opisska
rabid twitcher
Hi everyone,
suprisingly little can be found on this forum (or anywhere on the internet, as a matter of fact) about the various wonderful small localities in the Czech Republic. I figured that being confined to bed and having not much else to do, I may as well share some tips here. Please keep in mind that these are very much "amatuer" suggestion. I started seriously birding only a year ago - but I have been living in this country for 30 years and most of my life, even through childhood, I have been an outdoors fanatic, so I do have something to build upon. In fact, I spend most of the free time in the last year in the amazing process of rediscovering well-known places through the eyes of the birder.
The following list is just my personal experience, some of these are very well known places, others are just random patches I have stumbled upon and there is probably a much better place 10 minutes away from them which I will never discover. Most of them will be in some "aquatic" area, basicaly just places where there is nice water with some green around, as these places are ultimately the easiest to birdwatch. Luckily, the more advanced destinations (such as some mountainous areas with owls and stuff) are well covered in Opus!
note: I can't seem to find a way to simply make an URL for a specific place in googlemaps any more, so if you want to know the exact spot, just put earch the coordinates to search on google maps.
Let's start with three rich small spots right in the capital city:
1. River Vltava, Trója, Prague - 50.115983,14.400458
My "home patch", about three kilometers from my home. The only unregulated strech of the river (boats go around), with a small grassy submerging island in the middle. Black-headed gulls are abundant, with a offchance for a Medditerean. Large gulls in some winters. Grey herons, night herons, little grebes, moorhens, cormorants (about 300 wintering), various ducks, maybe a kingfisher - all basically inside a milion-headed town. The biggest attraction to me are wintering common goldeneyes, but there is even a chance for some more exotics waterfowl. When you get bored with the wildlife, one of Europe's premium ZOOs is right next door.
2. Slatina fish pond, Prague - 50.069591,14.572992
Dubbed "the most imporant locality in Prague", this small unasuming fishpond is a place of true wonders. Crested grebes and coots make most of the sights on the surface, but in the reeds around, there is a lot more, with many species of warblers and generl birdlife is unusually rich in the green area around. There is supposed to be a bank swallow colony nearby, but it's probably on a private property. Nevertheless, the biggest attratcion of this year was a single little bittern, which I sadly failed to see.
3. "V pískovně" natural reserve - 50.093935,14.572113
A small old sand quarry filled with water is a part of a larger wildlife area between several big suburbs. I grew to like it very quickly when I found out that a kingfisher sighting is almost guaranteed here, as the locality is very small and thus the colourful sprinter does not have much space to hide. Also a spectacular place to just visit, with trees in the water and a jungly feeling.
Many fantastic places throughout the country are found among fish ponds. There are several major fishpond areas and many small individual ponds, but it's not very easy to judge just by looking at the map, which places are good. Some of the ponds are completely sterile fish-making factories, some just make home to a couple of mallards and a pair of swans - and some are sprawling world-class wildlife refuges.
The principal fish-pond area in Bohemia (the western part of the country) is in the south, spreading across almost a hundred kilometers east-west. A part of it is the protected landsapce Třeboňsko with a plethora of small-scale natural reserves. Sadly, some of these reserves (as is the case of the legendary Velký tisý near Třeboň) are now basically abandoned by the birds as a result of changes in agriculture and other conditions. Thus, information on locations becomes quickly outdated.
The following places are just random suggestions from this huge area, I am very far from having it thoroughly mapped out.
4. "Vrbenské rybníky" natural reserve, České Budějovice - 49.006011,14.437208
For some reason beyond my understanding, the single greatest place in the whole area lies just at the edge of the largest city (100 000 people). It's definitely the only place I know where you can regularly see a spoonbill from a bus! Other highlights include night herons, black-winged stilts, eared grebes, little egrets, red-crested pochards and basicly whatever fyou can imagine floating on a fishpond in this range. The absolute top level of the patch has been recently confirmed by repeated sightings of a glossy ibis. The whole area is kind of a park for the city, so there are asphlated roads between the ponds and the birds are completely used to people passing by, making observations extremely easy and relaxed.
5. Vyšatov fish pond - 48.995537,14.370089
Nesting avocets, what's more to say? Add a colony of common terns, spice with a couple of waders when the waters are low and you get another nice place. Here, more discretion is advised as the pond is more remote. Most of the birds are found on the islands that are in a reasonable distance from the shore so that birds are easily observed while staying hidden at the shore.
6. Vlhlavský rybník - 49.05002,14.286661
A rather large water surface, maybe a little boring at the first sight. Yet I observed a black-tailed godwit and a red-necked phalarope here (after a notice on www.birds.cz, don't count on them being there all the time) here. Ruffs and other waders (even a redshank) can be present, depending on conditions. Common shleducks made a nice sight once for me.
7. Řežabinec - 49.252568,14.091482
A great place for people with large telescopes, as the observation tower is on the other side of the pond than most of the birds (and it's illegal to approach their side of the pond from up close). Frequent observations of little gulls (I haven't seen one, but they are difficult from distance), even black terns, large goose population. Seems to be curiously rich in bluethroats (I have seen one couple of minutes after I read on a local information board that I should be looking for them).
To be continued.
suprisingly little can be found on this forum (or anywhere on the internet, as a matter of fact) about the various wonderful small localities in the Czech Republic. I figured that being confined to bed and having not much else to do, I may as well share some tips here. Please keep in mind that these are very much "amatuer" suggestion. I started seriously birding only a year ago - but I have been living in this country for 30 years and most of my life, even through childhood, I have been an outdoors fanatic, so I do have something to build upon. In fact, I spend most of the free time in the last year in the amazing process of rediscovering well-known places through the eyes of the birder.
The following list is just my personal experience, some of these are very well known places, others are just random patches I have stumbled upon and there is probably a much better place 10 minutes away from them which I will never discover. Most of them will be in some "aquatic" area, basicaly just places where there is nice water with some green around, as these places are ultimately the easiest to birdwatch. Luckily, the more advanced destinations (such as some mountainous areas with owls and stuff) are well covered in Opus!
note: I can't seem to find a way to simply make an URL for a specific place in googlemaps any more, so if you want to know the exact spot, just put earch the coordinates to search on google maps.
Let's start with three rich small spots right in the capital city:
1. River Vltava, Trója, Prague - 50.115983,14.400458
My "home patch", about three kilometers from my home. The only unregulated strech of the river (boats go around), with a small grassy submerging island in the middle. Black-headed gulls are abundant, with a offchance for a Medditerean. Large gulls in some winters. Grey herons, night herons, little grebes, moorhens, cormorants (about 300 wintering), various ducks, maybe a kingfisher - all basically inside a milion-headed town. The biggest attraction to me are wintering common goldeneyes, but there is even a chance for some more exotics waterfowl. When you get bored with the wildlife, one of Europe's premium ZOOs is right next door.
2. Slatina fish pond, Prague - 50.069591,14.572992
Dubbed "the most imporant locality in Prague", this small unasuming fishpond is a place of true wonders. Crested grebes and coots make most of the sights on the surface, but in the reeds around, there is a lot more, with many species of warblers and generl birdlife is unusually rich in the green area around. There is supposed to be a bank swallow colony nearby, but it's probably on a private property. Nevertheless, the biggest attratcion of this year was a single little bittern, which I sadly failed to see.
3. "V pískovně" natural reserve - 50.093935,14.572113
A small old sand quarry filled with water is a part of a larger wildlife area between several big suburbs. I grew to like it very quickly when I found out that a kingfisher sighting is almost guaranteed here, as the locality is very small and thus the colourful sprinter does not have much space to hide. Also a spectacular place to just visit, with trees in the water and a jungly feeling.
Many fantastic places throughout the country are found among fish ponds. There are several major fishpond areas and many small individual ponds, but it's not very easy to judge just by looking at the map, which places are good. Some of the ponds are completely sterile fish-making factories, some just make home to a couple of mallards and a pair of swans - and some are sprawling world-class wildlife refuges.
The principal fish-pond area in Bohemia (the western part of the country) is in the south, spreading across almost a hundred kilometers east-west. A part of it is the protected landsapce Třeboňsko with a plethora of small-scale natural reserves. Sadly, some of these reserves (as is the case of the legendary Velký tisý near Třeboň) are now basically abandoned by the birds as a result of changes in agriculture and other conditions. Thus, information on locations becomes quickly outdated.
The following places are just random suggestions from this huge area, I am very far from having it thoroughly mapped out.
4. "Vrbenské rybníky" natural reserve, České Budějovice - 49.006011,14.437208
For some reason beyond my understanding, the single greatest place in the whole area lies just at the edge of the largest city (100 000 people). It's definitely the only place I know where you can regularly see a spoonbill from a bus! Other highlights include night herons, black-winged stilts, eared grebes, little egrets, red-crested pochards and basicly whatever fyou can imagine floating on a fishpond in this range. The absolute top level of the patch has been recently confirmed by repeated sightings of a glossy ibis. The whole area is kind of a park for the city, so there are asphlated roads between the ponds and the birds are completely used to people passing by, making observations extremely easy and relaxed.
5. Vyšatov fish pond - 48.995537,14.370089
Nesting avocets, what's more to say? Add a colony of common terns, spice with a couple of waders when the waters are low and you get another nice place. Here, more discretion is advised as the pond is more remote. Most of the birds are found on the islands that are in a reasonable distance from the shore so that birds are easily observed while staying hidden at the shore.
6. Vlhlavský rybník - 49.05002,14.286661
A rather large water surface, maybe a little boring at the first sight. Yet I observed a black-tailed godwit and a red-necked phalarope here (after a notice on www.birds.cz, don't count on them being there all the time) here. Ruffs and other waders (even a redshank) can be present, depending on conditions. Common shleducks made a nice sight once for me.
7. Řežabinec - 49.252568,14.091482
A great place for people with large telescopes, as the observation tower is on the other side of the pond than most of the birds (and it's illegal to approach their side of the pond from up close). Frequent observations of little gulls (I haven't seen one, but they are difficult from distance), even black terns, large goose population. Seems to be curiously rich in bluethroats (I have seen one couple of minutes after I read on a local information board that I should be looking for them).
To be continued.
