1000 in a year (1 Viewer)

[wintibird]

Out of bed at 4, in the field shortly after 5! Today I birded around the airport Zurich (the last place here for Corn Bunting) and in Neeracherried. A splendid morning, including a Fox, a Hare and a Roe Deer.

9. June - Airport to Neeracher Ried, Switzerland
794: Corn Bunting
795: Garden Warbler
796: Common Nightingale
797: Savi's Warbler

 

[wintibird]

An excellent day yesterday in the Valais, a mountain valley in Southern Switzerland. Very hot but still a lot of bird activity. Failed with Wallcreeper a second time this year but I haven't given up yet....

10. June - Leukerfeld and Leuk, Switzerland
798: Western Yellow Wagtail
799: European Bee-eater (Bee-eater species number 12!)
800: Eurasian Golden Oriole
801: Great Reed Warbler
802: Western Bonelli's Warbler
803: Ortolan Bunting (one of Switzerland's rarest breeding birds)
804: Eurasian Crag Martin

That's 800 done! I haven't expected this so early and if everything goes like planned it should be well possible to reach 1000 in october in Indonesia...:t:

 

[wintibird]

And the next one....

14. June - Klingnauer Stausee, Switzerland
805: Eurasian Hobby

 

[wintibird]

I'm on the way writing down my Ghana list and found out that IOC splits African Swamphen from Purple Swamphen. As I have seen the latter one in Thailand I get an armchair tick:

1. May - Nasri Wetland, Ghana
806: African Swamphen

 

[wintibird]

Another early outing to Greifensee, a lake near Zürich. Nice morning, good birds.

30. June - Greifensee, Switzerland
807: Little Bittern
808: Common Grasshopper Warbler

Halftime now and things are still looking good. And I will travel to Indonesia in 11 weeks........

 

[wintibird]

Today I went to the mountains near Braunwald. The weather was quite variable, we had some sunny spells and twenty minutes later we couldn't see our feet and got really wet. The conditions were not that good for rarities (we hoped for Rock Partridge) but I got some new species and we saw lots of Marmots and two Alpine Salamanders.

5. July - Braunwald, Switzerland
809: Common Redpoll
810: Alpine Accentor
811: Lesser Whitethroat
812: Citril Finch
813: Spotted Nutcracker
814: Willow Tit

 

[wintibird]

Well, it's July and not much around. Still I managed to get three new species in the last few days:

13. July - Klingnauer Stausee, Switzerland
815: Egyptian Goose

15. July - Cholschwärziweiher, Switzerland
816: Black-crowned Night Heron

17. July - Kaiseregg, Switzerland
817: Griffon Vulture

To get the last one we had to walk up the mountain for a good 3 hours....

 

[wintibird]

A little trip to Ticino in southern Switzerland was a bit disappointing, however I could witness a banding of Pallid Swifts which was very interesting.

30. July - Ticino, Switzerland
818: Italian Sparrow
819: Pallid Swift - only known colony in Switzerland at Sant'Antonio Church in Locarno

 

[wintibird]

Crake season has started!

2. August - Klingnauer Stausee, Switzerland
820: Mediterranean Gull
821: Little Crake
822: Spotted Crake

 

[wintibird]

Nice day today at Fanel, Lake Neuchatel in western Switzerland. Lots of birds, a hare and a Stoat. Excellent views of Common Kingfisher, Dunlin, Little Egret, Barn Owl and many more. However, just one new species for the list:

14. August - Fanel, Switzerland
823: Stock Dove

 

[wintibird]

A nice day out at Neeracherried the weekend before:

24. August - Neeracherried, Switzerland
824: Bluethroat

And a fabulous outing today to the Alps, including Dotterel, Ptarmigan, Ibex, Marmots and a lot of scenery:

3. September - Cassonsgrat, Switzerland
825: White-winged Snowfinch

Attached pictures: The view, Ptarmigan and Dotterel on the snow

 

[wintibird]

Back from the big trip to Indonesia.

First a long journey from Zürich to Dubai and onwards to Jakarta. An overnight stay there and a good hour time for some birding on the hotel grounds before the onward connection to Makassar.

28. September - Sheraton Bandara, Jakarta
826: Javan Pond Heron
827: Sunda Pygmy Woodpecker
828: White-breasted Woodswallow
829: Pied Triller
830: Long-tailed Shrike
831: Sooty-headed Bulbul
832: Pacific Swallow
833: Scarlet-headed Flowerpecker

 

[wintibird]

This morning we headed out to the limestone forest of Karaenta. We birded along the busy road and managed to see some good species, including the very localized endemic Black-ringed White-eye and an undescribed Brown Flycatcher. Later we flew to Palu and drove to Lore Lindu Nationalpark.

29. September - Karaenta and drive to Lore Lindu, Sulawesi
834: Sulawesi Serpent Eagle
835: Sulawesi Hawk-Eagle
836: Silver-tipped Imperial Pigeon
837: Golden-mantled Racket-tail
838: Blue-backed Parrot
839: Glossy Swiftlet
840: Uniform Swiftlet
841: Sulawesi Hornbill
842: Knobbed Hornbill
843: Ivory-backed Woodswallow
844: Piping Crow
845: Sulawesi Babbler
846: Black-ringed White-eye
847: White-necked Myna
848: Yellow-sided Flowerpecker
849: Grey-sided Flowerpecker
850: Black Sunbird
851: Chestnut Munia
852: Pale-headed Munia

 

[wintibird]

The next day we explored Lore Lindu Nationalpark. Lots of new birds of course and some of them are real crackers. Excellent views of Great Shortwing.

30. September - Lore Lindu Nationalpark, Sulawesi
853: Sunda Teal
854: Spotted Kestrel
855: Slender-billed Cuckoo-Dove
856: Sulawesi Ground Dove
857: Red-eared Fruit Dove
858: Superb Fruit Dove
859: White-bellied Imperial Pigeon
860: Citrine Lorikeet
861: Yellow-billed Malkoha
862: Little Bronze Cuckoo
863: Rusty-breasted Cuckoo
864: Cinnabar Boobook
865: Purple Needletail
866: Sulawesi Pygmy Woodpecker
867: Ashy Woodpecker
868: Sulawesi Myzomela
869: Dark-eared Myza
870: Pygmy Cuckooshrike
871: Sulphur-vented Whistler
872: Sulawesi Drongo
873: Rufous Fantail
874: Citrine Canary-flycatcher
875: Malia
876: Mountain Tailorbird
877: Sulawesi Leaf Warbler
878: Mountain White-eye
879: Lemon-bellied White-eye
880: Black-fronted White-eye
881: Fiery-browed Starling
882: Great Shortwing
883: Grey-streaked Flycatcher
884: Little Pied Flycatcher
885: Turquoise Flycatcher
886: Blue-fronted Blue Flycatcher

 

[wintibird]

Today we went up the Anaso trail. This old logging road is no longer accessible by car, so we started in the dark to be higher up at sunrise. We managed to see most of the target species.

1. October - Anaso Trail, Lore Lindu NP, Sulawesi
887: Sombre Pigeon
888: Satanic Nightjar
889: Purple-bearded Nightjar
890: White-eared Myza
891: Maroon-backed Whistler
892: Hylocitrea
893: Chestnut-backed Bush Warbler
894: Streak-headed White-eye
895: Grosbeak Starling
896: Geomalia
897: Snowy-browed Flycatcher
898: Crimson-crowned Flowerpecker

The pictures show Hylocitrea (formerly known as Olive-flanked Whistler), Satanic Nightjar and Purple-bearded Bee-eater.

 

[wintibird]

Back to the Anaso trail again, especially to get better views of Geomalia. Full success and some more birds in the late afternoon.

2. October - Lore Lindu NP, Sulawesi, Indonesia
899: Dwarf Sparrowhawk
900: Pacific Swift
901: Cerulean Cuckooshrike
902: Mountain Serin

 

[wintibird]

Another morning at Lore Lindu NP in frantic search of Sulawesi Thrush. We failed with this one and drove off in the afternoon back to Palu, with some birding stops along the way.

3. October - Lore Lindu NP to Palu, Sulawesi
903: Red-backed Buttonquail
904: Barred Buttonquail
905: Lesser Coucal
906: Savanna Nightjar
907: Sulawesi Swiftlet
908: Sulawesi Cicadabird
909: White-shouldered Triller
910: Short-tailed Starling
911: Pied Bush Chat
912: Scaly-breasted Munia

 

[wintibird]

The next day was mainly a travel day. Flight from Palu to Makassar, then another flight to Manado. From there by car to Kotamobagu. On the next day we started to explore the Bogani Nani Wartabone National Park (formerly known as Dumoga Bone National Park).

4. October - Palu to Kotamobagu
913: Slender-billed Crow
914: Asian Glossy Starling

5. October - Bogani Nani Wartabone NP, Sulawesi
915: Barred Rail
916: Grey-cheeked Green Pigeon
917: Oberholser's Fruit Dove
918: Black-naped Fruit Dove
919: Great Hanging Parrot
920: Yellow-breasted Racket-tail
921: Bay Coucal
922: Green-backed Kingfisher
923: Purple-winged Roller
924: White-rumped Triller
925: Rufous-throated Flycatcher

Bay Coucal and Green-backed Kingfisher:

 

[wintibird]

The next day we went up to Gungung Ambang to see the very localized Matinan Flycatcher. The rest of the day was spent again in and around the national park.

6. October - Gunung Ambang, Sulawesi
926: Maleo
927: Wandering Whistling Duck
928: Nankeen Night Heron
929: Barred Honey Buzzard
930: Black Eagle
931: Isabelline Bush-hen
932: Dusky Moorhen
933: Grey-headed Imperial Pigeon
934: Sulawesi Masked Owl
935: Pale-blue Monarch
936: Matinan Blue Flycatcher

A record shot of Maleo:

 

[wintibird]

Another day in the same area, still finding new birds. In general, birding is rather slow and many species are scarce and hard to find. The next day we go back to Toraut and find two new species for the list. Then long drive towards Manado and some birding at Gunung Mahawu.

7. October - Bogani Nani Wartabone NP, Sulawesi
937: Spot-tailed Sparrowhawk
938: White-faced Dove
939: Pygmy Hanging Parrot
940: Black-billed Koel
941: Lilac Kingfisher
942: Pied Cuckooshrike
943: Sulawesi Myna

8. October - Toraut, Sulawesi
944: Spotted Harrier
945: Ornate Lorikeet