One of our local birders posted a picture of Lanius minor shrike that he photographed at his home patch yesterday, so after consulting google maps and bus schedule I decided to visit the area this morning.
I got completely lost as several bus stops (far from each other) have the same name, so I got off bus far from the desired destination (serves me right for mentioning the same situation with another group of birders a few days ago
).
In any case it was a residential area so I just walked along the VERY long street until I reached the place. No shrike there any more but a nice assemblage of suburban and urban birds, and there were red poppies blooming everywhere. Swifts, house martins, colonies of rooks and very noisy house sparrows around house blocks, and swallows above lawns next to the river; nightingales were singing on the other bank and their voice carried over the river.
While I was walking I noticed something that at first glance was a buzzard.
-there is a buzzard. Nice.
-hmm... this buzzard flies in a strange way
-the wings are not the right shape
-the coloration is not right
-it has the tail like the black kite...
-wait! It's a black kite!
I confirmed it by closer examination. Species No. 98 for 2013.
I got completely lost as several bus stops (far from each other) have the same name, so I got off bus far from the desired destination (serves me right for mentioning the same situation with another group of birders a few days ago
). In any case it was a residential area so I just walked along the VERY long street until I reached the place. No shrike there any more but a nice assemblage of suburban and urban birds, and there were red poppies blooming everywhere. Swifts, house martins, colonies of rooks and very noisy house sparrows around house blocks, and swallows above lawns next to the river; nightingales were singing on the other bank and their voice carried over the river.
While I was walking I noticed something that at first glance was a buzzard.
-there is a buzzard. Nice.
-hmm... this buzzard flies in a strange way
-the wings are not the right shape
-the coloration is not right
-it has the tail like the black kite...
-wait! It's a black kite!
I confirmed it by closer examination. Species No. 98 for 2013.
