Eastern Europe ...Lithuania, a birder's tale. (1 Viewer)

[lark o'dell]

cracking report jos and nice pics too! pitty you still didn't see the azure tit, oh well therews always next time!

 

[London Birder]

shame about the Azure Jos, hope you connect .. though the WWBT colony sounds like it was worth the border guards and the iffy weather ..

 

[Andrew]

Great pics Jos, hopefully it will be third time lucky with the Azure Tit.

 

[Jos Stratford]

shame about the Azure Jos, hope you connect ...

Then came day two! Waking to a nice sunny morning, seems I had chosen a good spot to camp - taking a peek out from my sleeping bag, there sharing my meadow were a family of Cranes plodding about, not bad company to share breakfast time with! Of course my thoughts of Azure Tit were not far away, so got myself out out of bed and took a quick stroll adjacent to a wet alder woodland, no Azure of course, but couldn't really complain - top class birds popped up all over the shop - Hoopoes feeding young, a pair of Bluethroats showing briefly, Marsh Harriers doing a late bit of display, yet another Wryneck for starters.

By mid-morning, a certain resignation was beginning to set in, so decided on a change of strategy - notch up the footwork, put in the kilometres and, sooner or later, I had to bump into an Azure Tit ...or at least, so I convinced myself! Chose to walk along the river, hugging the bank where possible, the habitat a mosaic of mature trees, swampy hollows and meadows, a fantastic piece of landscape. A few kilometres passed, flushed another Black Stork, paused to watch a flock of seven Whiskered Terns, then got to a small grove full of tits, mostly youngsters. Sat and started to scan, a good three dozen or so Great and Blue Tits flitting in and out of the trees, alternating between low riverside willows and a couple of bigger trees. A quarter hour of constant watching and it was clear that my target was not here - it was a pleasant spot though, so lingered longer, absent-mindedly watching the tits moving about, putting the bins up onto any that landed in good view. Nuthatch and Treecreeper appeared too, plus a rather irrate pair of Fieldfares feeding some fledged young ...

Then, jolting me from semi-slumber, a bird flitted across that looked distinctly 'different' ...it couldn't be, could it? Jumped up, got the bins on it ...and there it was, it was one - an adult Azure Tit!!! Oh wow, it had really got to the stage when I was not expecting to see one, but here it was, in all its glory before me! It popped out into the open, then flitted out back and was gone! View was good, but it was rather characterised by a sence of relief, rather than true admiration. Couldn't be having with that, so set off for another view, more relaxed and suited to the beauty of this thing. The entire tit flock didn't appear on the move, just going in circles round the grove, so it was only about ten minutes before I relocated the Azure Tit.

Top corker, the pale azure back sure living up to its name. Picking up its call, then got on and off views for the next half hour, even managing a few record photographs, before it and the entire tit flock suddenly disappeared, didn't even notice which way they went, they simply vanished. But hey, I had seen the bird, so sat a while longer, wandered over and photographed the young Fieldfares, some Whinchats and Yellow Wagtails too. Added Middle Spotted Woodpecker to the tally of birds seen for the day, but basically couldn't see any way to top the stunner that had performed so nicely.

The 'Quest for Azure Tit' was over, two trips into this my eastern neighbour and the bird, one of mystical allure, had finally revealed itself. With that, I turned tail, drove back across Belarus, mercifully managed to get across the border in just 30 minutes and returned home in time for tea. Rather happy it has to be said.



Not the most amazing of photos, but it took me a whole bunch of effort to see this bird, so you're going to suffer it !

 

[Andrew Rowlands]

Well done, Jos - smart little bird!

Are the calls you heard distinctive?

 

[delia todd]

Well done Jos - you really kept us in suspense over that little beaty, but worth the wait!

Have one on me B you deserve it for perseverance alone.

D

 

[lark o'dell]

congrats jos. makes me want to see one even more

 

[Andrew]

Nice on Jos, have a good pint on me. You deserve it.

 

[Collster]

Nice one, your perseverence paid off

 

[Jos Stratford]

Summer rolls on...

Back on home turf, the summer is turning into a scorcher, day after day of high temps and sun. It's about this time of year that the birding takes a bit of a back burner and the butterflies take over. Cracking collection up on my land these last couple of days - a lot of Mazarine Blues, a White Admiral and an increasing number of Chestnut Heaths and Large Skippers, but butterflies of the week were several Heath Fritillaires and, a new one, three or four Purple-edged Coppers. Latter one I'm still not 100% on the identification - were slightly smaller than Large Coppers that also occur here and much warmer tones on the hind underwing.


Naturally, the occasional bird still grabs attention, not least the Rollers - still about, the female now appears only occasionally, then being fed by the male ...reckon she's now incubating.


Pictures, a Chestnut Heath, Mazarine Blue, a couple of what I presume to be Purple-edged Coppers and a Heath Fritillary.

 

[London Birder]

well done sticking with the Azure hunt Jos, duly rewarded and rewarding ...

 

[Edward woodwood]

well done mate

a brilliant bird to get on your world list

really looking forward to my return visit this summer after reading the last few weeks of this thread!!! mega!

Tim

 

[hannu]

Great News Indeed, Jos !
Congrats from Azure Tit,
I got it in my Finnish List over 15 years ago,...

 

[Andrew]

Great butterflies Jos.

 

[Jos Stratford]

In dedication to Paul, who I'm sure believes they do not exist!

Went a'walking in the woods today and what a surprise I did find ...okay actually went a'driving, but the surprise was for sure. Slowly moving forward, I spotted a Hazel Grouse crossing the track ahead, so (as I do each time, until now in vain), got the camera ready and edged forward. Pulled up to where it had been, fully expecting to see it sneaking off through the distant bushes, but, no, there instead, it stood in full view, slowly moving in a wide arc some tens of metres away. A fab female Hazel Grouse. Snapped off a few shots, then settled back to watch as she meandered about, then a few chirps and squeals and she was not alone ...a whole bunch of little 'groucelets' appeared out of the heather! Top stuff, a female and young feeding, another first for me! All in all, it's been a pretty good year for them, seen almost weekly so far ...except, of course, when Paul happens to be with me!

So, sorry if you're reading Paul, this was just where we've been looking for them umpteen times this year


.

 

[Edward woodwood]

cracking pic Jos,

I'd love a view like that...!!!

any activity in the beaver lodge?

Tim

 

[Jos Stratford]

But Hazel Grouse apart, today was another day for the butterflies - had hoped for some good ones and was not to be disappointed. Having just finished photographing the grouse, a small thing that seemed a tad interesting went fluttering by ...stopped the car and set off in pursuit. Got in close and found myself photographing yet another species new for me (only got seriously into butterflies a year ago) ...today's first special was Pearly Heath, a right little corker if ever I saw one! Thereafter, was trundling along an embankment and came across a rough patch absolutely heaving with butterflies - managed to 'waste' a whole hour there, photographing everything I could get near - one Common Blue, several Mazarine Blues, loads of Large Skippers, four Large Checkered Skippers (none too common out here) and both Heath and Silver-washed Fritillaries! Plus a good flush of Meadow Browns today and the first couple of Ringlets of the year. One unidentified fritillary also went zooming through!

With that, took another track through some more forest and was going rather fast when my eye caught a real big bugger of a butterfly just off the track - quickly stopped and went running back. Wow, what an absolute stunner ...an early contender for the award of 'butterfly of the year', a cracking Poplar Admiral was sunning itself by the trackside. Hmm, that was sure one good butterfly, I thought as I wandered back to the car, door still wide marking the quick exit that had been ...jumped in the car, then almost fell over myself in the scramble to get out again - there was a Purple Emperor sat on my steering wheel!!! Wasn't quick enough to get a good picture, but nice shot of a Toyota wheel

 

[Andrew]

And to think I spent all day looking for Heath Fritillary today. Dipped.

 

[London Birder]

*gulp* how often you get views of Hazel Grouse like that Jos?

 

[colonelboris]

Awesome photos!
Are you doing this just to taunt us poor sods stuck behind a computer all day?