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 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



 

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

TUESDAY 19th AUGUST 4014

13 - 27°C,Wind light variable, light cloud mostly sunny, pressure 29.92 - 29.89 inHG

Liplje - 07:15 - 09:20 - from home up to the raspberry plantation.

Spent one and a half hours looking for suspected Booted/Sykes's Warbler at Branka's house, but sadly to no avail. Common Whitethroat and Spotted Flycatcher were also absent so I guess last night was favourable for onward migration.

Got the feeling that the Jays were just socialising, they were very vocal but don't think they were harassing anything, moving through the forest in a loose flock. Still surprising to me as never seen such a large flock in UK.

2 Nightingale
4 Red Backed Shrike 2 male + 2 juv
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Middle Spotted Woodpecker
Black Woodpecker
4 Blackbird 2 juv
Nuthatch
2 Blackcap
4+ Wood Warbler
23 Jay
2 Hawfinch female + juv

MONDAY 18th AUGUST 2014

Liplje - Circuit 1

 The Booted / Sykes's Warbler ? was seen in good light and at 30-50m distance feeding in low scrub. However immediate impression was of a grey/brown nondescript small warbler with whitish underside, but not necessarily a phyllosc. Did not bring to mind grey type Chiffchaff in either form or behavior, having a distinctive high crown and moving at a more leisurely pace like near by Whitethroat rather than the often, more energised actions of ''Willow-chaffs''. rather subtle paler supercillium and slightly darker shade to the flight feathers. Leg colour mid tone greyish. Size same as or slightly smaller than near by juv Whitethroat. Probably watched for some 5-6 minutes in total.
As this would be a first for me and the fact that these two species are so similar, some closer observations are in order.
Any comments on this are most welcome.

Possible Icterine Warbler seen only breifly, id based on previous observations of this species here.
Again Willow Warbler seen only briefly but typical phyllosc and plenty of yellow on underside. 
The Pipit alas also seen for short period which was also compounded by being back lit by morning sun. Did pick up very bold black underside striations down breast and flanks ? Seemed heavier build than Meadow and was perched high in tree.
Nightingale giving subdued song ?

Birds seen at 15:30 were in a single group at Chat Meadows.
Sedge warbler gave good views sitting boldly on top of sweetcorn plant.
The scrub warbler was bland and garden warbler like but soon flew off. Mmmm seems to have been that sort of day.




Booted Warbler/Sykes's Warbler ? Possible
Icterine Warbler ? possible
Willow Warbler ? probable juv
2 Whitethroat juvs
4 Blackcap male + 1juv + 2 juv/female
Wheatear 1st W
Whinchat female/ 1st W
3 Spotted Flycatcher
Yellow Wagtail over calling
Pipit sp.
10 Red Backed Shrike 5 male + 5 juv
Nightingale singing !
Bee-eater over
2 Green Woodpecker 1 juv
G. S. Woodpecker female
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker calling
20+ Swallow
Pheasant
3 Blackbird 2 juv
Nuthatch
Great Tit
3 Jay
2 Raven
Golden Oriole
4 Buzzard 1 territory displaying
Sparrowhawk female
Hawfinch juv
3 Chaffinch female /juv
7 Yellowhammer
House Sparrow
Tree Sparrow

15:30 hrs - 
Sedge Warbler
4 Whinchat
2 Stonechat
White Wagtail
"Scrub Warbler'' (sylvia) sp.