lark o'dell
today the local patch tommrow the world
great report jos congrats on thr rollers. nice pic to 
-
BirdForum is the net's largest birding community dedicated to wild birds and birding, and is absolutely FREE!
Register for an account to take part in lively discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
Eastern Europe ...Lithuania, a birder's tale. (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Jos Stratford
- Start date
davebroadley
Well-known member
Excellent news Jos, and thank you for a brilliant diary, just ever so slightly jealous.
David
David
Nice one Jos. You must be feeling really chuffed :-O
D
D
London Birder
Well-known member
a red letter year :t:
Edward woodwood
Member
Make sure they hang on for a few more weeks Jos!!!
long, long time since i saw Euro Roller.....
long, long time since i saw Euro Roller.....
Jos Stratford
Beast from the East
lark o'dell
today the local patch tommrow the world
great capture jos. do you think the rollers will be come permanent residents or will they move on soon?
Jos Stratford
Beast from the East
lark o'dell said:
In common with virtually eveything else up here, the Rollers are summer visitors, I would expect them to leave in September, perhaps late August.
When I moved to Lithuania ten years ago Rollers were scarce, but could be found at a number of locations that I used to visit. The population has fallen ever since and at many places is now locally extinct - eg, at my local patch, two or three pairs used to breed, now none.
Over the last two years, the only birds I have seen in the country are the ones on my land. The majority of the country's few remaining birds are in this region. It is said the decline has, perhaps, bottomed out ...I can only hope so, I will add more nestboxes by next spring in the general area and perhaps these birds, and their young, might return.
Last edited:
gerdwichers8
Well-known member
Hello Jos
About the Roller, I had a pair of them north of the spot of the Ural owls in the small hamlet Seimatis.
What about your birds? And, what about numbers of pairs of Rollers in Lithuania nowadays?
About the Roller, I had a pair of them north of the spot of the Ural owls in the small hamlet Seimatis.
What about your birds? And, what about numbers of pairs of Rollers in Lithuania nowadays?
Jos Stratford
Beast from the East
gerdwichers8 said:
A good find, this village is in the same broad region as my land, but a bit further north. As mentioned before, this is the remaining stronghold of them in Lithuania I believe, though they are now very thin on the ground. Actual numbers I do not know.
Jos Stratford
Beast from the East
Purple Emperors & Co.
What is it with these Purple Emperors? All I wanted was a 'natural shot', not too much to ask - the week before I had managed one on a Toyoto steering wheel and another on my trousers! Pulled into the woods today on my local patch and certainly plenty of them about, stopped the car and down they came - straight into the car and onto the steering wheel again, plus the dash, the door handle and the driver's seat! All feeding like crazy, clearly the attraction was salts - a notable preference for areas that I hold or touch. So more pictures of totally non-natural habitat! Has to be added though, I took my old car today and Purple Emperors do seem to prefer Mazda to Toyoto :-O Anyhow, stood outside and hoped to get a photo there - nope, they are made a beeline for me! One on my tee-shirt, another on my trousers again, one on my head and then one settled on my hand ...wouldn't get off even when I walked over to photograph another butterfly! So took my hand out into the sun and took a self-portrait - do ignore the rather dirty hand, but see those fantastic emperor eyes! Looked into the car again and a Silver-washed Fritillary had decided to join in the fray - enjoying the delights of some rubbish I had left there!
Eventually, spotted one Purple Emperor resting on a leaf - slowly advanced and got the lens just a few centimetres away, a few clicks of the shutter and at last a natural style photo!
Away from the car, it was another splendid day for butterflies - quite a few High Brown Fritillaries again, the first Wood White since early spring, dozens of Brimstones, a White Admiral and, in the meadows, a Swallowtail and, first for this year, a couple of Amanda's Blues.
One Swallowtail also went fluttering through the garden.
Pictures:
1. Purple Emperor, the eyes
2. Purple Emperor going natural
3. Silver-washed Fritillary on the rubbish
What is it with these Purple Emperors? All I wanted was a 'natural shot', not too much to ask - the week before I had managed one on a Toyoto steering wheel and another on my trousers! Pulled into the woods today on my local patch and certainly plenty of them about, stopped the car and down they came - straight into the car and onto the steering wheel again, plus the dash, the door handle and the driver's seat! All feeding like crazy, clearly the attraction was salts - a notable preference for areas that I hold or touch. So more pictures of totally non-natural habitat! Has to be added though, I took my old car today and Purple Emperors do seem to prefer Mazda to Toyoto :-O Anyhow, stood outside and hoped to get a photo there - nope, they are made a beeline for me! One on my tee-shirt, another on my trousers again, one on my head and then one settled on my hand ...wouldn't get off even when I walked over to photograph another butterfly! So took my hand out into the sun and took a self-portrait - do ignore the rather dirty hand, but see those fantastic emperor eyes! Looked into the car again and a Silver-washed Fritillary had decided to join in the fray - enjoying the delights of some rubbish I had left there!
Eventually, spotted one Purple Emperor resting on a leaf - slowly advanced and got the lens just a few centimetres away, a few clicks of the shutter and at last a natural style photo!
Away from the car, it was another splendid day for butterflies - quite a few High Brown Fritillaries again, the first Wood White since early spring, dozens of Brimstones, a White Admiral and, in the meadows, a Swallowtail and, first for this year, a couple of Amanda's Blues.
One Swallowtail also went fluttering through the garden.
Pictures:
1. Purple Emperor, the eyes
2. Purple Emperor going natural
3. Silver-washed Fritillary on the rubbish
Attachments
Last edited:
Jos Stratford
Beast from the East
Right in the city centre, was parking the car this morning and a Purple Emperor came flying by and landed on weeds! Though they seem to be having an excellent year, I took this as a good omen, so decided to head out to the local patch to see what butterflies would be on the wing.
What a good decision - 29 species, including two new for me! No sooner had I arrived and a fabulous Queen of Spain Fritillary landed quite near and posed for photos - of all the fritillaries, this has to be one of the smartest, so was happy to get some nice shots. Next stopped in the meadows, still dozens of skippers, but the species mix is slowly changing - Essex Skippers now becoming the dominant species, though Small Skippers still common. With just single Large and Large Chequered Skippers, their flights are largely over. Plenty of Scarce Coppers still, two more Weaver’s Fritillaries, plus a variety of Chestnut and Pearly Heaths and dozens of Ringlets and Meadow Browns.
Following my traditional route, the next stops were in the extensive pine forests that back the site. Sunny glades and sides of tracks have proved most productive this year and today was no exception - plenty of Silver-washed Fritillaries, a handful of High Brown Fritillaries too, this family was well represented today. As well as a dwindling number of Heath Fritillaries, I managed to find a single Dark Green Fritillary and then, the eighth fritillary of the day and the first one I have ever seen, a rather nice Pallas’s Fritillary! Delicate Wood Whites were also on the wing, with at least two seen today, plus stacks and stacks of Brimstones and a Large Wall Brown, not a particularly common one. As in past weeks, a few Purple Emperors were also seen, about six today.
Eventually decided it was time to head for home, but for some reason decided to stop at a last small patch of meadow - took a quick walk round and then bumped into my second new species of the day - Purple-shot Copper! Not just one, but a whole bunch of them, all clustering round a small ditch. Got in close to get a few photos, then off I continued, homeward bound.
Didn't take my binoculars, so can't really claim to have been out birding, but good numbers of Crossbills seem to be on the move, best numbers for some years. One Nutcracker calling.
What a good decision - 29 species, including two new for me! No sooner had I arrived and a fabulous Queen of Spain Fritillary landed quite near and posed for photos - of all the fritillaries, this has to be one of the smartest, so was happy to get some nice shots. Next stopped in the meadows, still dozens of skippers, but the species mix is slowly changing - Essex Skippers now becoming the dominant species, though Small Skippers still common. With just single Large and Large Chequered Skippers, their flights are largely over. Plenty of Scarce Coppers still, two more Weaver’s Fritillaries, plus a variety of Chestnut and Pearly Heaths and dozens of Ringlets and Meadow Browns.
Following my traditional route, the next stops were in the extensive pine forests that back the site. Sunny glades and sides of tracks have proved most productive this year and today was no exception - plenty of Silver-washed Fritillaries, a handful of High Brown Fritillaries too, this family was well represented today. As well as a dwindling number of Heath Fritillaries, I managed to find a single Dark Green Fritillary and then, the eighth fritillary of the day and the first one I have ever seen, a rather nice Pallas’s Fritillary! Delicate Wood Whites were also on the wing, with at least two seen today, plus stacks and stacks of Brimstones and a Large Wall Brown, not a particularly common one. As in past weeks, a few Purple Emperors were also seen, about six today.
Eventually decided it was time to head for home, but for some reason decided to stop at a last small patch of meadow - took a quick walk round and then bumped into my second new species of the day - Purple-shot Copper! Not just one, but a whole bunch of them, all clustering round a small ditch. Got in close to get a few photos, then off I continued, homeward bound.
Didn't take my binoculars, so can't really claim to have been out birding, but good numbers of Crossbills seem to be on the move, best numbers for some years. One Nutcracker calling.
Last edited:
Jos Stratford
Beast from the East
Some photos from the day:
1. Queen of Spain Fritillary, one of the smartest of the fritillaries
2. Pallas's Fritillary
3. Purple-shot Copper
4. Chestnut Heath
1. Queen of Spain Fritillary, one of the smartest of the fritillaries
2. Pallas's Fritillary
3. Purple-shot Copper
4. Chestnut Heath
Attachments
Last edited:
Jos Stratford
Beast from the East
My cat woke me early today, jumping about on the bed, so decided to make the most of it - stuck the camera out of the window, popped the kettle on, then sat back to have my morning tea and see what was what. First birds of the day, as is often, Tree Sparrows, about 30 or so clambering over the feeders. Got a few photos, but then they were sent flying by the arrival of the first of a string of Great Spotted Woodpeckers - an adult male. Soon he was replaced by a youngster, then female, then another youngster, the whole family calling in for breakfast. With tea well and truly finished, I was pondering a second when in popped my regular Hawfinch - the pair is breeding just down from the garden, so am expecting the youngsters on the feeders any day soon, but alas today still just one of the adults. Still can’t grumble, not a bad bird to be sat on your bed watching. Then the big boys descended - shattering peace and harmony, a family of Jays descended, hogging the feeders and seeing off both the Hawfinch and a remaining woodpecker. Then the cat wanted to go out, so that was the end of my photographing - her favoured trick is to sunbathe wherever I choose to point my camera lens.
Some 70 km further north, the feeders on the land were also showing increasing levels of activity - after the return of the Lesser Spot last week, today a Middle Spotted Woodpecker was back too (and a Great Spotted completing the trio). The purpose of the visit to the land today was work - it had dawned cool and overcast, so had decided to take advantage and get some construction work under way … I want a viewing platform where I normally sit and watch raptors, so armed with a chainsaw and stacks of wood, the thing started to take shape …but then a White-tailed Eagle flew over, followed ten minutes later by another! Never get much work done as always something is distracting me - two Cranes also landed in the meadow just below, a Marsh Harrier drifted through, the first Lapwings of the autumn passed over, then one of the Rollers came over to feed. Sat and watched the Roller for quite a while - though it is almost a kilometre from the nest site, this corner of my land is a favoured hunting spot. He’d catch something big, then wing it off towards the distant nest only to return some minutes later to catch something else.
After having done what I thought was a respectable amount to my viewing platform, I decided to go over the Roller nesting area - parked the car about a 100 metres distant, then watched as the adults came into to feed the youngsters. Very quickly spotted the nesthole, about midway up a birch, so then settled back and enjoyed the comings and goings of the parent birds, still feeling quite amazed at their presence. One Hobby through too.
Photos at the garden feeder:
1. Tree Sparrow
2. Jay
Some 70 km further north, the feeders on the land were also showing increasing levels of activity - after the return of the Lesser Spot last week, today a Middle Spotted Woodpecker was back too (and a Great Spotted completing the trio). The purpose of the visit to the land today was work - it had dawned cool and overcast, so had decided to take advantage and get some construction work under way … I want a viewing platform where I normally sit and watch raptors, so armed with a chainsaw and stacks of wood, the thing started to take shape …but then a White-tailed Eagle flew over, followed ten minutes later by another! Never get much work done as always something is distracting me - two Cranes also landed in the meadow just below, a Marsh Harrier drifted through, the first Lapwings of the autumn passed over, then one of the Rollers came over to feed. Sat and watched the Roller for quite a while - though it is almost a kilometre from the nest site, this corner of my land is a favoured hunting spot. He’d catch something big, then wing it off towards the distant nest only to return some minutes later to catch something else.
After having done what I thought was a respectable amount to my viewing platform, I decided to go over the Roller nesting area - parked the car about a 100 metres distant, then watched as the adults came into to feed the youngsters. Very quickly spotted the nesthole, about midway up a birch, so then settled back and enjoyed the comings and goings of the parent birds, still feeling quite amazed at their presence. One Hobby through too.
Photos at the garden feeder:
1. Tree Sparrow
2. Jay
Attachments
Last edited:
colonelboris
Right way up again
That's an awesome collection of birds and some very good photography, too.
I can feel my feet getting itchy again...
I can feel my feet getting itchy again...
Jos Stratford
Beast from the East
Andrew said:
The solution is a trip over here Andrew
And today a trip through one little patch of pine forests, again in search of butterflies - though I follow the same basic route, stop at the same forest clearings and meadow patches, it never ceases to amaze me that every day there is something new - with large numbers on the wing today, clocked a grand total of 29 butterfly species. At the very first stop, I was immediately impressed by the large numbers of blues about, clearly there had been an emergence. Stacks and stacks of Holly Blues, the first ones since the very early spring - didn’t get a photo back then, so set out crawling around after a few on the ground …then spotted another type! A rather well marked blue, I initially toyed with the idea it was a Reverdin’s Blue, but having photographed it, it now seems a Silver-studded Blue. A tricky pair! Also at this spot, the first Small Coppers of the year, very good numbers mingling with the Scarce Coppers still in abundance. Also notched up a single Large Copper too.
A little further I stopped at a small meadow clearing - absolutely heaving with butterflies! Several Large Wall Browns, a couple of Wood Whites, an impressive mix of fritillaries - Silver-washed Fritillaries most common, but also several High Brown Fritillaries, a few tatty Heath Fritillaries, two Weaver Fritillaries and some very smart fresh Dark Green Fritillaries too. Plenty of Holly Blues and Small Coppers here too, along with quite a few Map Butterflies, Commas and Brimstones amongst others.
Manage to spend hours going nowhere when looking for butterflies …finally left the meadow and got all of a kilometre up the track and it was time to stop again. More fritillaries, but all of the species seen before, but whilst out of the car had a good look round - plenty of Essex Skippers, a few Small Skippers and one Large Skipper too, then hit the jackpot - a new species for me. Sitting quietly and inconspicuously on a cornflower, happened upon another type of skipper - took a few photos, then again had a bit of a headache trying to identify it! Have finally persuaded myself it is a Large Grizzled Skipper, but the similar (but unrecorded in Lithuania)Oberthur’s Grizzled Skipper is not beyond possibility. This butterfly lark is sure harder than birding! Then goofed up - had already seen a few Purple Emperors during the day, so didn’t pay a lot of attention to one that went flying past - as it was good enough to land just near by, I took a quick shot, then looked back for my skipper. Got home, looked at the picture and it is a Lesser Purple Emperor!!!
Just after the skipper, my attention shot away from butterflies - stood and listened, not far away a Wolf was calling, classic stuff. Often see their tracks in this general area, but never get to see them, but the call is so evocative, lifts the day no matter what. Also, on the non-butterfly front, again quite a few Crossbills moving about.
Back to the butterflies, I eventually got to the edge of the forest and the woodland edge was also alive with butterflies - drove slowly alone, stopping every hundred metres or so, usually in response to something seen. Added a rather splendid dark-form Silver-washed Fritillary to the day’s list, then spotted a Pallas’s Fritillary, or more accurately two of them! Only saw my first ever Pallas’s Fritillary a week before and didn’t get great photos, so jumped out and stalked one of them a while - turned out a very co-operative little thing and soon had the pictures I wanted.
Not much more to add to the day - flushed a Hoopoe, saw plenty more butterflies of the same species, then went on home, Hawfinch still at the feeders.
Photos:
1. Silver-studded Blue
2. Holly Blue
3. Large Grizzled Skipper
4. Small Copper
Attachments
Last edited:
lark o'dell
today the local patch tommrow the world
nice little collection there jos
