Friday 26 September 2014

WEDNESDAY 24th SEPTEMBER 2014

Liplje _ up to The Ridge and back.

Hobby over NW
10 Tree Pipit 2 over calling, 3  on The Ridge, 5 flew in
3 Swallow over S
Whinchat
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker
13  Starling 7 over N/NW, 6 over NW
3 Red backed Shrike female/imm
Heron
Buzzard
Wood Pigeon
2 Magpie
2 Hooded Crow
30 House Sparrow

Butterfly's -

Clouded Yellow
Comma
Hungarian Glider
Red Admiral
Green Veined White
Speckled Wood


Tuesday 23 September 2014

TUESDAY 23rd SEPTEMBER

9-14°C,Wind NW up to 15mph,cloudy dull brighter later,pressure 30.02inHG 

Liplje and Ljig over the last 7 days 

Liplje
The Golden Orioles seem to have left us with no sign for over a week now and I have the feeling that could be the last of the Nightingales also. 
Just singles of the Whitethroats and the odd Wood Warbler hanging out with the tit flocks.
3 or 4 Spot Flys still dotted around Circuit 1 and likewise with the Shrikes.
A few Tree Pipits still very much in evidence feeding in the short meadows or flying over.
2  Whinchats and a new Stonechat up on The Ridge.

This delightful and very obliging Cuckoo has been in our garden feeding for the last couple of days. Was seen to catch a large hairy caterpillar which it proceeded to thwack to death and then repeatedly run it back and forth through its bill until it oozed some bodily fluid before being eaten. Also observed some head scratching so may have have found those long hairs a little irritating ?

Common Whitethroat
Lesser Whitethroat
Wood Warbler
Chiffchaff
Blackcap
Tree Pipit 
Whinchat
Stonechat
Nightingale
Spotted Flycatcher
Red Backed Shrike
Cuckoo 1st-y
4 Wood Lark 
60 Starling over NE
Swallow small parties over S or SE

Ljig -  the river just south of town

Little Egret 
Kingfisher
Grey Heron
2 Common Sandpiper

















Tuesday 9 September 2014

TUESDAY / WEDNESDAY 9th / 10th SEPTEMBER 2014

Wednesday 10th August

60 swallow/martin over SE
74 Swallow over SE
3 Starling over SW
6 Tree Pipit1 over calling, 1 over SW, 1 over W, 2 over N/NE, 1flew in

Tuesday 9th August
15 - 26°C,Wind light variable,cloudy with sunny intervals, pressure 30.04inHG

River Ljig just south of Ljig town & Home

The migrants again when I arrived home this afternoon are just fantastic! The Icterine Warbler was very obliging giving just the best views at close range as were the Wood Warblers which were content to feed out in the open on dead wood or catching flies from our power cables.
The Tree Pipits can be heard flying over almost every time I walk out the door, 2 were in the trees around the garden.

The Herons at Ljig were feeding on a stretch close to town which is now pretty undisturbed due to the collapse of the riverside walk during the big floods, and hence a lack of walkers.The waders were also on this section.

Home - 08.30
3 Tree Pipit over calling
11 Starling over SE

River Ljig 09 .15 - 11.00
Squacco Heron juv/ad.winter
2 Grey Heron
Green Sandpiper
2 Common Sanpiper
2 Tree Pipit 1over calling
2 Spotted Flycatcher
Whinchat
3 Kingfisher
100+ Swallows & Martins moving S
350 House Martins (many juvs) resting on power cables
2 Buzzard
6 Long Taied Tit
2 Grey Wagtail male singing & female
4 White Wagtail
3 Godlfinch 1 imm.

Home 13.30
Lesser Whitethroat
Icterine Warbler
3 Wood Warbler
Blackcap male
4 Tree Pipit 2 over
3 Spotted Flycatcher
Red Backed Shrike
15 Bee-eater over SE
Black Woodpecker

2 Buzzard

Home - 17.30 
10 - 15 Bee-eater over S
Kestrel

Monday 8 September 2014

MONDAY 8th SEPTEMBER 2014

15 - 25°C,Wind light variable, mostly cloudy but brighter than recently and some hazy sun, pressure 29.98 - 30.04inHG

Liplje - Home, The Ridge and elsewhere.

This morning the Bee-eaters and Swallows drifted over East with 1 swift then later in the afternoon I found one of the Whitethroats feeding on the village track, it looked completely different on the ground and had me guessing for a while, then as soon as the sun began to break through the raptors were up with the Hobby stooping a few times on the Goshawk,the former looking quite diminutive next to its mighty cousin.

The Flycatchers all at different locations around the village.
Aso in the afternoon a single Yellow Wag and Tree Pipit went over calling and heading NE.
Later still 100 + Swallows and 1 Swift moved through quickly North followed by another single Swift at dusk and 6 Tree pipits dropping in to roost.
Additionally 6 or so large Bats flew through feeding at some height but heading South, surprisingly these are the first Bats Ive seen in Serbia.

A real sense today now that the weather has cleared somewhat that more birds are on the move.
Why are so many of these migrants heading North and East ? can only imagine they going around the northern end of the Adriatic, through Southern Europe and crossing at Gibraltar ?

Home -
7 + Tree Pipit 6 in from S, 1 over NE
Yellow Wagtail over NE
3 Common Whitethroat
Wood Warbler 
Spotted Flycatcher
Goshawk female
Hobby
Common Buzzard
20+ Bee-eater over E
25 Swallows/martins over East
100 + Swallow over N
2 Swift 1 over N, 1 over S

The Ridge -
3 Whinchat
Spotted Flcatcher
3 Common Whitthroat together
Wood Warbler

Elsewhere in the village 
2 Spotted Flycatcher
Whinchat

Sunday 7 September 2014

SUNDAY 7th SEPTEMBER 2014



15 - 22 °C,Wind N/NE light,overcast dull with rain for 30 mins.then brighter,
Pressure 29.92 - 29.98 inHG

Liplje
Again teased by Booted/Sykes's Warbler. This time seen in dull light, nondescript and initially suggesting Garden Warbler but then obviously smaller less chunky and phyllosc.like, with fine bill. Brownish tones, no olive, then fairly distinct whitish orbital/short supa. in front of eye. Flicked tail and or wings occasionally. Legs mid toned. Was not as fidgety as phylloscs.
Now feel even more confident of its id. and realising I will need even more time observing this species. From the literature I'm siding with Booted both because of description and distribution.

13 Tree Pipits seen from The Ridge with 7 feeding in the fields and bathing on the gravel track. Good views of all of them on the overhead cables and frequently giving flight and alarm calls. The birds at home appearing in the Walnut Tree during light rain shower and then feeding around garden.
Wheatears also arriving during last hour.
Song Thrushes landed briefly in the Walnut Tree which was a little unusual as they haven't been present recently.


Liplje - (11.15 - 14.00) up to the Cemetary and back

Booted / Sykes's Warbler !
14+ Tree Pipit 5 over NE, 1 over south, 8 down
2 Wheatear autumn male + female/1st-winter
5 Whinchat
2 Blackcap males
2 Willow Warbler imm.
Spotted Flycatcher
14 Swallow
2 Golden Oriole male and female types
3 Red Backed Shrike female + imm. 
6 + Great Tit
2 Blue Tit

Home 17.15 -
4 Tree Pipit
Spotted Flycatcher
Red Backed Shrike male
2 Song thrush
Hawfinch imm.


 


SATURDAY 6th SEPTEMBER 2014

Overcast, dull.


Liplje - Chat Meadows, Circuit 1 and Home

Have missed out on much of this Autumns migration so far due to more family commitments.
Adam and Bridgett have just returned home after a weeks holiday with us. Really good to get out and get some birding and birds under my belt.
It really does feel like migration is in full swing with plenty of the commoner migrants appearing almost anywhere and really pleased with so many migrants right outside our home.
The 11 pipits were in a single group feeding in a short meadow and flying up to perch in near by trees.The light was poor and I didn't have a scope so hope to return tomorrow for closer views.
The Wheatears were likewise only seen with bins and one appeared much duller/ darker. Am now thinking autumn female Black Eared Wheatear ?
The Swallows, Martins and 2 swifts were feeding quite high and suddenly disappeared.


Chat Meadows - 
3 Wheatear 1st y /females
4 Whinchat


Circuit 1
11 Pipit sp at least 2 Tree  and 1 meadow heard
Yellow Wagtail ( Black Headed ?) over SE
21 Bee-eater single flock over E/NE
Whinchat
Willow Warbler 1st W
2 Chiffchaff
Spotted Flycatcher
3 Hawfinch
2 Red Backed Shrike
Cirl Bunting

Home -
Redstart 1st y male
Tree Pipit over
3 Willow Warbler
Chiffchaff
Wood Warbler 
3 Spotted Flycatcher
Red Backed Shrike male
70 + Swallow/ martins slowly over
2 Swift
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker male
Great Spotted Woodpecker male
Middle Spotted Woodpecker
Black Woodpecker calling
Green Woodpecker 
3 Nuthatch
Sparrowhawk



 



Wednesday 3 September 2014

SUNDAY 24th AUGUST 2014

Liplje - home to the Cemetery and back

Tree Pipit over SE
Icterine Warbler juv
2 Wood Warbler
2 Blackcap males
Common Whitethroat female
4 Wood Lark
3 Spotted Flycatcher
Wryneck
Nightingale
7 Red Backed Shrike 2 male + 3 juvs + 2
Nuthatch
Golden Oriole
6 Jay
Turtle Dove
Hawfinch
Blackbird
Robin

THURSDAY 21st AUGUST 2014

Liplje - Circuit 1

Pied Flycatcher female (possible)
Tree Pipit over SE
3 Spotted Flycatcher
2 Whinchat
6 Swallow
3 Wood Warbler
Willow Warbler juv
2 Common Whitethroat
2 Blackcap male + female / juv
Red Backed Shrike male + juv
4 Green Woodpecker 1 ad. + 3 juv
G. S. Woodpecker
Nuthatch
Golden Oriole
5 Nightingale
Pheasant female
5 Jay
2 Jackdaw over
Turtle Dove
2 Collard Dove
6 Wood Pigeon
Chaffinch
5 Yellowhammer