Tag Archive: eastern european birds

Birds and bear scat

lesserspottedeagle

My favourite day of the week is probably Sunday because it means I can sit in my garden and just listen to birdsong without having constant background noise from chainsaws, circular saws, trimmers and other equipment as there is a no-noise policy here one day per week. We have an extremely wide range of wildlife […]

Swift in the kids’ room

swift

Never a dull day. I could hear something flapping around in the kids’ room and I thought it was the blinds due to the wind. I was wrong. This poor little Swift (Apus apus) (which has a nest just outside and above the window) had got in and was panicking to get out. I wore […]

Peek-a-boo

woodpecker

This Green woodpecker (Picus viridis) always taunts me when I walk along the old road near the house. Every time I try to take a photo it hides behind a tree trunk and then flies on to the next tree when I try to get closer. It basically acts like a squirrel. We don’t get […]

My neighbours are wild

foxcreek

Probably, out of all my hobbies and interests, cataloguing the creatures which live around my house ranks the highest. As a kid I used to keep a daily diary of what birds and animals I’d seen and often draw one of them. Now I have cameras and trailcams but the principle is still the same. […]

Shrikes, forget-me-nots and a yellowhammer

yellowhammer

After yesterday’s multiple hard-going walks, this morning’s was at a much slower pace. The sun was out but the temperature fluctuated between too warm and too cold, meaning having to don and remove outer garments often. The meadows are filled with bird song and presented the opportunity for a few photographs (there should also be […]

Marsh Tit or Willow Tit?

coaltit

This weekend seems to have revolved around hard-to-differentiate bird species. While out setting my game camera in a creek bed, I had this little Marsh Tit (Poecile palustris)/Willow Tit (Poecile montanus) keep me company. I personally think it was a Marsh Tit.

Montagu’s or Hen Harrier?

harrier1

I was stunned to see this harrier flying around while out walking behind the house. I’ve never seen one here before. I’m unsure whether it’s a Montagu’s Harrier (Circus pygargus) or a Hen Harrier (Circus cyaneus) as it has identifying marks which associate (and refute) it with both. The black above-wing line makes me lean […]

White Stork flying with snake

storksnake

This is a shot of the White Stork flying with the snake in its giant beak, just to give some idea of how huge these birds are. When they fly overhead they block the sunlight and their wingbeat is very loud.

Easter forest trip

edward o'toole forest

Easter out here is way too religious for my liking – too much fasting and praying and not enough chocolate eggs. Easter Monday is quite mad though, especially now my daughter is getting older. Gangs of young boys go from door to door with buckets of river water and brandishing woven hazel whips. Their aim […]

Black Stork means Spring

blackstork

Usually, Spring is heralded by the arrival of White Storks (Ciconia ciconia) and soon my region is filled with these huge birds. However, this year the first to arrive has been the Black Stork (Ciconia nigra). We very rarely see these as they are far more shy than the white ones and prefer to nest […]

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