Wednesday 15 April 2015

TUESDAY 7th APRIL 2015

8°C, feels like 4 °C, wind N 38 km/h, overcast, dull.

Paljuvi Lake, Kolubara 

3 Mallard
4 Gargany
Pheasant
12 Great Crested Grebe
Little Egret
Grey Heron
2 Buzzard
2 Moorhen
Coot
2Black Headed Gull
Little Owl
2 Long Eared Owl juvs
5 Magpie
18 Hooded Crow
70 Barn Swallow
White Wagtail


Monday 6 April 2015

MONDAY 6th APRIL 2015

5°C feels like 2,°C, wind N 25 km/h, dull overcast, pressure 1014 hPa constant.
Liplje -
all of the following on The Ridge amongst heaps of manure on a weedy field

6 Serin 2 male & 4 female
3 Tree Pipit
4 Black Redstart 1 male & 3 female
2 White Wagtail

SUNDAY 5th APRIL 2015

Overcast, dull with persistant drizzle and rain.

Liplje

Wheatear male again on the Ridge

SATURDAY 4th APRIL 2015

1-8°C, wind S 16 km/h, clear and sunny.


Paljuvi and  Jabucje village

Jabucje village 07:00 - 10:15
Superb night herons were close to the road, beautiful in flight with wonderful croaking call. Cracking bird which I've only ever seen once before when I twitched  a single bird many years ago in blighty'. Guess these must be photograph.s' there are no reed beds here for them to breed in' (Dragan Simic) However they do also breed in trees.
Purple heron is an early bird I think only the secound recorded this Spring in Serbia.
Disappointedly the flock of small grebes had gone along with half the Great crests and apparently all the Little Grebes, there were none seen even in the wooded shallows which I checked on a large part of the shore along the NW and SW borders. 
Disappointing also for the Belgade birders who would have twitched this bird this morning not least Dragan who has not seen this species in Serbia. I have to admit to being ignorant of just how rare this bird is in Serbia and on reflection would have tried harder to get better views for a photograph

25 Night Heron roosting in trees in the shallows
Purple Heron over leisurely N to S
Grey Heron
Marsh Harrier over North
3 Mallard
11 Shoveler
34 Garganey
10 Great Crested Grebe
Moorhen
2 Coot
Jay
6 Hooded Crow
6 MagpieMagpie 2 nesting
2 Jakdaw
80+ Swallow
Great tit
Nuthatch
3 Chiffchaff 1 singing
3 Blackcap singing
15 Starling
12 Goldfinch
Hawfinch
2 Tree Sparrow


Friday 3 April 2015

FRIDAY 3rd APRIL 2015

8°C felt like 3°C, wind NW 40 km/h, 50% overcast with sunny intervals, pressure 1017 hPa

Paljuvi Lake, Kolubara

Flotilla of 20 small Grebes out near centre of lake, difficult to id  due to the distance and the fact that they were mostly all sleeping on fairly choppy water, Black-necked identified mostly on jizz including upright perky head flicking stance, high forehead /head shape and rusty orange flanks. Slavonian on rusty orange flanks, blazing gold  'horns' and lower swimming position. Near by Great Crests looking over twice their size.
Little grebes in contrast were all together in the shallows with the Garganey and Pochards and Ferruginous near by.

2 Slavonian Grebe
1 Black-necked Grebe

22 Great Crested Grebe
11 Little Grebe
4 Ferruginous Duck 1 or 2 males
46 Garganey
8 Pochard
2 Gadwall pair
2 Coot
Egret sp probably Little
Grey Heron
Linnet female



FRIDAY 3rd APRIL 2015

4°C feels like -1°C, wind W/NW 24km/h, mostly overcast with some sunny spells, pressure 
1017 hPa and rising

Liplje 07:15 - 09:30
All the redstarts on the ridge feeding amongst the piles of farmyard manure with the stonechats and the near by singing Woodlark.


Tree Pipit over NW
6 Black Redstart 3 male & 3 female
2 Stonechat male & female
Chiffchaff
5 Swallow over NW
3 White Wagtail 1 pair at Branka's
4 Wood Lark 1 singing 3 over NW
15 Starling over NW 4+10+1
4 Redwing/Song Thrush over W
3 Pheasant male & 2 females
2 Magpie
Jay
Yellowhammer
Cirl Bunting
Chaffinch
Hawfinch
Tree Sparrow



Wednesday 1 April 2015

WEDNESDAY 1st APRIL 2015

10 °C, 5 °C later and dropping, wind W 14km/h,Overcast & dull with rain showers, pressure 1013hPa and rising


Liplje

The Black Stork reminded me of the one I saw here last year and again I had the feeling it was prospecting or new where it was going locally.
Wheatear again in same field on The Ridge, a pale bird with none of the sparkle of a spring male. Mantle had a hint of brown in the grey, mask was more brown black and the white eyebrow not very prominent. A first year male perhaps ?


Black Stork over fairly leisurely North up the wooded valley
Wheatear (Northern)
3 Chiffchaff 1 singing
2 Black Redstart male and female, not paired
Stonechat male
2 White Wagtail

Butterfly's yesterday -
Holly Blue
Large Tortoishell
3 Orange tip
Green Veined White


MONDAY 30th MARCH 2015

11°C, wind light from South, mostly overcast with brighter intervals.
 
Paljuvi Lake Kolubara & Jabucje village centre Kolubara

Paljuvi Lake - 
Ospreys were a great surprise and all to brief, both birds on their way out when I saw them, the first moving out NE and the possible second an hour later, moving out NE/E.
The Harriers came in late and were difficult to observe. First 2 together then a third following closely behind. I was wondering if they could be using a common roost site ?
Good selection of duck with great views of spanking male Gargany's pestering a female. 
Little Egret is early for here I think.Had fabulous long head plume.
First Long Eared owls in Serbia for me and so nice to find my own. Right in the middle of the village with noisy vehicles and lights near by. The young were in conifers calling and the adult did a fly by on a couple of occasions.
 

2 Gadwall pair
8 Shoveler 6 male + 2 female
2 Pintail pair
9 Gargany pair + 6 males + female
8 Pheasant females
16 Great Crested Grebe some paired & courting
Grey Heron
Little Egret on submerged tree preening
1/2 Osprey
Marsh Harrier
2 Harrier sp.
Moorhen
Common Sandpiper on rocky shore
Yellow-legged/Caspian Gull 2nd cal
2 Wood Pigeon nesting
Green Woodpecker singing
Jay
Magpie
6 Hooded Crow 3 pairs
14 Swallow feeding, and resting on bank side vegetation
Chiffchaff singing
Song Thrush singing
90 Starling 3 flocks
 
 Jabucje village centre -

3 Long Eared Owl adult  + 2 Juvs
 
 

FRIDAY 27th & 29th MARCH 2015

16°C, wind NW 11km/h, overcast with light rain showers.
 
27th March -  Liplje

2 Pheasant females
23 Grey Heron 11 birds sitting on nests in Heron Wood
Marsh Harrier male over N
Hen Harrier male over E
Sparrowhawk female
Buzzard
Collard Dove
Black Woodpecker
4 Jay
2 Magpie
2 Jackdaw
2 Raven on nest in Heronry
3 Skylark flew out N
Black Redstart female
4 Stonechat 2 pairs, new pair in by main road as last year
2 Blackbird
Song Thrush
32 Starling single flock some singing
White Wagtail
Yellowhammer
Cirl Bunting singing
Chaffinch

29th March
Blackcap singing near home

THURSDAY 26th MARCH 2015

Clear and mild

Liplje

Woodcock roding again close to home
Tawny Owl calling/singing

WEDNESDAY 24th MARCH 2015

7°C, wind SE 20 km/h, light cloud cover, mostly sunny.

Liplje 6:00-7:35

Pheasant
2 Feral Pigeon
2 Wood Pigeon
Collard Dove
M.S.Woodpecker
G. S. Woodpecker 2 drumming
Black Woodpecker
Green Woodpecker
10 Jay party of 8 very vocal and courting
2 Magpie
2 Hooded Crow
4 Raven
Woodlark possibly 2 singing
Marsh Tit singing
4 Great Tit
Blue Tit
2  Nuthatch
Wren
3 Robin
2 Black Redstart
3 Stonechat 1 pair + male, 2 singing
2 Blackbird
2 Song Thrush
8 Starling single flock some singing, one mimicing G.Oriole
Cirl Bunting
Chaffinch singing
2 Hawfinch
House Sparrow

Sunday 22 March 2015

SATURDAY 21st MARCH 2015

Liplje

Heronry Census - the heronry is located close to the main road 22, known by me as Heron Wood.

21 Grey Heron

12 birds sitting on nests with 6 mates near by. 3 on partially built nests and possibly 1 unoccupied.

Thursday 19 March 2015

THURSDAY 19th MARCH 2015

6°C, wind N/NW 19mph, partly cloudy with sunny intervals.
First Stonechat of the year.Migrating flock of wagtails feeding on new ploughed field.

Wood Pigeon

Green Woodpecker

4 Jay

HoodedCrow

2 Woodlark 1 singing

Marsh tit

9 Great tit

2 Blue tit

4 Robin singing

Stonechat

Blackbird singing

3 Song Thrush singing

2 Starling over N

Dunnock

11 White Wagtail

4 Yellowhammer 1 singing

Cirl Bunting singing

10 Chaffinch 1 singing

Goldfinch

6+ Tree Sparrow





WEDNESDAY 18th MARCH 2015

10°C, wind light variable, cloudy with sunny intervals

Harrier in same field as previous male Hen Harrier in January, one to watch ? Showed strong streaking on underside with creamy/yellowish background. Inner half of underwing noticeably darker. Upper wing not uniform with various grey brown areas. . Some orangey tones noticed on upper tail feathers. Flushed Pheasants a few times and possibly the Heron and Egret off the near by river.

Lapwings hanging about so worth a later visit to see if they are breeding.

Latković, Kolubara

Hen Harrier female / juv
Sparrowhawk
Buzzard
5 Pheasant
Grey Heron
Great White Egret
2 Northern Lapwing
2 Magpie
2 Hooded Crow


Sunday 15 March 2015

SUNDAY 15th MARCH 2015

11°C, wind E S/E 13km/h, partly cloudy, mostly sunny,pressure 1029hPa and rising

Liplje - within a few hundred meters of home

Middle Spotted Woodpecker male
2 Great Spotted Woodpecker
2 Jay
Wood Lark singing
10 Great tit
2 Blue tit
2 Marsh tit
2 Nuthatch
Wren
2 Robin singing
7 Blackbird 1 singing
3 Song Thrush singing
Dunnock
2 yellowhammer
Cirl Bunting
14 Chaffinch 1 singing
4 Tree Sparrow

17:55 -

6 Fieldfare over N



Saturday 14 March 2015

SATURDAY 14th MARCH 2015

3-6°C, wind light from SW, cloudy, pressure 1027hPa and rising

Fieldfares and starlings feeding on arable land with Greenfiches and Tree Sparrows near by.

Blackbirds still feeding on last of the ivy berries. Seems to be an important winter food which by the cutting down of just s few of the ivy covered trees could have a  significant effect on their winter survival numbers. The hawthorn does not seem to carry fruit into the winter as it does in Blighty nor are there any ornamentals for them to feed on such as pyracantha, holly, sorbus sp. ect.
Probably my best flock of Greenfiches so far.
Pheasants in seperate male and female groups.

Liplje
10 Pheasant 3 male & 7 female
60 Starling
25 Fieldfare
7 Blackbird 
26 Greenfinch
Cirl bunting male
4 Chaffinch
30 Tree Sparrow
3 Goldfinch

22:10

5+  Common Crane 

Flew over calling  in two flocks of 3+ and 2  close to house, heading North.
Fantastic evocative call all the more magical for echoing around our hilltop on a misty night ! 
I attempted to mimic their call and  possibly with some success especially with the first flock which appeared to get closer and linger a little. 

Sunday 8 March 2015

SATURDAY 7th MARCH 2015

Overcast, sleet, rain, cold

Liplje

15 Fieldfare over SE
2 Mistle Thrush
24 Great tit
25 Tree Sparrow

Friday 6 March 2015

FRIDAY 6th MARCH 2015

0-3°C, wind N light, overcsst dull snowing and light covering, pressure 1027 hPa and falling

Liplje Sumadija Serbia
Return of the snow this morning and the finches with it.


Sparrowhawk
2 Grest potted Woodpecker
2 Middle Spotted Woodpecker
2 Nuthatch
2 marsh tit
20 Great tit
2 Blue tit
Robin
8 Yellowhammer
7 Chaffinch 3 female
2 Tree Sparrow
2 Cirl Bunting
Goldfinch
Jay

Tuesday 3 March 2015

WEDNESDAY 4th MARCH 2015

0-12°C, wind S/SE 8-12 mph, mostly clear sunny, pressure 1025 hPa and falling

Liplje

New one for the Walnut list, Collard Dove this morning.
Appeares we have a pair each of Great and Middle Spotted Woody's visiting regularly to feed on pig fat put out for them.

Sunday 1 March 2015

MONDAY 2nd MARCH 2015

5-14°C, wind light from SW, light cloud clearing, sunny, pressure 1014 hPa and falling

Identified the "song" of the Middle Spot today though believe I may of heard it last week and passed it off as one of the many Jay calls and of course it may have been mimicked by this clever corvid.
 Again heard the Short-toed Treecreeper song and call but unable to identify which of the two Treecreepers it may have been. 
7 Fieldfare over North yesterday.
Pleased to see pair of Tree Sparrows investigating my nest box along with 2 Great tits at the same box at Raspberry plantation.

Liplje at home 6:30 am

Middle Spotted Woodpecker male singing
2 Great Spotted Woodpecker female & male drumming
Green Woodpecker singing
3 Fieldfare over N
2 Song Thrush singing
Blackbird singing
2 Great tit singing
2 Cirl Bunting male & female
Yellowhammer singing

07:45 - 09:30
Circuit 1

Green Woodpecker singing
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Sparrowhawk
4 Skylark over N
26 Fieldfare over E
Mistle Thrush
White Wagtail flyover
4 Great tit 1 singing
2 Blue tit
2 Long tailed tit agitated
Wood pigeon display flight
3 Jay
Jackdaw
2 Feral pigeon
2 Collard Dove
Robin singing
Wren
Cirl Bunting male singing
Yellowhammer
Hawfinch female
3 Brambling
Chaffinch male singing
6 Tree Sparrow
7 House Sparrow 

Monday 23 February 2015

TUESDAY 24th FEBRUARY 2015

3-15°C, wind SE 7mph,light cloud sunny,pressure 1005hPa and falling

Liplje

Cirl Bunting singing at graveyard
Yellowhammer singing at home
2 Goshawk females flying together

MONDAY 23rd FEBRUARY 2015

Liplje Å umadija Serbia

From home

Wood pigeon singing
Song Thrush singing
Sparrowhawk
3 Buzzard territorial calling
6 Fieldfare over N
8 Yellowhammer
20 Great tit
5 Blue tit
Marsh tit
Nuthatch

Wednesday 18 February 2015

TUESDAY 17th FEBRUARY 2015

Liplje

110 Mixed finch flock -
70 Tree Sparrow
30 Chaffinch
8 Brambling
2 Greenfinch

42 Fieldfare
1 Starling
2 Hawfinch

Home feeding station -
2 Bullfinch females
2 Middle Spotted Woodpecker
Great Spotted Woodpecker male drumming
14 Great tit
5 Blue tit
Nuthatch
13 Yellowhammer
Chaffinch
Tree Sparrow

Friday 13 February 2015

FRIDAY 13th FEBRUARY 2015

-3 - 8 °C, wind N/NE 3-9kph, clear sunny, pressure 1027hPa and falling

Hawfinch came down to the apple tree to have a look at the feeding station but was not persuaded. Sparrowhawk becoming a regular visitor at the feeding station for obvious reasons. May explain disappearance of one of the Tree Sparrows ?
Blackbirds still feeding on Ivy berries.
First signs of Spring with hellebore, primrose, speedwell and dandelion in flower. 

Liplje


2 Tawny Owl heard at dusk 3 Great Spotted Woodpecker 2 f'male + male
Middle Spotted Woodpecker
Nuthatch
6 Blackbird
15 Great Tit
5 Blue Tit
Marsh Tit
Cirl Bunting male
3 Chaffinch
6 Yellowhammer
Hawfinch
3 Tree Sparrow
2 Goldcrest
Buzzard
Sparrowhawk
2 Jay
2 Raven 
Hooded Crow
Jackdaw

5 Roe Deer 1 Stag











Saturday 31 January 2015

SATURDAY 31st JANUARY 2015

Liplje - to Ljubinkas and back

Good views of the Treecreeper showing buff lower belly/rump and calling.
Sparrowhawk was a garden tick perching very close to our bird table.
The Tawny was sat on  our electricity pole above the bird table no doubt  attracted by the mice feeding on the grain below it.

Tawny Owl
2 Goldcrest
Short-toed Treecreeper
M.S. woodpecker
G. s. Woodpecker
3 Nuthatch
Goldfinch
6 Jay
80 Hooded crow
Buzzard
Sparrowhawk male
Blackbird
12 Great tit
4 Blue tit
3 Marsh tit
2 Brambling
2 Chaffinch
15 Yellowhammer
4 Tree Sparrow

Wednesday 28 January 2015

WEDNESDAY 28th JANUARY 2015

2°C, wind W/NW 14kph, overcast dull light snow earlier and last night about 3cm, pressure 1016 and falling.

LipljeFinch numbers rising recently with fantastic flock of 37 Yellowhammer (Mon) and new maximums of 6 Chaffinch and 4 Tree Sparrow today.

Circuit 1 and feeding station at home
Green Woodpecker
Buzzard
3 Jay
The Lightening Tree



Blackbird
Nuthatch
2 Great tit
14 Goldfinch
4 Tree Sparrow
 8 Feral Pigeon

Feeding Station -
G.S. Woodpecker 
M.S. Woodpecker
Jay
Brambling calling
35 Yellowhammer
6 Chaffinch 3 male & 3 female
4 Tree Sparrow
10 + Great tit
5 Blue Tit
2 Marsh tit
Nuthatch


The Lightening tree
My lightening tree stricken but not dead
Speaks to me but has no head
holds out its limbs remenants of great boughs
pleads to thunder god Perun
look what have you done
Bed of thorns
Deformed and scarred
My burnt and blackened heart

Monday 26 January 2015

MONDAY 26th JANUARY 2015

0°C, wind 16kmh from NW, overcast ,dull ,light snow, fresh snow on trees and patchy on ground, pressure  1023 hPa

Liplje -  at home feeding station

37 Yellowhammer
3 Cirl Bunting 2 male & female
3 Chaffinch 2 male & female
3 Tree Sparrow
Robin
Jay
2 Great Spotted Woodpecker male & female
Middle Spotted Woodpecker


Saturday 24 January 2015

SATURDAY 24th JANUARY 2015

2-5°C, wind  W/NW 1-16 mph, overcast dull steady light rain, pressure 1009 hPa

New record for the Yellowhammers today. Sparrowhawk had a go at the tits/finches but with no success and the Woodpeckers have been much less in evidence perhaps as a consequence of her presence. Pity the Greenfinches didn't come down to feed.

Liplje garden feeding station

17 Yellowhammer various ages/sexes
Cirl Bunting male
4 Chaffinch 3 male + female
12+ Great tit
4+ Blue tit
3 Marsh tit
2 G.S. Woodpecker male and female
M.S. Woodpecker
Sparrowhawk female
2 Nuthatch

4 Greenfinch near by on edge of garden

Friday 23 January 2015

FRIDAY 23rd JANUARY 2015

5°C, no wind, mostly overcast and dull, pressure 1006 hPa

Great to have the Black Woody back and performing well. Excellent views today of him drumming. Noticed that he was using short stubs of wood on the main trunk to  drum out his message, each stump having a different tone. The drumming wasn't particularly loud but more prolonged than the other species here. I was fascinated by the wonderful tone and resonance that obtained by what looked like a short dead branch on a live main  trunk.
Good to see Mistle Thrush which is scarce here with just a few sightings last year

Liplje - circuit 1 8:30-10:15

Black Woodpecker singing & drumming
Middle Spotted Woodpecker
2 Great Spotted Woodpecker
Green Woodpecker
6 Nuthatch probably 3 pairs
2 Eurasian Treecreeper
2 Buzzard
6 Feral Pigeon
Hooded Crow
2 Magpie
11 Jay 7 feeding together
4 Marsh tit
12+ Great tit
6+ Blue tit
2 Blackbird
Mistle Thrush
11 Yellowhammer
2 Cirl Bunting
2 Chaffinch
2 Goldfinch
Hawfinch
2 Tree Sparrow 

2 Roe Dear doe & buck
First daisies and speedwell's in flower yesterday and green hellebore today.
First honey bees on hazel catkins yesterday.

Thursday 15 January 2015

THURSDAY 15th JANUARY 2015

1-10°C, wind light variable, mostly clear sunny, pressure 1023 hPa

Liplje, circuit 1

Very quiet today with fewer birds in the garden and around the the village.
2nd male Cirl Bunt at Raspberry Plantation.

Black Woodpecker calling
Green Woodpecker calling
3 Great Spotted Woodpecker 2 female & male
Middle Spotted Woodpecker male
Sparrowhawk
Buzzard
Magpie
Collard Dove
Raven
3 Cirl Bunting 2 male & female