Switzerland 2024 (1 Viewer)

[Frank van Drogen]

Apparently, some Barn-Swallows spotted yesterday here near Zürich as well. Today, rain, wind and hail. They should have stayed a bit longer in Africa, if you ask me....

 

[Mcnswiss2]

I'm not so great at Palearctic gulls but agree it's 1st winter. I would presume it is Yellow-legged but am not very experienced with Herring so shrug. Nothing about it points me at, say, LBB or Caspian.

Now of course the beautiful weather from this week looks to be packing it in for the weekend. Phooey.

Apparently a Baltic Gull has been reported at Klingnauersee today…I have never heard of this Gull!

 

[pbjosh]

Yeah I saw that and given that ornitho.ch claimed to have "switched to IOC" taxonomy at the end of last year, thought it was interesting that they call it Baltic Gull directly instead of something like Lesser Black-backed Gull (Baltic) or Lesser Black-backed Gull (fuscus). While there are a number of gulls that get called out by specific english names - Kamchatka Gull, Kumlien's Gull, Baltic Gull, Vega Gull, Heuglin's Gull, etc, it seems that a lot of that detail is lost on people who aren't gull fanatics. Going one step further into confusion, in the US & Canada there are specific names for a lot of the hybrids - Cook Inlet Gull (Herring x GW), Olympic Gull (Western x GW), Appledore Gull (LBB x Herring), Great Lakes Gull (GBB x Herring), Nelson's Gull (Herring x Glaucous), Seward Gull (Glaucous x GW)...

I spent some time living on the coast of N California. While the diversity of gulls with a large percentage of the large white-headed gulls being hybrids was of course fascinating, and there is an infinite amount to learn about ID there, in the end I couldn't maintain enough of an interest to remember enough to ID so many juveniles and so many juvenile hybrids. Gulling is a real niche bit of birding but there is a small subset of birders in the Pacific NW particularly that get way into it and really become gull experts. They have a phenomenal command of what are some of the hardest field IDs in birding and I find it super impressive.

 

[Mcnswiss2]

I went to Klingnauersee with friends..A great day out in good weather, however number of birds were quite low.
Some 50 Species heard or seen including Curlews, Ruff, Ruddy Shell Duck, Graylag Geese, Black and Red Kites, etc.
Interesting that Several Lesser Blacked Backed Gulls seen and reported…Not Baltic Gulls!

 

[Mcnswiss2]

What happened to the weather!!
Local visits to Nuglar and Augst between the showers.
Barn Swallows have been reported today however, with the temperatures dropping to below 8C, I hope they moved on to warmer places.
Nothing special today although the resident Eagle Owl showed well.
Some 35 species seen or reported in heard including Goosanders, Yellowhammers, Black Kites, Ruddy shelducks.
One positive news is that a Little Bunting reported in Denges (VD)

 

[Mcnswiss2]

A Blustery day, so decided local birding again in Oberwil/Biel Benken area.
Some 30 Species seen including White Storks, Common Buzzards, Kestrels, Black Kites, Many mimicry Starlings, etc.
A recent report on Penduline tits at the Nature reserve near Oberwil, at the Ziegeri caught my eye..This area has delivered in the past.
Three birds seen there, happily smashing reed heads to retrieve the seeds.
And No rain!

 

[pbjosh]

The nice weather Monday and Tuesday was tremendous but I spent it biking instead of birding

Did put some effort in a couple times in the past week hoping for Penduline Tits at Chatzensee or Büsisee but without any luck.

We are in Italy this weekend mostly eating and relaxing, then I’ll have a bit of time first half of April for some birding before traveling nearly non stop from mid April until July. It’s not surprising that my Swiss list doesn’t grow much!

 

[pbjosh]

Three birds seen there, happily smashing reed heads to retrieve the seeds.

I’ve only managed to see Penduline Tits twice, still looking for a really nice encounter and more time with more cooperative birds. Nice one you had there!

 

[Frank van Drogen]

Did put some effort in a couple times in the past week hoping for Penduline Tits at Chatzensee or Büsisee but without any luck.

I heard some were on the other side of the Wehntallerstrasse, in the reeds. I guess still part of the Katzensee area.

I didn't see any there either, but also didn't try very hard

 

[Richard Prior]

A Dartford Warbler in Ticino Canton today! Must be a pretty rare species in Switzerland - I'll ask Mike (Bittern).

Edit: I see Phil Andrews in the Europe/Western PAl rarities thread has already been on the case, apparently only the 6th for the country!

 

[Frank van Drogen]

A Dartford Warbler in Ticino Canton today! Must be a pretty rare species in Switzerland - I'll ask Mike (Bittern).

Also, must be a pain to reach, with Gotthard block with Easter traffic today

 

[Mcnswiss2]

I was just going to write how rare seeing Dartford Warbler in Switzerland is!
Take the train

 

[Mcnswiss2]

Best place I have seen them...Corsica
In UK I struggled but managed a few times..Seen in Mallorca but difficult

 

[pbjosh]

Yeah I would far, far rather take the train through the Gotthardtunnel than a car.

Dartford Warbler is a great bird, love all the Mediterranean Sylvias Perhaps my favorite birds in Europe.

 

[Mcnswiss2]

Wtf. EASTERN SubAlpine Warbler in Ticino now
It's all kicking off!

 

[Mcnswiss2]

All keen birders are in Ticino.

• Grey Plover
• Eastern Subalpine Warbler
• Stone Curlew
• Short toed Snake Eagle
• Red rumped Swallow
• Cetti Warbler
• Dartford Warbler
• Oystercatchers
• Common Redstarts
• Bald Ibis

all reported there.

Meanwhile I struggled in the stormy, wet, blustery Basel Land.
Visits to Oberwil, Therwil, Aesch and Pfeffingen.
No sign of Penduline tit nor Wallcreepers.
Some 30 species seen or heard, including Green Woodpecker, White Storks, Black and Red Kites.
Wish I was down South!

 

[Richard Prior]

All keen birders are in Ticino.

• Grey Plover
• Eastern Subalpine Warbler
• Stone Curlew
• Short toed Snake Eagle
• Red rumped Swallow
• Cetti Warbler
• Dartford Warbler
• Oystercatchers
• Common Redstarts
• Bald Ibis

all reported there.

Meanwhile I struggled in the stormy, wet, blustery Basel Land.
Visits to Oberwil, Therwil, Aesch and Pfeffingen.
No sign of Penduline tit nor Wallcreepers.
Some 30 species seen or heard, including Green Woodpecker, White Storks, Black and Red Kites.
Wish I was down South!

Ah, but anyone can wait till someone else finds a rarity and then go and see it (note how the same names seem to appear on Ornitho on these occasions, I wouldn’t call them keen birders myself ).
You however are doing the real birding Mike, putting in the hard yards in the rain and cold, but one day you’ll find that rare or witness some wonder of nature all thanks to your own effort………………………………………………
……………………………………… Er,
not that I wouldn’t go for a lifer myself, as long as it was no more than 2 hours away, ahem (hence the photo of the Swiss Long-tailed Shrike by my name!). Hypocrite? Moi?
No doubt you’ll get a nice bit of warm weather birding in Mallorca as reward

 

[Johnnie Lee]

Hi - Great reading about your sightings. I will be driving down from Luxembourg for a couple of days birding with a friend from Singapore May 9th &10th. We are meeting in Zurich and want to maximise our birding time, preferably for montane species. Do you have any tips for good nearby sites and easy access? Three-toed Woodpecker is a major target for us! Many thanks & look forward to hearing from you. John

 

[Mcnswiss2]

Hi John, My best area has been up Hohwald Beatenberg near Interlaken. Easy access and chance for Wallcreeper near Beatenberg at St.Beatus Hohlen Caves.
This may be too far for you?
Other guys on this site may know nearer sites nearer to Zurich.
Look on Ornitho.ch, last 5 days and then search the various areas..ZH for Zurich etc.
Let us know when you are here and hopefully we can help

 

[Johnnie Lee]

Hi John, My best area has been up Hohwald Beatenberg near Interlaken. Easy access and chance for Wallcreeper near Beatenberg at St.Beatus Hohlen Caves.
This may be too far for you?
Other guys on this site may know nearer sites nearer to Zurich.
Look on Ornitho.ch, last 5 days and then search the various areas..ZH for Zurich etc.
Let us know when you are here and hopefully we can helpView attachment 1569829

Thank you. Happy to drive up to 2 hours away from Zurich. Appreciate the tips!