Ed Forum birdwatching 2008

[Kotatsu]

I'll shoot you the updated spreadsheet when you've posted your trip list.

All of these should be listed as "Sweden - Laplandia", though the localities differ (bold = new for the Swedish list, except for if sphenisc reported them; asterisks denote birds I have photos of, either in the hand or in the wild):

24/6 Bastuträsk:
Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
Redwing Turdus iliacus
Winter Wren Troglodytes troglodytes
Willow Warbler Phylloscopus trochilus*
Pied Flycatcher Ficedula hypoleuca
Greenfinch Carduelis chloris
Blackbird Turdus meruls
Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs

24/6 Jörn:
Redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus
Redpoll Carduelis flammea*
White Wagtail Motacilla alba

24/6 Älvsbyn:
Hooded Crow Corvus corone cornix

24/6 Boden:
Domestic Pigeon Columba livia domestica
Fieldfare Turdus pilaris
Jackdaw Corvus monedula (1)
Herring Gull Larus argentatus
Blue Tit Cyanistes caeruleus
House Martin Delichion urbica

24/6 Gällivare:
Swift Apus apus

24/6 Akkajaure:
Mew Gull Larus canus
Wigeon Anas penelope
Raven Corvus corax

24/6 Ritsem:
Goldeneye Bucephala clangula
Rough-legged Buzzard Buteo lagopus
Garden Warbler Sylvia borin

25/6 Staloluokta:
Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis
Greater Sand Plover Charadrius hiaticula tundrae*
Bluethroat Luscinia svecia*
Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe
Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleuca
Redshank Tringa totanus
Willow Grouse Lagopus lagopus
Reed Bunting Emberiza schoeniclus
Black-headed Gull Larus ridibundus
Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola
Black-throated Diver Gavia arctica
Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus
Dunnock Prunella modularis
Brambling Fringilla montifringilla
Arctic Tern Sterna paradisaea
Velvet Scooter Melanitta fusca
Scaup Aythya marila
Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula
Common Scooter Melanitta nigra
Mallard Anas platyrhynchos
Teal Anas crecca

26/6 Staloluokta:
Long-tailed Skua Stercorarius longicaudus*

26/6 Unna-Titer:
Song Thrush Turdus philomelos
Ring Ouzel Turdus torquatus
Golden Plover Pluvialis apricaria*
Goosander Mergus merganser
Sedge Warbler Acrocephalus schoenbaenus
Red-throated Diver Gavia stellata
Woodcock Scolopax rusticola

27/6 Staloluokta:
Long-tailed Duck Clangula hyemalis*
Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava thunbergi
Spotted Redshanks Tringa erythropus
Red-necked Phalarope Phalaropus lobatus*
Snipe Gallinago gallinago
White-throated Dipper Cinclus cinclus cinclus (as distinct from the British subspecies gularis and hibernicus, and the mainland European subspecies aquaticus, in case any of these have bee seen)
Bohemian Waxwing Bombycilla garrulus

28/6 Staloluokta:
Gyrfalcon Falco rusticolus

28/6 Stuorra-Titer:
Merlin Falco columbianus* (photos include some of nestlings, which we banded)

30/6 Staloluokta:
Golden eagle Aquila chrysaetos

2/7 Staloluokta:
Cuckoo Cuculus canorus
Robin Erithacus rubecula
Spotted Flycatcher Muscicapa striata

6/7 Låtatj'jauratj (2):
Pintail Anas acuta
Temminck's Stint Calidris temminckii
Greenshank Tringa nebulosa
Lapland Longspur Calcarius lapponicus

8/7 Boden:
Green Woodpecker Picus viridis
Wood Pigeon Columba palumbus

As to the magpie, Clements lists all as one species, with several subspecies. I don't know enough of distributions without a map to say anything definite, but according to Clements, hypoleuca is found only on Tasmania and on islands in the Bass Strait. The one listed in Victoria is still tibicen. However, I know nothing of Australian birds (3).

Oh, and sorry I missed you last night - had the sound down on the PC so missed the call.

No worries. Do you have time to continue with updating the list until the beginning of August when I come back from Germany?

---
(1) Incidentally, considering the way they have now split up the Tits and the way groups like the Larks have been split into several genera for so long, isn't it about time to divide Corvus into all the older genera again? A Jackdaw, to me, looks less than the rest of the "crows" than many larks of different genera look like each other. I guess it's just a matter of time. Same goes, I believe, for Anas, Turdus, Tringa, Calidris, and Carduelis.
(2) Sami names rule.
(3) Incidentally, if anyone knows an outstanding book on the subject, please recommend it. I was recommended one book by the people at Broome, and might buy it, but I would like to buy it in advance, so that I am not totally unprepared. I have been studying two books on Japanese birds quite extensively while in Lapland, and plan to do the same with Australia. It's awful to have to ask what every single bird you see is...

 

[Kotatsu]

Britain's oldest Razorbill recovered.
This Razorbill is at least 41 years old and has been spending his summers in Britain since he was first ringed as a chick in 1967....

By coincidence (?) there was a small similar thing in the latest issue of Vår Fågelvärld (Our Bird-World; the journal of the Swedish Ornithological Society) on the same subject. Apparently, the oldest Common Murre in Sweden was ringed as a chcik in July 1965, and was recently seen again, 43 years later, which is the record for Swedish birds.

 

[EHocking]

(3) Incidentally, if anyone knows an outstanding book on the subject, please recommend it. I was recommended one book by the people at Broome, and might buy it, but I would like to buy it in advance, so that I am not totally unprepared. I have been studying two books on Japanese birds quite extensively while in Lapland, and plan to do the same with Australia. It's awful to have to ask what every single bird you see is...

Well, the definitive reference is the 2 volume (Passerines, Non-Passerines) by P.Slater.

It's quite a personal choice, but the field guide I prefer is Simpson and Day's "Field Guide to the Birds of Australia. A book of identification".

What I tend to do with foreign country field guides that I don't know about is leaf through them for a bird I am familiar with and judge whether it is a representation that I could use to identify the bird.

So, I've stuck with Simpson and Day.
(But then again, my Larousse is my European field guide - so judge my, er, judgement for yourself)

 

[Kotatsu]

Well, the definitive reference is the 2 volume (Passerines, Non-Passerines) by P.Slater.

It's quite a personal choice, but the field guide I prefer is Simpson and Day's "Field Guide to the Birds of Australia. A book of identification".

What I tend to do with foreign country field guides that I don't know about is leaf through them for a bird I am familiar with and judge whether it is a representation that I could use to identify the bird.

So, I've stuck with Simpson and Day.
(But then again, my Larousse is my European field guide - so judge my, er, judgement for yourself)

The AWSG recommends Simpson and Day as well, so maybe I'll go with that. I do not care to drag around a two-volume set in the desert (supposedly, we may face 45 degrees!).

I use Mullarney/Svensson/Zetterström for Europe, which is a great book, I believe, although a bit odd in places. For instance, someone pointed out that the Tawny Owl Strix aluco is the owl with the smallest picture in the book, despite being common across the covered area. By comparison, Hume's Tawny Owl Strix butleri covers a third of a page, being a "very rare breeder" in "the Sinai, S Israel, and Jordan". I have heard that the part about the owls is what they are least satisfied with, though. Also, apparently, there is a bird somewhere in the book lacking a foot or a part of one, but I don't know which.

 

[Kotatsu]

The current "Country List" page is a bit difficult to study at times. Would it be possible to list the countries below each other, perhaps grouped by continent? Or else, would it be difficult to have a Country List which looks like the current master table, with a list of all observed species, and a small cross or something in a table next to it for every country in which it has been observed? Sort of like the way months are listed at the moment?

 

[mummymonkey]

Last night (late) I had something fly through the shrubbery. Larger than a blackbird and dark. No chance of a body type, I'm afraid, but it's call was reminiscent of a lapwing. If you listen to this http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/l/lapwing/index.asp . It sounded like the very first sound in that that call recording. Slightly shorter than that of the recording and only sounded twice. There was a pause (1sec?) between each sounding. It then flew around the back of another block of flats (or there was two of them) and repeated the same 2 sound call. ANy ideas?

Have you considered oystercatcher? They fly round the houses at night in this part of the world any way.

 

[Fiona]

Not great pictures but since they were mentioned.....

 

[Kotatsu]

By the way, I have been informed by the people at the wader expedition to Australia that there may still be openings for people who could help with just counting birds between 8th and 27th of November this year at Broome and 80 Miles Beach. It's a bit expensive, of course, but if anyone is interested in participating, send me a PM; and I will send you the expedition organisers' emails.

 

[Lilith]

Remember that hawk I saw on campus waiting for the chipmunk to emerge from under the trash receptacle? I agree it was probably a young red-tailed hawk. The other day on campus I saw two red-tails being badgered by a flock of crows who, I assume, were trying to protect their young. The hawks didn't seem too badgered as they soared this way and that, but the crows were relentless.

In the meantime, this little girl and many of her friends (male and female) have been regular company at the feeder (female house sparrow, I think):

And on July 5th and 6th, these 4 hatched just under the floor of our deck. I was lucky enough to watch about 2 minutes of the final one hatching! They're all doing very well (I check them every day - Momma-robin is quite used to us, as she's been using this spot for several years now):

 

[BillyJoe]

Finally some bird pics.


Spotted another Kookaburra today (pretty sure I've already posted one)

[Pirianda Gardens, Mt Dandenong Ranges, Victoria, Australia. 13th July 2008]

Edit: Cropped from the original.

 

[Kotatsu]

They seem to be very common, and quite unafraid, or is that just in Victoria? I hope I'll see some, but I think I will fly to Darwin or Perth, and from there to Broome, and I don't know how likely it will be.

Anyway, tomorrow I am off to Germany for a few weeks to visit my girlfriend (haven't met since May, which is somewhat frustrating^^). I'll bring a small notebook and write down every species I see. Until then, have a great July!

 

[Kestrel]

A new species for the list spotted today in Colorado, USA:

Red-naped Sapsucker Sphyrapicus nuchalis

 

[BillyJoe]

They seem to be very common, and quite unafraid, or is that just in Victoria?

That bird let me get to the edge of the tree in which he was sitting close to the trunk. I have a digital TTL camera with an 18-55mm lens. It can take quite a large picture - about 3800 X 2600 pixels. The one I posted is 800 X 700 pixels cropped from the centre of the original. You do need to be careful about focus though. My other six pics of it did not pass muster (although they were from further away in case he flew off before I got in closer).

 

[EHocking]

They seem to be very common, and quite unafraid, or is that just in Victoria? I hope I'll see some, but I think I will fly to Darwin or Perth, and from there to Broome, and I don't know how likely it will be.

Well, if you fly to Darwin, you won't see a Laughing Kookaburra 'cos they's a Southern bird .

But you might see a Blue-winged Kookaburra up north.

Anyway, tomorrow I am off to Germany for a few weeks to visit my girlfriend (haven't met since May, which is somewhat frustrating^^). I'll bring a small notebook and write down every species I see. Until then, have a great July![/quote]Spent the weekend in Mallorca, haven't got anything new to add to the list I'm afraid.

Noted the suggestions on the country list - I think I'll probably start with a clickable worldmap to take viewers to individual country maps - probably via a continent summary map (Europe, Asia, Americas). As more countries/states are added, I'll add more graphical representations.

 

[EHocking]

Have you considered oystercatcher? They fly round the houses at night in this part of the world any way.

wellll.... I did think the call reminded me of a Lapwing, and we do get the occasional oystercatcher in the fields of Essex, but the bird was too small for an oytercatcher. Certainly no larger than a Barn Owl, if that large. I will check the call of an O.c out, but we're too far into the 'burbs for O.c to be common round these parts.

I guess I'll remained stumped on this one. Just one of those fleeting observations. I've never been that good with British bird call - in Oz, no problem, even Africa, but for some reason only a few of the more distinctive (and common) calls have stuck to any neurons...

 

[Kestrel]

Two small additions to the list,

Rufous Hummingbird Selasphorus rufus
Calliope Hummingbird Stellula calliope

Both were seen today in the Colorado mountains.

 

[Kotatsu]

Hi all,

My trip to Germany was shortened considerably as my girlfriend (who is German and lives in Germany) broke up with me due to what charitably may be called hitherto unforeseen mismatches in personalities. I just got back home to Sweden (it's soon five in the morning), so I won't post any lists now, but I have perhaps 60 species from Germany, covering nine of the republics, as well as perhaps 30 from Denmark. If I have time, I will post them tomorrow.

 

[Kotatsu]

List of my trip to Germany, ordered by republic. Scientific names are written only for the first observation of a species. Comments, indicated by A) through XXX) follow the birds of Scania (Sweden), below. As last time, new additions to the list are marked in bold (I still haven't checked sphenisc's bird, though):

14/7 Rheinland-Pfalz (Hahn Airport):
Starling Sturnus vulgaris
House Sparrow Passer domesticus
White wagtail Motacilla alba
Jackdaw Corvus monedula
Carrion Crow Corvus corone corone

15/7 Hessen (Frankfurt am Main):
Domestic Pigeon Columba livia domestica
Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto
Swift Apus apus
Black-headed Gull Larus ridibundus
Jackdaw

15/7 Hessen (Offenbach):
Wood Pigeon Columba palumbus
Carrion Crow
Starling

15/7 Bayern (Aschaffenburg):
Domestic Pigeon
Swift

15/7 Bayern (Lohr):
Blackbird Turdus merula
Black Redstart Phoenicurus ochruros A)
Carrion Crow

15/7 Bayern (Würzburg):
Mallard Anas platyrhynchos
Black-headed Gull
White Wagtail
Serin Serinus serinus B)
House Martin Delichon urbica
Wood Pigeon
Magpie Pica pica C)
Greenfinch Carduelis chloris
Red Kite Milvus milvus
Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis
Blue Tit Cyanistes caeruleus
Greater Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopus major
Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs
Garden Warbler Sylvia borin

16/7 Bayern (Würzburg):
Collared Dove
Green Woodpecker Picus viridis
Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea
Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita
Mute Swan Cygnus olor
Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
House Sparrow
Reed Warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus
Great Tit Parus major
Fieldfare Turdus pilaris

17/7 Bayern (Würzburg):
Lesser Whitethroat Sylvia curruca
Robin Erithacus rubecula
Egyptian Goose Alopochen aegypticus D)
Coot Fulica atra
Jackdaw
Kestrel Falco tinnunculus
Strange mysterious small duck E)

Here follows a number of observations along the Autobahn between Würzburg (Bavaria) through Thuringia (where we stopped briefly at Burg Gleichen), Sachsen-Anhalt, Sachsen just outside Leipzig, back to Sachsen-Anhalt, Brandenburg, and then Berlin, where I stayed for a total of three and a half day, two of which were miserable. Then follows, again, autobahn observations in Brandenburg and Mecklemburg-Vorpommern, the latter also including some observations in Rostock while boarding the ferry and leaving the harbour. For this reason, most of these observations are not ordered after city, but after republic.

18/7 Bayern:
Buzzard Buteo buteo
Starling
Honey Buzzard Pernis apivorus
Skylark Alauda arvensis
Yellowhammer Emberiza citrinella

18/7 Thüringen:
Buzzard
Kestrel
Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis
Jackdaw
Wood Pigeon
Skylark
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus
House Martin
Goshawk Accipiter gentilis
Starling

18/7 Thüringen (Burg Gleichen): F)
Chaffinch
Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla
Blue Tit
Yellowhammer
Blackbird
Spotted Flycatcher Muscicapa striata
Chiffchaff
Swift
Barn Swallow
Black Redstart
Red Kite
Domestic Pigeon
Syrian Woodpecker Dendrocopus syriacus G
Greater White-throat Sylvia communis

18/7 Sachsen-Anhalt:
Carrion Crow
Skylark
Buzzard
Yellowhammer
Black Kite Milvus migrans
White Wagtail
Starling
Swift
Domestic Pigeon
Wood Pigeon
Jackdaw
Raven Corvus corax
House Martin
Hooded Crow Corvus corone cornix
Reed Bunting Emberiza schoeniclus

18/7 Sachsen:
Mute Swan
Tufted Duck Aythtya fuligula
Carrion Crow
Goldeneye Bucephala clangula
Mallard
Wood Pigeon
Red Kite
Black-headed Gull
Buzzard
Starling
Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus
Kestrel

18/7 Brandenburg:
Wood Pigeon
White Wagtail
Hooded Crow
White Stork Ciconia ciconia
Buzzard
Starling
House Martin
Skylark
Domestic Pigeon
Sparrowhawk
Yellowhammer

18/7 Berlin:
Wood Pigeon
Swift
Hooded Crow
Domestic Pigeon
Kestrel
Magpie
Blackbird
House Sparrow

19/7 Berlin:
Greenfinch
Robin
Blue Tit
Blackcap
Starling
Mute Swan
Grey Heron Ardea cinerea
Barn Swallow
Mallard

20/7 Berlin:
Chaffinch

21/7 Brandenburg:
Rook Corvus frugilegus

21/7 Mecklemburg-Vorpommern:
Wood Pigeon
Starling
Hooded Crow
Buzzard
White Wagtail
Red-backed Shrike Lanius collurio
Barn Swallow
Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus
Coot
Black Kite
House Martin
Domestic Pigeon
Grey Heron
Skylark
Mew Gull Larus canus
Kestrel
White Stork
House Sparrow
Herring Gull Larus argentatus
Jackdaw
Black-headed Gull
Black Redstart
Common Tern Sterna hirundo
Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo
Mute Swan
Lesser Black-basked Gull Larus fuscus
Mallard
Tufted Duck
Great Tit
Blackbird

21/7 Denmark, Falster:
Great Cormorant
Herring Gull
Greater Black-backed Gull Larus marinus
Mew Gull
Common Tern
Sandwich tern Sterna sandvicensis
Eider Somateria mollissima
Black-headed Gull
Swift
Collared Dove
Wood Pigeon
Hooded Crow
Barn Swallow
Rook
Skylark
White Wagtail
Jackdaw
Pheasant Phasianus colchicus
Yellowhammer
Lapwing Vanellus vanellus
House Sparrow

21/7 Denmark, Sealand:
Black-headed Gull
Wood Pigeon
Mew Gull
Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus
Lapwing
Golden Plover Pluvialis apricaria
Skylark
Blackbird
Marsh Harrier
Herring Gull
Coot
Hooded Crow
Barn Swallow
Mallard
Mute Swan
Goldeneye
Tufted Duck
Swift
Moorhen Gallinula chloropus
Domestic Pigeon

21/7 Sweden, Scania, Malmö:
Black-headed Gull
Mew Gull

Comments:
A) Black Redstart is one of several birds which behave totally different in Sweden from continental Europe (or, at least, Germany and Poland). In Sweden, the Black Redstart is confined to wasteyards, harbour areas, industrial areas, and along railways, and is considered very rare. Indeed, I don't see one every year, and there seem to be only two comparatively certain places in the Gothenburg area to see one: a container storage area near the harbour, and an old fortress surrounded by lorry parks, railways, and industries. In Germany, however, this is a common bird in cities, behaving almost like the Redstart does here; singing in TV antennas, catching insects in the gardens and so on. It is even called Hausrotschwanz[/] (i.e., House Red-tail) in German.

B) This is another of these species. In Sweden, very rare and found only in cemetaries, a few parks, and similar places; in Germany I heard it from almost every TV antenna, it seemed. Würzburg seemed to be crawling with them, and I've had the same experience in Greifswald, Rostock, and Stralsund before, so it seems to be common in Germany.

C) I noticed that the magpies of Bavaria differed from those of Sweden, in that they seemed duller and had considerably short tails. I thought this would certainly be a case where we could safely distinguish between subspecies, but if I understand my copy of the Helm Identification Guide Crows and Jays (Madge & Burn, 1994), there is possibly no such a subspecies difference. However, the regional borders between the 13 subspecies they recognise as potentially valid is diffuse: P. p. pica is found in "Northern and Eastern Europe", P. p. galliae in "Western Europe, but not the south-west", and P. p. fennorum in "Scandinavia to westerns Russia". That would imply that the ones I see here in Sweden may be either pica or fennorum, and those in Bavaria galliae or pica. I am thus asking, more out of curiosity than out of need to distinguish them for the purposes of the list, if anyone has experience with this? The morphological descriptions of the three races do not mention a difference in tail length in European magpies.

D) I assume these are escapees, but there were a pair of them flying around the Main in central Würzburg. I will contact the German Ornithological Society and see what they say. I know there are some wild populations established in Europe, so it might be these are such.

E) Here's one I need help with. It was very small --- considerably smaller than a Black-headed Gull, which it hunted away several times --- overall brown or beige, and its wings, when flying, were black or dark brown, with a small white dot in the middle so distinct that I could easily see it more than 100m away without binoculars. I took a picture of it with my ex-girlfriend's father's camera, but I am not likely to get that picture now, and anyway it was of no help. Tail was long, and it seemed to be lighter on the underside than on the upper side. My primary guess is juvenile Moorhen, but the wings don't fit, not does the fact that it "winged" itself (flapped with its wings while lying in the water) several times. If anyone has any suggestions, I would welcome them.

F) Until 1930 the northernmost nesting ground for the Rock Sparrow Petronia petronia, now disappeared.

G) I am not 100% certain, and need to listen to its sounds a bit, but from the description of the sound in the bird book, it is quite possible. The alternatives are Greater and Lesser Spotted, which can be excluded on the sound, and Middle Spotted, which apparently keeps quiet. However, the latter is the most likely candidate if it is not a Syrian. The locality could fit either, I suppose.

---

This is an enormous amount of observations, really, and if you could just send me the latest version of the list, Eric, I'll add them myself, as well as those from Lapland if you haven't done that already.

Now, instead of spending two weeks more in Germany with my beautiful girlfriend, I will probably go out birdwatching in the Gothenburg area a lot, as well as making a few shorter trips in Sweden along with some friends.

 

[Kotatsu]

I make it 63 species in Germany, including the Egyptian Goose, but excluding the small mysterious duck. 30 species, I believe, for Denmark.

 

[sphenisc]

If the spot was part of the speculum then I'd guess at gadwall.
Did it look anything like this?

http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?i...ages?q=gadwall++flight&um=1&hl=en&safe=active

[Of course it would probably be in eclipse plumage by now - so it wouldn't look as pretty as the photo.]