gus guthrie
gus guthrie
Trip report to Czech Republic
On Sunday, 26th May I flew from Edinburgh airport to Prague airport in the Czech Republic where I was met by my friends with whom I would be staying during my 12 day visit.
After picking up the hire car at the airport we set off on our long journey east to the city of Olomouc which is 300k away.
CZ is divided into two parts, Bohemia in the west and Moravia in the east which was my destination, the ancient city of Olomouc where my hosts lived was a hugely important city in ancient times as it sat on the Amber road, a major trading route between northern Europe and the Middle East.
Early next morning I drove my host to her work to collect some documents, as I sat in the car waiting a Black Redstart appeared next to me on the fence with a beakful of food. Over the next 20 minutes both parents continually carried food to a nest in building close to me, these beautiful birds were to be found everywhere I went in CZ as were the equally beautiful Common Redstarts.
My hosts had helped arrange meetings with several local birders and we met them to discuss which days would be suitable to everyone.
We then went for a short walk in a nearby park where I found a new bird for me, a Lesser-Spotted Woodpecker as well as Redstart, Green Woodpecker, Great-Spotted Woodpecker and Nuthatches galore.
Later in the day we stopped off at the Fishponds at Tovacov which were on our way home, these are working ponds full of Carp, Roach etc and are a magnet for birdlife as they are often surrounded by willows, scrub and reed-beds.
Pochard, Mallard and Coots were plentiful, other birds seen there that afternoon were Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler, Jay, White Stork, Grey Heron and Long-tailed Tit.
On Tues 28th I drove down to Prerov and met up with several members of the Ringing Group , from here we drove south to Nove Mlyny fishponds where we spent the morning colour-ringing Yellow-legged Gulls as well as Black-headed gulls and Common Terns.
There were also Red-crested Pochard nesting here as well as several Beaver Lodges. After this we had lunch beside the lake where we found a singing 1st year Rosefinch, an unusual bird to find down there apparently.
Other birds we saw were Icterine Warbler, Great Reed Warbler, Marsh Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Whitethroat and Blackcap.
We drove next to a small village where White Storks were nesting on platforms provided for them, behind here was an area of Grapevines and a small disused quarry which held a Bee-eater colony, a bird which was new to me.
Another new bird sailed overhead, a Honey Buzzard, as well as both Black Kite, Red Kite, Marsh Harrier and Kestrel.
A pair of Red-backed Shrike were showing well as was a barred Warbler….a great place !
Wed. 29th , I drove down to a small village south of Olomouc where I met with Karel who had agreed to take me out with him when he was doing his research and bird-surveying work.
Our first stop at one of the Tovachov ponds produced a Black Tern and then Golden Orioles…a great start.
We then drove further south to an area of Pine forests in a sandy area, here we monitored Hoopoe nests as well as Black Woodpecker nests, one of the main birds I’d come to see……fantastic views of them at the nest !
Here we also saw at least 8 Woodlark singing in a large clearing as well as Spotted Flycatcher, Wood Warbler, Goshawk, Mistle Thrush and a Hawfinch.
Our next stop was at an area of arable land where Montagu’s Harrier had bred the previous year, no sign of them but did find displaying Hobby and more Marsh Harriers as well as Stock Dove, Skylark and Fallow Deer.
It was dark by the time we returned home and we put up a Long-eared Owl as we entered the village.
Thurs. 30th I spent the morning with Karel helping him do research into birdsongs in a forested area not too far from his village. Here we had Great Spotted Woodpecker, Middle Spotted Woodpecker and also Lesser Spotted Woodpecker…all showing really well. Plenty Chaffinch, Blackbird, Great Tit, Blue Tit and Nuthatch around as well as Short-toed Treecreeper, Garden warbler, Wood Warbler and Nightingale. I did get glimpses of a Collared Flycatcher here but it was difficult to track up in the canopy. It was also great to see how plentiful Turtle doves were here, beautiful birds to see.
After lunch I took my hosts terrier for a walk in the beautiful park in the centre of Olomouc which encircles the old city walls, here were lots of Redstarts, Black Redstart, Spotted Flycatcher, Song Thrush, Serin, Blackcap, Tree Sparrow and several Syrian Woodpeckers..another new species.
Blackbirds and Nuthatches were the most common birds here I think.
Fri. 31st was a non-birding day . I was given a tour of the old city of Olomouc by a friend of my host who has written many books on the history of this ancient city.
It was a fascinating tour and I was lucky to see many beautiful buildings. I discovered that the reason Olomouc became so powerful was that it sat on the only crossing of the Morava river where the Amber trade route passed through.
As a result of this it became immensely rich, which shows in the buildings of the old city.
After a late lunch it was time to head north to visit my hosts parents near Sumperk, some 60 ks north of Olomouc.
This was a really beautiful area of rolling hills which were heavily forested with farmland in between. We had a really lovely supper of home-cooked food with beer and Stinky cheese after, this is a Moravian speciality and tastes great.
On Sunday, 26th May I flew from Edinburgh airport to Prague airport in the Czech Republic where I was met by my friends with whom I would be staying during my 12 day visit.
After picking up the hire car at the airport we set off on our long journey east to the city of Olomouc which is 300k away.
CZ is divided into two parts, Bohemia in the west and Moravia in the east which was my destination, the ancient city of Olomouc where my hosts lived was a hugely important city in ancient times as it sat on the Amber road, a major trading route between northern Europe and the Middle East.
Early next morning I drove my host to her work to collect some documents, as I sat in the car waiting a Black Redstart appeared next to me on the fence with a beakful of food. Over the next 20 minutes both parents continually carried food to a nest in building close to me, these beautiful birds were to be found everywhere I went in CZ as were the equally beautiful Common Redstarts.
My hosts had helped arrange meetings with several local birders and we met them to discuss which days would be suitable to everyone.
We then went for a short walk in a nearby park where I found a new bird for me, a Lesser-Spotted Woodpecker as well as Redstart, Green Woodpecker, Great-Spotted Woodpecker and Nuthatches galore.
Later in the day we stopped off at the Fishponds at Tovacov which were on our way home, these are working ponds full of Carp, Roach etc and are a magnet for birdlife as they are often surrounded by willows, scrub and reed-beds.
Pochard, Mallard and Coots were plentiful, other birds seen there that afternoon were Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler, Jay, White Stork, Grey Heron and Long-tailed Tit.
On Tues 28th I drove down to Prerov and met up with several members of the Ringing Group , from here we drove south to Nove Mlyny fishponds where we spent the morning colour-ringing Yellow-legged Gulls as well as Black-headed gulls and Common Terns.
There were also Red-crested Pochard nesting here as well as several Beaver Lodges. After this we had lunch beside the lake where we found a singing 1st year Rosefinch, an unusual bird to find down there apparently.
Other birds we saw were Icterine Warbler, Great Reed Warbler, Marsh Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Whitethroat and Blackcap.
We drove next to a small village where White Storks were nesting on platforms provided for them, behind here was an area of Grapevines and a small disused quarry which held a Bee-eater colony, a bird which was new to me.
Another new bird sailed overhead, a Honey Buzzard, as well as both Black Kite, Red Kite, Marsh Harrier and Kestrel.
A pair of Red-backed Shrike were showing well as was a barred Warbler….a great place !
Wed. 29th , I drove down to a small village south of Olomouc where I met with Karel who had agreed to take me out with him when he was doing his research and bird-surveying work.
Our first stop at one of the Tovachov ponds produced a Black Tern and then Golden Orioles…a great start.
We then drove further south to an area of Pine forests in a sandy area, here we monitored Hoopoe nests as well as Black Woodpecker nests, one of the main birds I’d come to see……fantastic views of them at the nest !
Here we also saw at least 8 Woodlark singing in a large clearing as well as Spotted Flycatcher, Wood Warbler, Goshawk, Mistle Thrush and a Hawfinch.
Our next stop was at an area of arable land where Montagu’s Harrier had bred the previous year, no sign of them but did find displaying Hobby and more Marsh Harriers as well as Stock Dove, Skylark and Fallow Deer.
It was dark by the time we returned home and we put up a Long-eared Owl as we entered the village.
Thurs. 30th I spent the morning with Karel helping him do research into birdsongs in a forested area not too far from his village. Here we had Great Spotted Woodpecker, Middle Spotted Woodpecker and also Lesser Spotted Woodpecker…all showing really well. Plenty Chaffinch, Blackbird, Great Tit, Blue Tit and Nuthatch around as well as Short-toed Treecreeper, Garden warbler, Wood Warbler and Nightingale. I did get glimpses of a Collared Flycatcher here but it was difficult to track up in the canopy. It was also great to see how plentiful Turtle doves were here, beautiful birds to see.
After lunch I took my hosts terrier for a walk in the beautiful park in the centre of Olomouc which encircles the old city walls, here were lots of Redstarts, Black Redstart, Spotted Flycatcher, Song Thrush, Serin, Blackcap, Tree Sparrow and several Syrian Woodpeckers..another new species.
Blackbirds and Nuthatches were the most common birds here I think.
Fri. 31st was a non-birding day . I was given a tour of the old city of Olomouc by a friend of my host who has written many books on the history of this ancient city.
It was a fascinating tour and I was lucky to see many beautiful buildings. I discovered that the reason Olomouc became so powerful was that it sat on the only crossing of the Morava river where the Amber trade route passed through.
As a result of this it became immensely rich, which shows in the buildings of the old city.
After a late lunch it was time to head north to visit my hosts parents near Sumperk, some 60 ks north of Olomouc.
This was a really beautiful area of rolling hills which were heavily forested with farmland in between. We had a really lovely supper of home-cooked food with beer and Stinky cheese after, this is a Moravian speciality and tastes great.