This week I had my best birding walk ever! (1 Viewer)

[Io Sapsai]

There is a national park not too far away from where I live. The road to it is surrounded by a man-made forest which is always full of birds. I love going out and taking walks there. Climbing my way to the top and roaming around the summit yielded a total of 25 species in just over 2 hours! 1 new lifer too - a black woodpecker!
Here's the list:

• Rock Dove 5
• Collared Dove 5
• Yellow-legged Gull 6 - Yeah. Right before I entered the forest.
• Middle Spotted Woodpecker 2
• Great Spotted Woodpecker 1
• Black Woodpecker 1 (!!!)
• Eurasian Jay 9
• Common Magpie 1
• Eurasian Jackdaw 16
• Rook 13
• Hooded Crow 3
• Eurasian Blue Tit 3
• Great Tit 58 - They were all over the place as expected.
• Long-tailed Tit 1
• Eurasian Nuthatch 7
• Eurasian Treecreeper 3
• Eurasian Wren 4 - I can't get enough of these. Their name in my language translates as "Little walnut" They're just adorable.
• Eurasian Blackbird 6
• European Robin 12 - I'm sure I heard a lot more than that, robins are really active this winter.
• House Sparrow 8
• Eurasian Tree Sparrow 2
• Common Chaffinch 10
• Hawfinch 7 - I hear them all the time but I saw them for the first time just now!
• European Greenfinch 8
• Eurasian Siskin 5

On another note, how should one look for goldcrests? There are ebird sightings around this time of the year in my area every year but there aren't many birders around using the app. They're the smallest birds we have and I've never seen one.

 

[Xenospiza]

On another note, how should one look for goldcrests? There are ebird sightings around this time of the year in my area every year but there aren't many birders around using the app. They're the smallest birds we have and I've never seen one.

Learn their call. I rarely find one without hearing it first. They are usually in conifers, but they can show up in other trees as well.
They are quite loud so they can be further away than you think. I was fooled by a pair today that was above me instead of in front of me.
In this time of year they are often near tit flocks and you seem to have encountered those!

 

[KC Foggin]

It certainly was a great walk

 

[Julie50]

I find goldcrests often by there habit of flitting (moving very quickly and randomly) about the lower branches or on smaller trees and bushes - good luck!