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Birds from Ski Lifts (1 Viewer)

rosbifs

rosbifs

PutAin STOP
Ukraine
Finished our ski season and chatting to another member regarding birding while skiing.
I began thinking about birds I had seen whilst on a ski lift. The list is pretty good.

Top would be Lammergeier whilst on various lifts in Val D'Isere. In particular the 'Olympic' when one flew under the cable.

Black Woodpecker fly over at Bareges.

Snow Finch seen very easily around ski lifts in various resorts but actually nest building in the lift stands towards the end of the season - Bareges.

Peregrine - fly over whilst on a button lift, Val Senales, instructor course.

Nutcracker, from the 'Plan D'Homme' chair in Meribel. They could be seen from some of the lift through the trees but this was my first Nutcracker.

Ptarmigan - not seen many of these birds but did see them this year under the lift above Vallon de Sache, Tignes.

Alpine Accentor - from lift over car park in Luz Ardiden. Find them in a lot of mountain restaurants but hard to see from a lift!!

I do have an advantage of havin lived and worked in Ski resorts but I thought was an interesting thread....
 
rosbifs said:
Finished our ski season and chatting to another member regarding birding while skiing.
I began thinking about birds I had seen whilst on a ski lift. The list is pretty good.

Top would be Lammergeier whilst on various lifts in Val D'Isere. In particular the 'Olympic' when one flew under the cable.

Black Woodpecker fly over at Bareges.

Snow Finch seen very easily around ski lifts in various resorts but actually nest building in the lift stands towards the end of the season - Bareges.

Peregrine - fly over whilst on a button lift, Val Senales, instructor course.

Nutcracker, from the 'Plan D'Homme' chair in Meribel. They could be seen from some of the lift through the trees but this was my first Nutcracker.

Ptarmigan - not seen many of these birds but did see them this year under the lift above Vallon de Sache, Tignes.

Alpine Accentor - from lift over car park in Luz Ardiden. Find them in a lot of mountain restaurants but hard to see from a lift!!

I do have an advantage of havin lived and worked in Ski resorts but I thought was an interesting thread....
Click to expand...

Yellow-billed Chough (tart's tick) almost everywhere in Europe except Slovenia.

Water Pipit - Ukanc, Slovenia

Common Crossbill - Ukanc, Slovenia

Ring Ouzel - Ukanc, Slovenia

But all in different years...
MJB
 
Farnboro John said:
Ptarmigan beneath me in the Cairngorms, Ring Ouzel, Red Grouse, Dipper - also Mountain Hare.

John
Click to expand...

Must admit the old lifts were great fun on Cairngorm, especially on a windy day when the control had to stop and start it to time your swing with the narrow entrance to the base. Many of my personal items must still lie scattered below that route up the hill including a really nice woolly jumper.

Not quite the same on the train.
 
Last edited:
Steller's Jay, Gray Jay, Raven, Mountain Chickadee & Clarke's Nutcracker - either Mammoth (California) &/or Breckenridge (Colorado).
 
At luz we managed to see Rock Thrush. It was summer, so the lift wasn't moving, and we used the lift as a seat/picnic spot while watching the Rock Thrush feeding their young.

Also got Citril Finch on a different lift but again summer so doesn't strictly count....
 
jpoyner said:
Must admit the old lifts were great fun on Cairngorm, especially on a windy day when the control had to stop and start it to time your swing with the narrow entrance to the base. Many of my personal items must still lie scattered below that route up the hill including a really nice woolly jumper.

Not quite the same on the train.
Click to expand...

The Cairnwell lift gives something of the same feeling but you can't cuddle your partner on the way up.... if its just your twitching partner you may not want to of course.

John
 
Eurasian Crimson-winged Finch on Mt Hermon, Israel prob the best - seen the more 'normal' species from lifts in the French Alps
 
Although not Ski Lifts, have been watching Ski Jumping and during the 4 Hills tournament over the New Year in Germany/Austria. They showed a Woodcock and a Buzzard during the break inbetween rounds. Not bad birdwatching from your armchair.
 
Thread revived and just in time. At Luz the ski lift goes over the car park so an easy place to 'tick' Alpine Accentor - Also nearer the top on Monday got a distant view of a pair Lammergeiers!! So Accentor at the bottom and Lammy at the top.....
 
Edward said:
Only do cross-country skiing but the best I've seen while on skis is Siberian Jay in Dalarna, Sweden.
Click to expand...

I saw stars the last time I did cross-country skiing (that's why I've now given up) ;)
The best sight from the Mt Hermon ski-lifts(after the C w Finches of course) was the panic-stricken expression of the Israeli guy who was sliding backwards down the mountain on his board, it was a case of 'stop the world, I wanna get off'!
 
Checking out an apparently deserted Ski station in the ''Sisters'' range Oregon, US. (desperate for a caffeine stop), a good few years back now. It was a cold, mist and snow laden day, when up from the snow pile went an adult male, almost ''fluorescent sky blue'' Mountain Bluebird...only one I've ever seen, an absolutely stunning individual (I'd better stop now! beginning to sound like a ''Realtor'') :)
 
Nothing from a ski lift of note, but Hazel Grouse flushed off the road by the bus just before reaching the ski lift base at Bezbog, Pirin Mts, Bulgaria
 
Ptarmigan, Snow Buntings and Mountain Hares, mostly. The Cairnwell chairlift round at Glenshee is a good one now that they just have that miserable funicular on Cairn Gorm.

John
 
Siberian Meadow and Godlewski's Bunting, Chinese Bush-dweller ;) aka Hill Warbler, Daurian Redstart, White-throated Needletail, Black Stork, Pere David's Laughing Thrush etc...

The Chinese like there easy way up mountains
 
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