Birdwatch April - May 2024

We are delighted that Steve Jones paid the island a bird-watching visit this spring and has shared his sightings with us.

Bee-eater Bee-eater Photo: Steve Jones

Birdwatch Otok Hvar 29/4 – 8/5/2024

This year I purposely came a week later than last time in order to see BeeEaters which hadn’t arrived last year by the time I left. I was not disappointed.

However, first I'll mention notable absences: Alpine Swift, I don’t want to say they weren’t there but I didn’t see any and I cannot remember not seeing any on previous visits. Similarly, Corn Bunting: I saw and heard one bird, but these are normally one of the most common by the pond and in and around the fields I visit, so I was disappointed. I did not hear many Serins either, which used to be regular visitors to the trees by the small church in Dol, but they were not there. Finally the BeeEaters, Yes they were there but I am concerned as to where they can nest. For several years they had nested at Gringos boatyard in Jelsa. The habitat looks the same but after three visits no sign of a bird, although I did hear some high up and not too far away. I found a few while I was cycling between Dol and Vrbanj. They were a bit distant, I took a couple of pictures for reference. I do wonder perhaps with the new supermarkets in the area, they've lost their habitat around the Jelsa petrol station and perhaps they've lost food sources too, this is just guessing with no evidence.


Bee-eater in flight. Photo: Steve Jones

On April 30th I was really pleased to get a good picture of a Cirl Bunting.

Cirl Bunting. Photo: Steve Jones

Another highlight was a successful chance photograph of a spotted flycatcher.

Spotted flycatcher. Photo: Steve Jones

As most of you know I do all my bird watching in and around Dol Svete Ane plus Stari Grad plain footpaths and probably the most important site is the pond at Dračevice. This year I purposely visited Dračevice at different times of the day, sometimes twice but it made little difference. That said, it certainly did not disappoint, but what was interesting this time I did not see more than two species of bird at the same time.

Nightingale. Photo: Steve Jones

On my first day after a visit to the PBZ bank in Jelsa, I saw House Martins already feeding their young. I stopped at the Café Bar Splendid and exactly as last year I heard a Blue Rock Thrush calling. Last year I glimpsed it there, while this year it was out of sight but it was certainly within 100 metres of the PBZ bank on Jelsa's main square. As I was biking around I think the most common bird in song was the Blackcap, followed by the Nightingale – a bird heard often but seldom seen. I managed a poor picture this year. In the fields and footpaths of Stari Grad plain I would suggest the most obvious singing came from Sardinian Warblers and Sub-Alpine Warblers. Even after all this time I still get confused with their individual songs although I can narrow them down to one of the two.

Sardinian Warbler. Photo: Steve Jones

30th brought a new arrival at Soline, Turtle Doves, they certainly weren’t calling the previous day. This year I didn’t get a picture, and only saw three of them during the trip.
1st May brought my only sighting of a Hoopoe, I did hear them calling but generally in olive fields in and around Dol and I don’t like to casually walk in to private property unless I ask somebody first.

Golden oriole. Photo: Steve Jones

2nd May I was out early morning near Konoba Kokot trying to track down and photograph a Golden Oriole, I saw it and indeed got a picture but it was a bit distant. A better picture followed later in the week. Whilst walking out I managed a picture of a very obliging Whitethroat so I was delighted with that.

Common Whitethroat. Photo: Steve Jones

Riding my bike through Vrbanj, I could hear a Blue Rock Thrush singing. I got off my bike and eventually tracked it down. Once again I managed a poor picture but enough for confirmation. It was singing from the very top of the spire on Vrbanj church.

Blue Rock Thrush. Photo: Steve Jones

Dračevice was definitely the place to be over the whole period. I think birds pass over, see water and land but are gone the next day, or so it seemed. Wood Sandpipers seemed to be there at various times during the day and every day. The first day 29/4 there were three Wood Sandpipers and this year they let me get surprisingly close so I managed some decent pictures.

Wood Sandpipers. Photo: Steve Jones

Also on 29th there was a Black headed Yellow Wagtail. On May 2nd I had a new species for me on the island and indeed a first for me anywhere. I sent picture off to three friends in UK to ID it. This was clearly exciting and at the time a star bird – it was a Temmincks Stint. A very small plain looking wader and even the call when it flew was quiet.

Blackheaded Yellow Wagtail. Photo: Steve Jones
Temmincks Stint. Photo: Steve Jones

It had disappeared on 3/5 but replaced by a pair of Black Winged Stilts. Not a first for me on the island but a first at Dračevice. I saw a Wheatear on my way back up to Dol, the only one I saw but I suspect like Redstarts and Stonechats they could have passed through.

Black-winged Stilt. Photo: Steve Jones

4/5 brought nothing new except a Blue Tit in Dol. I discovered a pair of Great Tits also feeding young in Dol. 5/5 This for me was probably the bird of the week once again at the pond. Definitely another first for the island, a Glossy Ibis  Although I had seen the species before, I had never seen it in breeding plumage. I got plenty of pictures but most obscured by vegetation. Like the Black Winged Stilts the Ibis wasn’t there on the following day.

Glossy Ibis. Photo: Steve Jones

6/5 brought another new species for the week, a Squacco Heron. I had seen this before at Dračevice but this bird was far more wary of me than the others. I managed several pictures but partially obscured. The Temminks Stint also returned, albeit briefly.

Squacco Heron. Photo: Steve Jones

I was very pleased with the overall numbers of species identified, I totaled 42 over the period of my visit. The bird species are there but you don’t always see them, visiting frequently certainly increases your chances. So, until the next time!

The list of species seen during this visit in spring 2024:
1 -Scops / ćuk
2- house sparrow / vrabac
3- golden oriole / vuga
4- nightingale / slavuj
5- blackcap / crnokapa grmuša
6- great tit /velika sjenica
7- cuckoo / kukavica
8- serin / žutarica
9- cirl bunting / crnogria strnadica
10- swift / čiopa
11- swallow / lastavica
12- house martin / plijak
13- bee-eater / pčelarica
14- red backed shrike / rusi svračak
15- blue rock thrush / modrokos
16- blackbird / kos
17- yellow-legged gull / galeb klaukavac
18- wood sandpiper / prutka migavica
19- yellow wagtail / žuta pastirica
20- Sardinian warbler / crnoglava grmuša
21- hooded crow / siva vrana
22- sub-alpine warbler / bjelobrka grmuša
23- woodchat shrike / riđoglavi svračak
24- buzzard / škanjac
25- sparrowhawk / kobac
26- pallid swift / smeđa čiopa
27- turtle dove / grlica
28- hoopoe / pupavac
29- kestrel / vjetruša
30- corn bunting / velika strnadica
31- whitethroat / grmuša pjenica
32- temmincks stint / sijedi žalar, teminckov žalar
33- black-winged stilt / vlastelica
34- blue tit / plavetba sjenica
35- wheatear / sivkasta bjeloguza
36- chaffinch / zeba
37- greenfinch / zelendur
38- pied wagtail /bijela pastirica
39- glossy ibis / blistavi ibis
40- squacco heron / žuta čaplja
41- whinchat / smeđoglavi batić
42- spotted flycatcher / muharica

Overall I'm happy with that!

 
 

© Steve Jones, May 2024.

 

 

Nalazite se ovdje: Home Novosti iz prirode Birdwatch April - May 2024

Eco Environment News feeds

  • Labour’s measures to ban deep-peat burning aim to safeguard habitats, tackle carbon emissions, and protect wildlife, so why are hunters up in arms?

    Burning vegetation on deep peat will be banned under government plans to protect nature and reduce carbon emissions.

    Vegetation on peatland is often burned to create habitat for grouse, which like to feed on the fresh shoots of new plants that grow after the burn. This increases the number of birds available to be shot for sport.

    Continue reading...

  • South Africa’s Marion Island is a breeding ground for the birds, but their chicks are being eaten alive by rodents. Now, the world’s largest operation to eradicate the invasive species is about to get under way

    By 2015, scientists knew from camera trap evidence that mice were attacking albatross chicks on Marion Island, but no one had ever witnessed it first-hand on the small volcanic outcrop off the coast of South Africa. So, when researchers Stefan and Janine Schoombie came across a badly wounded wandering albatross chick in a relatively accessible part of the island, they resolved to return at night. After hiking for 30 minutes in the dark, Stefan started quietly setting up his camera equipment behind a rock. “We were expecting to have to stalk, but the mice were climbing all over us,” he says.

    It didn’t take long for the mice to start feeding on the albatross chick. “The bird was a complete fluffball,” says Janine. “So, they just climbed up its back and started nibbling at its head. We could see their teeth going into its flesh.” The bird, too young to walk let alone fly, could only shake its head in irritation. “As scientists our job is to not intervene,” says Stefan. “But we really wanted to help that bird.”

    Continue reading...

  • With a leg-span the size of your hand, the UK’s biggest spider, ultra-rare and known for its extraordinary hunting skills, has many admirers

    Meet an Olympian among Britain’s 660 spider species: a palm-of-the-hand-sized arachnid that hunts in three dimensions and can even devour fish.

    The fen raft spider (Dolomedes plantarius) is a magnificent ambush predator: harmless to humans but lethal if you’re a pond skater, tadpole or even adult dragonfly.

    Araneae have been feared and discriminated against throughout history

    Between 24 March and 2 April, we will be profiling a shortlist of 10 of the invertebrates chosen by readers and selected by our wildlife writers from more than 2,500 nominations. The voting for our 2025 invertebrate of the year will run from midday on Wednesday, 2 April until midday on Friday, 4 April, and the winner will be announced on Monday, 7 April.

    Continue reading...

  • Annual peak is lowest on record, covering 5.53m sq miles – about 30,000 sq miles below the previous low in 2017

    Winter sea ice in the Arctic has reached a record low in 2025, according to Nasa and the US’s National Snow and Ice Data Center. The annual peak, recorded on 22 March, was the lowest since records began 47 years ago, with sea ice covering just 5.53m sq miles – about 1.1m sq miles less than last year – and 30,000 sq miles below the previous low in 2017. The Gulf of St Lawrence had almost no ice, while the Sea of Okhotsk experienced notably lower than average sea ice extent.

    In late January, sea ice extent in the Arctic unexpectedly decreased, losing an area the size of Italy (more than 115,000 sq miles). This can be attributed to cyclones pushing southerly winds in the Barents and Bering seas, causing ocean waves that broke apart and melted thin ice at the edge of the ice sheet. Temperatures up to 12C above normal were recorded between northern Greenland and the north pole.

    Continue reading...

  • By grazing between trees and removing potential wildfire fuel, wild horses help protect Galicia’s delicate ecosystems, but Europe’s largest herd has declined to just 10,000

    Continue reading...

  • Long Dean, Cotswolds: This is a world – and a worldview – away from the rush to get lab-grown meat on to the market

    It’s a test of patience waiting for a calf. But in our closed (ie we don’t buy in) small-scale herd, ensuring successful delivery of new life is vital. I’m now several days into regularly checking for signs of labour. By day, I stride through the greening wood, spring’s symphony of birdsong overlaid by woodpecker percussion, and by night, moonlit or torchlit, I stumble, observed by owls but without pausing to dwell on what those dark scufflings might be. These calves have been nine months in the making, a few more days won’t matter. Nature, after all, dictates her own pace.

    By contrast, in the news recently, the Food Standards Agency is seeking to speed up the approval of lab-grown meat. These products, originating from animal cells, will be developed in small chemical plants before being processed to look like food, and it is claimed they are better for the environment and health. Putting aside the irony that they seem to be the “ultimate” in processed food, it might be that using science is the most “efficient” way to produce meat. But – pardoning the pun – there’s much more at stake here than that.

    Continue reading...

  • We asked 18 Republicans whose districts benefit most from Biden’s IRA climate law if they back Trump’s demands

    Billions of dollars in clean energy spending and jobs have overwhelmingly flowed to parts of the US represented by Republican lawmakers. But these members of Congress are still largely reticent to break with Donald Trump’s demands to kill off key incentives for renewables, even as their districts bask in the rewards.

    The president has called for the dismantling of the Inflation Reduction Act – a sweeping bill passed by Democrats that has helped turbocharge investments in wind, solar, nuclear, batteries and electric vehicle manufacturing in the US – calling it a “giant scam”. Trump froze funding allocated under the act and has vowed to claw back grants aimed at reducing planet-heating pollution.

    Continue reading...

  • The thylacine might walk again. Or Lake Pedder might rise again. The possibility of ecological restoration in the island state plays into the appeal of going back in time

    There is something about Tasmania that makes it a place where people want to restore the past, and not just because Tasmanians still regularly report seeing thylacines bounding off into the forest.

    Certainly, it’s a retro kind of place. The landed gentry are still a thing, the powerful families of modern Tasmania tracing their ancestry back to the original squatters, who either took the land by force or bought it from the colonial government, no questions asked. Georgian mansions scatter the rural landscape; in Hobart, convict hewn stone is a building material of choice. Nearly 70% of Tasmanians had both parents born in Australia (the overall figure for the country is 47%), and more than 80% identify with a white ancestry (65% for Australia as a whole). If you ignore the giant cruise ships, the Teslas and the puffer jackets, you could imagine yourself in mid-century Australia.

    Continue reading...

  • Riot of native wildflowers that enthralled visitors in the past several years have failed to sprout due to too little rain

    It’s one of the best known rites of spring in California: extraordinary displays known as “superblooms” that coat the hillsides in an abundance of color. Some years the blooms are massive enough to draw tourists from around the world to revel in the fields, such as in 2023 when more than 100,000 people showed up on a weekend to gawk at the poppies in Lake Elsinore, a small city about an hour outside Los Angeles.

    But this year, not so much. Thanks to a brutally dry winter, the hills around the usual southern California superbloom hotspots have been conspicuously bare. Callista Turner, a state park ranger, could count the number of blooms on two hands as she surveyed the 8 miles of rolling hills at the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve in the final week of March, which is typically when superbloom season peaks. “We’re still waiting to see what kind of season we have,” she says. “It’s a very slow start.”

    Continue reading...

  • The last two big storms to hit Mexico have left the city vulnerable to organised crime and in fear of the next climate shock

    Flora Montejo always dreamed of buying her own home. After almost three decades working as a nurse, the 68-year-old invested her retirement savings in a two-storey house in San Agustín, a working-class suburb of the Mexican resort town of Acapulco.

    Montejo’s retirement dream was shortlived. Not long after moving into her newly remodelled home, Hurricane John dumped record levels of rainfall on Acapulco, triggering landslides and flash floods after calm creeks turned into roaring rivers.

    Continue reading...

Novosti: Cybermed.hr

Novosti: Biologija.com

Izvor nije pronađen