10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 1, 2018

all the time pointing with my right hand while holding the steering wheel with my left, and the hardest thing, keeping my eyes on the road. 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.

Owls 106

Owls Greece Serbia Woodpeckers 106

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. Two hundred yards further, the first Common Goldeneye and Smew started to appear and, while counting Smew and geese, a Great Bittern took flight from one stand of reeds to another, right in front of us.

Geese 149

Geese Serbia Birds Estonia 149

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 180

Serbia Eagles Birds Sparrows 180

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. Yeah, right. Labudovo okno reserve, photo (2) by Marko Sciban. warns me of two locally rare Bean Geese. Watch for the dark beaks.”

Geese 179

Geese Hunting Boars Birds 179

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 31, 2017

Bank Swallow) holes, among 60+ other bird species. You can hear its song in spring, but even then, it is a rare privilege to have one posing at the very ends of willow branches right next to one’s car. Feral Pigeon – Columba livia. And the answer is yes, there are dozens of European Bee-eater and Sand Martin (a.k.a.

Serbia 120

Serbia Breeding Woodpeckers Feral 120

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! This is as far as you may dare, says this hormone crazed swan.

Birds 125

Birds Namibia Greece Feral 125