL 26, 2018

Our destination lies further west, along the Drina River, which marks the border between Serbia and Bosnia. Due to mass wolf poisonings in the 1960s and the 1970s, Griffon Vultures in Serbia suffered a dramatic population crash. Povlen, a quick stop filled with a song that sounds familiar, but I haven’t heard it since last year.

Serbia 107

Serbia Herzegovina Bosnia Sheep 107

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 25, 2018

We were heading to the Djerdap (Iron Gates) Gorge National Park, stretching along the south bank of the Danube in eastern Serbia, to do the 400 km / 250 mi bird tour interconnecting possibly the very best sites around Belgrade reachable within a day. Michael’s summer birding along the Danube in Serbia appeared first on 10,000 Birds.

Serbia 120

Serbia Woodpeckers Birds Bears 120

10,000 Birds

MARCH 25, 2021

And ten years later, I found my name among the data providers in this magnificent book – possibly the most important ornithological publication in Europe in the 21st century, so far. Hence, study the Species and habitats and, combined with Biogeographic patterns in the distribution chapter, construct new bird tours of Europe.

Europe 264

Europe Breeding Denmark Birds 264

10,000 Birds

APRIL 14, 2023

As she notes, Eastern Europe contains significant pockets of agriculturally undeveloped land, and thus has a far greater diversity of species “from invertebrates to large carnivores” than in Northern Europe. By Miriam Darlington. Tin House, Portland, Oregon, 297 pp., US $27.95, CAN $36.95. February 7, 2023.

Barn Owls 113

Barn Owls Owls Serbia Finland 113

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 3, 2020

And I am in the southeast of Europe. mi2 of the Danube backwaters in Belgrade, Serbia. 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). published in the US as “Birds of Europe”), shows only a male in breeding plumage.

Serbia 275

Serbia Birds Ducks Cyprus 275

10,000 Birds

APRIL 28, 2016

A man walking his two small dogs is passing by the eagle, looking down at grass and not seeing the largest raptor in Europe. The eagle seems well used to people and pays no attention.

Europe 160

Europe Otters Eagles Birds 160

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 17, 2013

While it might fall within the autumn migration, if you are in the south of Europe, it isn’t in full swing. This timing suites Britain and Netherlands well, I suppose, but Europe is somewhat larger than that.). One expat birder, who had just arrived to Serbia, described the event: “Had a great birding, led by Dragan Simic.

Serbia 230

Serbia Europe Netherlands Eagles 230

10,000 Birds

APRIL 2, 2015

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)? Conservation Peregrine Falcon poisoning Serbia Switzerland' Yet, not a trace of a falcon.

Switzerland 197

Switzerland Serbia Feral Falcons 197

10,000 Birds

MARCH 5, 2015

Two years ago, I was counting active nests of Rooks in the flat agricultural landscape north of Belgrade, Serbia. In the northern Backa region of Serbia, in the mid-1970s there were more than 37,000 active nests of Rooks, while in 2009 there were less than 8500, indicating a loss of more than 76% over a time span of 35 years ( source ).

Experience 247

Experience Experiments Science Serbia 247

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 24, 2015

Here is a joint media release: WWF, Decembar 11, 2015 – This December, 3,800 Pygmy Cormorants are wintering by the river Sava in Belgrade, Serbia, representing 2 percent of the global population and 5.4 “The Pygmy Cormorant is a strictly protected bird species in Serbia, as well as in the European Union.

Serbia 184

Serbia Protection Europe 2015 184

10,000 Birds

MAY 29, 2014

Now, it is after the old eagle to grab it… and this is the heavy-weight eagle champ of Europe. Birds eagles Europe Serbia wetlands' It goes after the falling fish… …almost… …but no, the older eagle misses the fish, which falls to the ground, to make some stray cat a very happy cat.

Stray Cat 184

Stray Cat Eagles Serbia Europe 184

10,000 Birds

JUNE 15, 2023

Late April / early May is the best birding season in the south of Europe and wherever you go, you will have 50% to 100% more species than in any other season. The Usual Standard – a few hours of morning birding.

India 181

India Birds Africa Serbia 181

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 20, 2015

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 used to live in Botswana, where there are about 450 bird species in an area a few dozen miles from the capital; then somewhat naively moved back to Serbia with mere 250 species around the capital.

Sri Lanka 257

Sri Lanka Botswana Africa Serbia 257

10,000 Birds

JUNE 3, 2021

Not just mine, but all the most active birders of Belgrade, Serbia, were visiting this site at least 2-3 times a month: it is so conveniently close to the city, and even reachable by the city bus 108. Reva Pond was my favourite local patch until, a few years back, construction works started there. Photo by Branislav Dencic.

Otters 263

Otters Protest Protesting Protesters 263

10,000 Birds

MARCH 14, 2019

Some five years ago I was involved in a project of ecotourism evaluation of the river Danube in Serbia, which included the city of Belgrade, founded at the bank of this river. and the first skyscraper built in Southeast Europe, in 1939. Serbia Birding calendar. Short-toed Treecreeper is a bit tricky. Additional reading.

Serbia 249

Serbia Birds Woodpeckers Breeding 249

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 31, 2013

Hence, in land-locked Serbia, it has been recorded only three times: in 1857, one was shot at the Morava River; in 1993, one was observed by a bird photographer Rastko Aleksandrov at the Centa fish farm, north of Belgrade; and in 2012, a team of Croat and Serbian ornithologists found one at the Belgrade city rubbish dump.

Serbia 192

Serbia Croatia Hungary 2012 192

10,000 Birds

JUNE 13, 2013

Serbia holds 13 per cent of the European breeding population of this “electrified” species which is not only Endangered in Europe but also listed as Globally Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Conservation Europe falcons Serbia' We were searching for the territories of Saker Falcons. Illustrations.

Falcons 229

Falcons Serbia 2007 Europe 229

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 1, 2018

More productive areas of the Balkans have January eBird lists from 105 to 115 species (but I combined several areas in two countries, Greece and Serbia), so I have every reason to be satisfied. Am I satisfied? Yet, checking my remaining January targets, I realise that I could have easily had 4 or 5 more species.

Owls 106

Owls Greece Serbia Woodpeckers 106

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 9, 2021

Also, at the website of the Serbian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, I could find the requirements to enter Costa Rica (basically, a digital form to fill in and international health insurance), but not a word about whether I need any advance testing when returning to Serbia? Update: with the vaccination certificate, I need no testing.

Costa Rica 259

Costa Rica San Jose Battery Serbia 259

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 19, 2015

The city of Belgrade, Serbia, has about 1.7 Less than two years ago, I wrote here how I found the 4th GBBG for Serbia. The aim was to ring as many gulls as we could, to provide some reading material for birders all around Europe. Birds city birds Europe gulls Serbia' fuscus and dark as the GBBG).

Serbia 166

Serbia Birds Ukraine Europe 166

10,000 Birds

APRIL 16, 2015

I am parked at the bridge over the Reva Pond in the suburb of Belgrade, Serbia, mere 150 metres away from the nearest buildings behind me, but facing the fascinating undeveloped 1.2 Birding Europe Mammals otters Serbia' kilometres / 0.7 miles towards the Danube River ahead of me. Photo Matthias Kabel / Wikimedia Commons.

Otters 179

Otters Serbia Fish Mammals 179

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 12, 2013

Against the European regulation, the Northern Goshawk is a huntable species in Serbia, which is used as an excuse to indiscriminately shoot all medium-sized raptors (especially buzzards) because they are all colloquially called “goshawks”. Birding Europe Serbia' I hate fog. Photos copyright © Senka Puhalo & Dragan Simic.

Serbia 220

Serbia Hoarding Europe Woodpeckers 220

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 23, 2014

and I were counting waterbirds along the Danube and stumbled upon that Great Black-backed Gull that I told you about before – the fourth one recorded in Serbia since mid-19th century and a very uncooperative bird that successfully avoided all photographic searches afterwards. Birds Europe gulls Serbia' This weekend, S.

Serbia 203

Serbia Europe Birds 203

10,000 Birds

APRIL 3, 2014

Avala, some 10 miles south of Belgrade, Serbia. Birding Black Woodpecker Europe Serbia woodpeckers' One more wakeup call way too early (quite often, when I should wake up early – I hardly sleep at all) and I am in a hurry to meet N. at the very top of Mt. That is where I dipped the Alpine Accentor in December.

Serbia 218

Serbia Woodpeckers Europe Blackbirds 218

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 20, 2014

Back in November, one group of British birders visited Serbia and, as one of them later wrote in his blog, their local guide promised them the GGS – “That one is guaranteed“, the guide declared. ‘He Birding city birds Europe owls Serbia' He will think twice before guarantying the GGS next time’ the British birder wrote.

Serbia 242

Serbia Owls Rodents Eagles 242

10,000 Birds

JUNE 12, 2014

These days I am busy with something called the “avitourism product“ of Belgrade, Serbia. Okay, that choice is something to be expected, but how about this: some seven years ago I was guiding another British couple to a nearby fish farm where I was happy to show them the Great White Pelican – the only one I have ever seen in Serbia!

Serbia 180

Serbia Eagles Birds Sparrows 180

10,000 Birds

MAY 7, 2020

This was only my seventh observation of this species in Europe (3 in Greece, 4 in Serbia). One smallish egret flew behind a willow crown in front of me, and as I was reaching for my binoculars to establish if it was Little Egret or Squacco Heron, the bird appeared at the other side of a tree.

Greece 239

Greece Bulgaria Birds Serbia 239

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 11, 2014

The night temperatures in Belgrade, Serbia, were already below minus 10 Celsius / 14 degrees Fahrenheit for two weeks. Up to the mid-20th century, Pygmy Cormorants were a common breeding species of wetlands around Belgrade… until the wetlands were drained and the birds were lost, at one moment – from the whole of Serbia.

Serbia 196

Serbia Protection Legislation Europe 196

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 182

Wildlife Tigers Asia Europe 182

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 149

Geese Serbia Birds Estonia 149

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 16, 2014

While there are some two dozen birding spots in Belgrade, Serbia, that stand out, in this guideblog I will focus on the river Danube and its floodplain, inside the Important Bird Area “Confluence of the Sava and the Danube Rivers”. Trips birdfinder Europe Serbia' In the previous guideblog: Where to watch birds in the Iron Gates.

Serbia 238

Serbia Birds Ducks Eagles 238

10,000 Birds

JULY 10, 2014

Consequently, my first local patch becomes a largish Danube River floodzone opposite to Belgrade (Serbia) city centre (cover photo: April 1992). It is a winter trap for rare gulls and that is where I found the 4th Great Black-backed Gull for Serbia this winter, as well as the 6th Pallas’s Gull two winters ago.

Serbia 243

Serbia Stray Dog Protection Botswana 243

10,000 Birds

MAY 28, 2015

I have asked myself that same question many times over the last six months, until last week, when I was involved in an opening ceremony of five new bird hides at the Palic Lake, by the town of Subotica in the very north of Serbia, along the border with Hungary (all photos are from that area).

Serbia 249

Serbia Birds Spain Hungary 249

10,000 Birds

JUNE 25, 2015

Zlatar in western Serbia, heading towards the town of Sjenica and, behind it, the bridge on the River Vapa. I have observed it previously in India, but never in Europe… but will have to settle with a voice and no sight. As we go lower, from glorious sunshine, we enter the morning fog. Are we going to bird in the fog?

Europe 249

Europe Serbia Russia Breeding 249

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 26, 2015

And I had a friend working in the museum, who put me in touch with their birds curator (with whom I recently birded the Griffon Vulture gorges of western Serbia) and who answered all my questions at the time. Not a field guide for Europe, that is for sure, but which one? Bird census techniques” by Colin J.

Serbia 189

Serbia Bosnia Research Lions 189