Walking and birds spotting Week 15

Hello feathered friends.

This is week 15 of my weekly walking and birds spotting diary. All photos were taken in the period from April 8 to April 15. Again I'll share with you photos of different bird species around the place I live in.

Another cold week with a lot of rain. A significant drop in temperature and rain forced the birds to take shelter. With each clear and sunny morning, there seem to be more of them than before.

This week and the previous two, I am not satisfied with my own activity because I did not go for a walk every day, but sporadically when the weather allowed.

I have documented 24 different bird species, of which one is completely new.

African Stonechat

It has become quite a roadside bird in the last couple of weeks. I most often find them along roadsides on low bushy vegetation. I come across both males and females who, unlike males, have brown heads.

Barn Swallow

I began to notice them arriving slowly. It is still cold, and I do not expect a larger influx of this bird species. At least not until the weather stabilizes and warms up.

Common Blackbird

They are much more relaxed and can be found boldly searching for food on the ground, completely ignoring my presence. I meet males more often than females.

Common Kestrel

This is the only diurnal bird of prey that I can see almost every day.

Eurasian Blackcap

This is a new species that I have not had the opportunity to encounter so far. Quite by accident, I noticed it in a thick bush.

Eurasian Collared-Dove

This is the favorite position of these birds. They are most often on power lines. On only a few occasions have I spotted them from a distance looking for food on the ground.

Eurasian Skylark

This time I managed to photograph her in flight from a distance. Since the vegetation started to grow faster, it is difficult for me to be the first to notice them on the ground. Most often they notice me first and then fly away.

European Goldfinch

Interestingly, they came down from the tall trees and can be found on the lower ones. They are still most common in groups, but lone individuals can also be found.

European Greenfinch

Mostly I hear their characteristic singing first, and only then, I look for them. There are still a large number of them.

European Robin

This bird played with me for about ten minutes, quickly changing position and constantly hiding behind branches. There was no way I could take a picture of her in focus and front.

European Starling

The very loud singing of this bird could be heard from a distance. Starlings have great vocal abilities but often choose the wrong song.

Great Tit

Same story as with the robin. By no means did I manage to take a picture of her in a good position. She often changed positions and flew from one tree to another.

Grey Heron

I took the photo only from a distance. I didn't want to disturb her, because I see herons less often. I think that their nesting season has begun.

Hooded Crow

She completely surprised me with her presence on the tree. I used to see them only in the field and looking for food.

House Sparrow

This male usually hangs out near my house, and when I pass by, I always take at least a photo.

Little Owl

Although they are nocturnal predators, they can be seen during the day on gloomy days. This bird was watching the surroundings in search of prey, from a tree in my backyard.

Long-eared Owl

The same couple remained still on the same tree. Only they are left so I don't disturb them. I only walk by once and take a few photos.

Magpie

Now they are most often found around their nests. Sometimes they group, but that is really rare.

Mallard

This week I only took a photo from a distance of a couple who are now regularly visiting the pond. I hope they nest there.

Northern Lapwing

I always find them in the same place. I guess they're nesting somewhere nearby. It’s pretty fun to watch them perform acrobatics during the flight.

Pheasant

If you take a closer look at the photo, you will notice that it has feathers in its beak. It's another male's feathers. Pheasants are quite territorial and very aggressive towards other males. I stumbled upon a fight between two males during a walk. I will show the rest of the photos in another post in a few days.

Pigeon

A very common sight is the courtship of males. This usually takes place on the roofs of houses, because they spend most of their time there.

Tree Sparrow

They are currently nesting and are much quieter than in the previous period.

Wood Pigeon

Only sometimes do I come across a lonely individual, resting on a tree. I've seen them more often in recent weeks.

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