10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 1, 2016

The majority are clearly Mallards , followed by Garganeys , with one and possibly more Green-winged Teals , also Ferruginous Ducks … Surprises among them are one Common Shelduck , a species that most likely breeds some 15 mi from here (and my first shelduck of the year) and an even greater surprise: two Eurasian Wigeons.

Serbia 165

Serbia Protection Eagles Ducks 165

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 175

Serbia Eagles Birds Sparrows 175

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. a British expat birder who was living in Belgrade, for a suggestion: “The top species is undoubtedly White-tailed Eagle. Hence, I asked my friend B.C.,

Serbia 249

Serbia Birds Woodpeckers Breeding 249

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). With about 110 recorded species, the Kozara becomes truly magical place when the Danube swells and reclaims what is rightfully his. Kozara backwaters.

Serbia 240

Serbia Stray Dog Protection Botswana 240

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 187

Serbia Croatia Hungary 2012 187

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 16, 2017

In a typical birding year, no other month will bring you that many new species as January. A month ago I was in the Iron Gates National Park in eastern Serbia, where one Black Woodpecker flew across the road, right in front of us (proving it is an extant taxon). Iron Gates National Park in eastern Serbia. And I felt alive again!

Serbia 181

Serbia Geese 2001 Ducks 181

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”. In comparison to the Dorcol Promenade, number of both species and individuals here is smaller.

Serbia 232

Serbia Birds Ducks Eagles 232

10,000 Birds

JULY 6, 2017

While Serbia claims to strive towards the EU membership, it is back to the Chinese credit and Chinese environmental standards. Annex II of the Bern Convention lists 45 of Beljarica’s bird species, with a further 91 species in Annex III. Finally, 24 species in Annex I of the EU Bird Directive were recorded in this area.

Eagles 166

Eagles Campaign Otters Serbia 166

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. Usually only several birds overwinter in Serbia – the biggest count ever was less than 10. The search is on.

Moldova 118

Moldova Birds Serbia Greece 118

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 18, 2014

The catch is, the station often pumps some small fish into the pool, hence the jolly bird party. The Dalmatian Pelicans line the lake shore, especially by the small beach opposite Limnochori village, where local fisherman tie their flat-bottomed boats and, after fishing – feed the birds with small fish, not worth taking to the market.

Greece 183

Greece Pelicans Serbia Eagles 183

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 2, 2014

Even among the protected areas of Serbia, the Iron Gates National Park (in Serbian: Djerdap) stands out as better preserved. Serbia, the Bradt Travel Guide by Laurence Mitchell, 4th edition, 2013 (offers extensive coverage of birding sites by yours truly). Trips birdfinder Europe Serbia' Milovanovic and M.

Serbia 187

Serbia Turtles Birds Eagles 187

10,000 Birds

MAY 25, 2017

Even if you know nothing of this species, you can tell the eaglets from their parents: youngsters have black hair, while their parents are all grey by now. They lay eggs in late January or early February, and the Statehood Day of Serbia is in mid-February. And the birds moved to the island. April at Veliko Ratno Island, Belgrade.

Montenegro 106

Montenegro Eagles Serbia Fish 106

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 10, 2022

And I decided to search it for the forest species: Eurasian Sparrowhawk , Syrian Woodpecker (okay, not truly a forest sp.), And I decided to search it for the forest species: Eurasian Sparrowhawk , Syrian Woodpecker (okay, not truly a forest sp.), And at the beginning of February, my list is still ridiculously low at 55 species.

Otters 257

Otters Croatia Eagles Protection 257

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 6, 2018

This October, a previously unknown name shined in the eBird alerts in Serbia: Raphael Nussbaumer. Here is how he prepared for his tour of Serbia: Guest-author : Raphael Nussbaumer. This was the feeling I had last October, when we travelled to Serbia with my wife for a week. There was none in Serbia. Stage 2 – Detailing.

Serbia 135

Serbia Switzerland Farming Birds 135

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 11, 2018

“I would certainly recommend Serbia to visiting birders. I chalked up 132 species in a pretty relaxed eight days, during which birds shared the agenda with culture. With 154 eBirded species almost single-handedly spotted by the UK expat Geoff Laight, the Paljuvi is the latest addition to the top-5 list. 2 Baranda fish farm.

Serbia 156

Serbia Birds Bulgaria Farming 156

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 24, 2022

About 120 species have been recorded so far. About 180 species have been recorded so far. Wetland Halfway between bustling Belgrade and sleepy Zrenjanin, River Tamis floodzone contains abundant oxbow lakes (turned into fish farms) and salt marshes filled with birds. Almost 230 species have been recorded so far.

Serbia 260

Serbia Woodpeckers Owls Eagles 260

10,000 Birds

JUNE 9, 2016

As a result, I had 15 species in the first hour. Paljuvi Dam, some 30 miles SW of Belgrade, Serbia, is a known angling, but not so well known birding destination. This species nests in colonies and may forage up to 6 miles away from breeding sites and the nearest mine pits are some 4-5 mi from here. Did I jinx him?

Turtles 112

Turtles Serbia Breeding Breeders 112

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 31, 2017

Bank Swallow) holes, among 60+ other bird species. Yet, nothing of the calmness of my previous visits remained: a week ago, the reserve was recommended in some angling magazine and I found parked cars and a dozen people, swish-swooshing their fishing rods. As I was trying to get closer, it flew further away.

Serbia 116

Serbia Breeding Woodpeckers Feral 116

10,000 Birds

MAY 1, 2014

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. Off to the nearest kaiki (traditional Greek fishing boat) followed by a flock of shearwaters and gulls. The Sun already sets and I haven’t seen a new species in a while.

Greece 232

Greece Malta Croatia Birds 232

10,000 Birds

JULY 29, 2021

The very best wetland birding around Belgrade, Serbia, is not to be found in the locally famous and tourist-promoted Obedska or Carska Bara Ramsar areas, but at Beljarica Backwaters and the fish farm triangle of Centa, Baranda and Sakule villages, in the Tamis River floodplain. mi ahead of Beljarica, bus No.

Farming 264

Farming Birds Fish Boars 264

10,000 Birds

MAY 15, 2014

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. Back towards the quay, we stop by a group of another pelican species, this one only passing through the area – Great White Pelicans (cover photo).

Greece 161

Greece Pelicans Breeding Buffalo 161

10,000 Birds

MAY 26, 2016

Inside the IBA borders I observed some 163 species – about 70 percent of the estimated number of expectable species. On my section of the Danube several species reach their national thresholds, but the most important numbers are those of Pygmy Cormorants. 719 global IBAs are recognised in the US alone).

Protection 119

Protection Eagles Jamaica Farming 119

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 4, 2021

My birding list for November totals 15 species. Thank goodness that the rest of the beats have been busily birding,that’s what they like to do… 9 of them submitted 114 checklists via eBird and amassed 525 species from 7 (China, Australia, Mexico, Costa Rica, UK, Serbia and USA) countries during November.

Sparrows 202

Sparrows Woodpeckers Parrots Costa Rica 202

10,000 Birds

JUNE 6, 2020

7 beats contributed their sightings from 7 countries (Hong Kong, UK, China, USA, Serbia, Australia and, of course, Costa Rica). 149 checklists were submitted, accounting for 465 species. Fish Crow (Corvus ossifragus). The total for the year has been pushed to 1478 , whilst the life list has reached 4009. crow sp.)).

2020 152

2020 Sparrows Niger Woodpeckers 152

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. Bad smell aside, methane warms the planet further, while deoxygenated water suffocates the fish. And this winter I saw a flock of 500 swans in Belgrade – nothing exciting about them?

Birds 121

Birds Namibia Greece Feral 121

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 6, 2021

9 beats submitted 140 checklists from 7 countries (USA, UK, Costa Rica, Serbia, Australia, Mexico and Trinidad and Tobago) during October to account for 585 species. 358 Fish Crow – Corvus ossifragus. 358 Fish Crow – Corvus ossifragus. 1 Little Tinamou – Crypturellus soui.

Woodpeckers 233

Woodpeckers Sparrows Blackbirds Ducks 233

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 201

Serbia Greece Montenegro Bulgaria 201

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 2, 2021

December’s beats found 609 birds after submitting 116 checklists from 8 countries (USA, UK, Costa Rica, China, Mexico, Serbia and Australia). The year list ends on a provisional 1803 species from 1608 checklists submitted by 12 beats from 16 countries. Most species-prolific was Patrick in Costa Rica, followed by Paul from Mexico.

2020 221

2020 Sparrows Woodpeckers Parrots 221

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 1, 2022

8 of them sent 153 lists, noting 645 species of bird across 7 countries (Mexico, UK, USA, Serbia, Australia, Costa Rica, Colombia). It has not resulted in extraordinary numbers of sightings personally, but the beats have been busy on their respective patches and have sent me their lists to collate. The year list finishes at 1628.

Sparrows 230

Sparrows Woodpeckers Parrots Owls 230

10,000 Birds

MARCH 6, 2021

9 beats from 8 countries (Australia, USA, UK, Serbia, Costa Rica, China, Trinidad and Tobago and Mexico), shared 138 checklists for 703 species. The year list to date is 1015 species and 7 have been added to the life list ( 4059 ) from Costa Rica, China and Trinidad and Tobago. 403 Fish Crow – Corvus ossifragus.

Woodpeckers 181

Woodpeckers Sparrows Ducks Parrots 181

10,000 Birds

JUNE 8, 2017

Instead of writing at home, I discovered a new “study”, a discreet fish restaurant hidden in the branch of the Danube. Shallows provide an ideal spawning ground for almost 50 fish species and submerged islands breeding ground for more than 100 bird species. Cover photo: Black-headed Bunting by Mark S.

Romania 119

Romania Serbia Turtles Blackbirds 119

10,000 Birds

JULY 4, 2023

” Writing about owls means writing about roughly 250 species (I counted 245 on the 2022 Clements spreadsheet, but I might have missed a few, and we all know that each classification system is different). These are behaviors that are most likely to vary across species and topics that make for compelling stories.

Owls 209

Owls Science Barn Owls Penguins 209

10,000 Birds

APRIL 3, 2021

Our brave beats have been putting themselves at risk for your vicarious listing pleasure and 10 of them submitted 151 checklists for 692 species, 2 of which made it onto the life list. Checklists came in from 7 countries (USA, UK, Serbia, China, Mexico, Costa Rica and Australia) and brought the year list for 2021 so far to 1143.

Sparrows 156

Sparrows Woodpeckers Blackbirds Ducks 156

10,000 Birds

APRIL 27, 2017

I am a birder and I can claim that out of Serbia’s total of 350+ bird species, highly urbanised inner city areas of Belgrade hold almost 100 birds, while the outskirts have more than 200 species. eBird says that, at the time of writing (April 2017), there are some ten hotspots that have crossed the 100 bird species mark.

Birds 205

Birds 2017 Eagles Otters 205

10,000 Birds

JULY 4, 2020

At time of writing (usually a couple of days early to avoid the deadline panic), UK is fielding 63 species. 8 beats contributed 70 checklists from 7 countries (UK, USA, Costa Rica, China, Serbia, Australia and Singapore). 195 Fish Crow – Corvus ossifragus. 195 Fish Crow – Corvus ossifragus. UK El Campeón!

2020 158

2020 Costa Rica Blackbirds Sparrows 158

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 4, 2020

December’s numbers looked like this; 10 beats visited 11 countries (Bahrain, New Zealand, USA, UK, Costa Rica, China, Mexico, Australia Nigeria, Uganda and Serbia) during December. They contributed 150 lists accounting for 1032 species and more than 36,000 individual birds. African Fish-Eagle – Haliaeetus vocifer.

2019 166

2019 Chile Texas Sanctuary 166

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 3, 2020

11 beats collaborated to enter 163 checklists from 8 countries (UK, USA, Costa Rica, Australia, Serbia, China, Mexico and Trinidad and Tobago). They noted 719 species between them. 436 Fish Crow – Corvus ossifragus. This brings the yearly running total to 1723 and the life list has reached 4038.

2020 286

2020 Sparrows Woodpeckers Blackbirds 286