Vienna in Spring (2 Viewers)

[Owene]

My wife and I are doing a long weekend in Vienna next spring early summer for Hamsters but haven't finalised just when yert. Looking on ebird there doesn't really seem to be that much in the way of likely bird ticks there but it does seem to have occasional Icterine Warbler Marsh and Eastern Subapline warblers and a few sightings of Eastern Imperial Eagle. Does anyone know if targetting any of these is easily possible via public transport.

Also anyone have any experience on Butterflies within the city parks etc?

 

[Farnboro John]

My wife and I are doing a long weekend in Vienna next spring early summer for Hamsters but haven't finalised just when yert. Looking on ebird there doesn't really seem to be that much in the way of likely bird ticks there but it does seem to have occasional Icterine Warbler Marsh and Eastern Subapline warblers and a few sightings of Eastern Imperial Eagle. Does anyone know if targetting any of these is easily possible via public transport.

Also anyone have any experience on Butterflies within the city parks etc?

As far as Hamsters are concerned I see Naturetrek run their trips mid June. I think there's a clue there.

I've seen a few trip reports on Hampster hunting with a side dish of birding and/or culture, if you can't find anything on here then maybe try the Mammalwatching site:

Mammal Watching – The world's best resource for mammal watchers

www.mammalwatching.com

Cheers

John

 

[Owene]

As far as Hamsters are concerned I see Naturetrek run their trips mid June. I think there's a clue there.

I've seen a few trip reports on Hampster hunting with a side dish of birding and/or culture, if you can't find anything on here then maybe try the Mammalwatching site:

Mammal Watching – The world's best resource for mammal watchers

www.mammalwatching.com

Cheers

John

Thanks. I’ll have a look. I think the hamsters seem quite straightforward and my wife would like to to take in an opera. Just hoped there might be some other ticks too. Most people seem to combine it with souslik but I’ve seen them

 

[Bitis]

My wife and I are doing a long weekend in Vienna next spring early summer for Hamsters but haven't finalised just when yert. Looking on ebird there doesn't really seem to be that much in the way of likely bird ticks there but it does seem to have occasional Icterine Warbler Marsh and Eastern Subapline warblers and a few sightings of Eastern Imperial Eagle. Does anyone know if targetting any of these is easily possible via public transport.

Also anyone have any experience on Butterflies within the city parks etc?

Hello, I'm from Vienna so maybe I can help you out. All Subalpine Warblers are major rarities throughout Austria, so they are impossible to target. Icterine Warbler and Marsh Warbler are both possible in Vienna. Also Eastern Imperial Eagle is possible within Vienna but more common if you go a little outsight of Vienna (by train for example). Also a lot of butterflies are possible within Vienna (got any specific targets?). All the good places for birds or/and butterflies are easily accessible by public transport.

 

[Owene]

Hello, I'm from Vienna so maybe I can help you out. All Subalpine Warblers are major rarities throughout Austria, so they are impossible to target. Icterine Warbler and Marsh Warbler are both possible in Vienna. Also Eastern Imperial Eagle is possible within Vienna but more common if you go a little outsight of Vienna (by train for example). Also a lot of butterflies are possible within Vienna (got any specific targets?). All the good places for birds or/and butterflies are easily accessible by public transport.

Thanks. I’ll have a look at what butterfly species might be possible and ask you again when we’ve firmed up dates. Are the marsh and icterine sites fairly central?

 

[Steve Babbs]

I think the hamsters seem quite straightforward and my wife would like to to take in an opera. Just hoped there might be some other ticks too. Most people seem to combine it with souslik but I’ve seen them

Late afternoon between entrance 2 and 3, in an area of meadow, in the central cemetery was productive for me. Several other people were there around this time.

 

[Owene]

Late afternoon between entrance 2 and 3, in an area of meadow, in the central cemetery was productive for me. Several other people were there around this time.

Thank you. That and the hospital seem to be the places.

 

[Bitis]

Thanks. I’ll have a look at what butterfly species might be possible and ask you again when we’ve firmed up dates. Are the marsh and icterine sites fairly central?

Sorry for the late reply! Most of the birding I do within Vienna is in winter (spring, summer and autumn I mostly bird in other places), so I'm not sure about the best site for icterine and marsh warbler in Vienna. But after checking ornitho.at, knowing the habitats and checking some papers, Lobau (it is part of the Donau-Auen National Park) and the Donauinsel (Danube Island) seem to be good/the best places. Lobau also is the best place for butterflies in Vienna (Southern Festoon for example). Both places also can be reached by public transport easily. When you know the date and you know how much time you have for birding, I probably can give you more specific sites

 

[Owene]

Thank you. I'll post again nearer the time

 

[kb57]

I was in Vienna in May way back in the early 1970s, aged 14...it was at the end of a guided birding trip to Lake Neuseidl, and we visited a couple of the urban parks by tram. Potzleinsdorfer Schlosspark is the eBird hotspot where we had grey-headed and middle spotted woodpeckers along with some ridiculously tame nuthatches which fed out of my hand. I think I've had this conversation on BF before with someone, and the conclusion was grey-headed are no longer around (and Syrian - as was the case then - more frequent in open habitats south of Vienna).

 

[Bitis]

I was in Vienna in May way back in the early 1970s, aged 14...it was at the end of a guided birding trip to Lake Neuseidl, and we visited a couple of the urban parks by tram. Potzleinsdorfer Schlosspark is the eBird hotspot where we had grey-headed and middle spotted woodpeckers along with some ridiculously tame nuthatches which fed out of my hand. I think I've had this conversation on BF before with someone, and the conclusion was grey-headed are no longer around (and Syrian - as was the case then - more frequent in open habitats south of Vienna).

Yes, I remember your story and our conversation from another thread about Vienna
@Owene There is also a little bit more information in that thread: Birding in Vienna

 

[kb57]

Yes, I remember your story and our conversation from another thread about Vienna
@Owene There is also a little bit more information in that thread: Birding in Vienna

Reassuring to know I'm not completely senile then, and still remember when I'm repeating myself - I had a strong sense of deja vu when replying to Owene! Since then I've added my Austrian records to eBird, but I've recently found a more precise list of species and sites which somehow survived the loss of my field notes, so it needs updating again.