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Alex & Zvezdana Big Year 2017


xelas

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Beginner's luck was on our side in 2016, and total of 434 bird species a complete surprise to us ... and to others.

 

Repeating similar number in 2017 will be impossible, and as every bird will count, not even a winter break to Caribbean paradise should not be birding-free. No big birding detinations are planned but a series of shorter trips will hopefully kept us in the game.

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  • 1 month later...

BIRDS OF WEST INDIES / 01 - 14 JANUARY 2017

 

 

Time to start our second Big Year of birding. Well, we have started it almost on the first day of the year 2017. Almost meaning that the London weather acted against us, drizzle and grey did not allowed us to take any photos while we have waited for the shuttle bus to the Gatwick airport. Luckily the next two weeks spent on West Indies were all under the beautiful tropical sun :) .

 

We have spent our time birding on three different islands: Barbados, Bequia and St.Vincent. Birds will be posted into respective islands and time posts. There will be no specific details of each photo's location as I did not took notes, and anyway, islands are small enough.

Edited by xelas
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BARBADOS / 02 JANUARY 2017

Let us start the year with a black bird also ourselves:
BY 001 / WI 01
Carib Grackle - Quiscalus lugubris
post-47185-0-74356700-1486916066_thumb.jpg
BY 002 / WI 02
Eared Dove - Zenaida auriculata
post-47185-0-84276600-1486916122_thumb.jpg
BY 003 / WI 03
Lesser Antillean Bullfinch (Barbados) - Loxigilla noctis
post-47185-0-81658300-1486916120_thumb.jpg
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BARBADOS / 04 JANUARY 2017

 

This day we have hired local birder, Jonathan Walcott, for a half day of birding. We have been birding on the southern part of Barbados.

 

 

BY 004 / WI 04

Green Heron - Butorides virescent

post-47185-0-75889100-1486923402_thumb.jpg

 

 

BY 005 / WI 04

Black-bellied Plover - Pluvialis squatarola

post-47185-0-38088900-1486923394_thumb.jpg

 

BY 006 / WI 06

Least Sandpiper - Calidiris Minutilla

post-47185-0-67740200-1486923404_thumb.jpg

 

BY 007 / WI 07

Lesser Scaup - Aythya affinis

post-47185-0-89145900-1486923406_thumb.jpg

 

BY 008 / WI 08

American Cout - Fulica americana

post-47185-0-15117200-1486923392_thumb.jpg

 

BY 009 / WI 09

Solitary Sandpiper - Tringa solitaria

post-47185-0-86430600-1486923410_thumb.jpg

 

BY 010 / WI 10

Greater Yellowlegs - Tringa melanoleuca

post-47185-0-68681600-1486923400_thumb.jpg

 

BY 011 / WI 11

Common Ground-Dove - Columbina passerina

post-47185-0-74838300-1486923396_thumb.jpg

 

BY 012 / WI 12

Shiny Cowbird - Molothrus bonariensis

post-47185-0-82058800-1486923408_thumb.jpg

 

BY 013 / WI 13

Grassland Yellow-Finch - Scales luteola

post-47185-0-65221500-1486923398_thumb.jpg

 

BY 014 / WI 14

Semipalmated Plover - Charadrius semipalmatus

post-47185-0-67262500-1486923490_thumb.jpg

 

BY 015 / WI 15

Ruddy Turnstone - Arenaria interpres

post-47185-0-60538300-1486923485_thumb.jpg

 

BY 016 / WI 16

Common Moorhen - Galinulla chloropus

post-47185-0-50140800-1486923483_thumb.jpg

 

BY 017 / WI 17

Yellow Warbler - Dendroica petechia

post-47185-0-16824000-1486923493_thumb.jpg

 

BY 018 / WI 18

Scaly-naped Pigeon - Columba squamosa

post-47185-0-14757800-1486923488_thumb.jpg

 

 

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@@xelas

Great to see you in for 2017!

 

Big Year is big fun, and we would not miss it!

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BEQUIA & ST.VINCENT / 05-13 JANUARY 2017

 

Although we have spent 8 days on Bequia, most of the time we were at Lower Bay.

 

BY 019 / WI 19

Yellow-bellied Elaenia - Elaenia flavogaster

post-47185-0-69942500-1487006489_thumb.jpg

 

BY 020 / WI 20

Brown Booby - Sula leucogaster

post-47185-0-70888500-1487006449_thumb.jpg

 

post-47185-0-45046700-1487006451_thumb.jpg

 

post-47185-0-25529500-1487006453_thumb.jpg

 

BY 021 / WI 21

Antillean Crested Hummingbird - Orthorhyncus cristatus

post-47185-0-62227700-1487006440_thumb.jpg

 

post-47185-0-63735500-1487006442_thumb.jpg

 

female

post-47185-0-36588400-1487006438_thumb.jpg

 

BY 022 / WI 22

Yellow-crowned Night-heron - Nyctanassa violacea

post-47185-0-11156500-1487006492_thumb.jpg

 

BY 023 / WI 23

Grey Kingbird - Tyrannous dominicensis

post-47185-0-68786000-1487006456_thumb.jpg

 

BY 024 / WI 24

Magnificent Frigatebird - Fregata magnificens

post-47185-0-22158600-1487006477_thumb.jpg

 

post-47185-0-34825400-1487006479_thumb.jpg

 

BY 025 / WI 25

Bananaquit - Coereba flaveola

 

Puerto Rico race

post-47185-0-00627400-1487006445_thumb.jpg

 

post-47185-0-47445900-1487006447_thumb.jpg

 

St.Vincent race

post-47185-0-81416400-1487007902_thumb.jpg

 

BY 026 / WI 26

Little Blue Heron - Egretta caerulea

post-47185-0-44289400-1487006475_thumb.jpg

 

BY 027 / WI 27

Royal Tern - Sterna maxima

post-47185-0-35893000-1487006485_thumb.jpg

 

post-47185-0-26535800-1487006483_thumb.jpg

 

BY 028 / WI 28

Tropical Mockingbird - Mimus gilvus

post-47185-0-64061800-1487006487_thumb.jpg

 

BY 029 / WI 29

Brown Pelican - Pelicans accidentalis

post-47185-0-81885300-1487006454_thumb.jpg

 

BY 030 / WI 30

Mourning Dove - Zenaida Macroura

post-47185-0-51971700-1487006481_thumb.jpg

 

BY 031 / WI 31

Cocoa Thrush - Turdus fumigatus

post-47185-0-32992100-1487008778_thumb.jpg

 

post-47185-0-13340200-1487008780_thumb.jpg

 

 

 

Edited by xelas
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It seems you did more than just having cocktails at the beach! :)

 

Love the Yellow-Crowned Night Heron, what a cool bird.

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It seems you did more than just having cocktails at the beach! :)

 

Love the Yellow-Crowned Night Heron, what a cool bird.

 

 

It certainly looks like we were not that lazy, after all.

 

There is a whole funny story about the heron and Zvezda, playing peek-a-boo on the beach :):) !

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@@xelas - lovely shots. I've seen many of those on our trip to St Lucia a couple of years ago but the Cocoa Thrush is new - great to see.

 

The St Vincent Bananaquit - is it always black without the yellow breast?

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@@xelas - lovely shots. I've seen many of those on our trip to St Lucia a couple of years ago but the Cocoa Thrush is new - great to see.

 

The St Vincent Bananaquit - is it always black without the yellow breast?

 

Yes, according to my guide (and book) the St.Vincent race is always black.

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A hummingbird in flight! Well done!

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BARBADOS / 14 JANUARY 2017

This day we have hired another local birder, Julian Moore, for a half day of birding. This time we went to the northern side of Barbados.

BY 032 / WI 32

Eurasian Collared-Dove - Streptopelia decaocto

post-47185-0-08237300-1487176314_thumb.jpg

BY 033 / WI 33

Snowy Egret - Egretta thula

post-47185-0-24518000-1487176323_thumb.jpg

 

BY 034 / WI 34

Black-whiskered Vireo - Vireo altiloquus

post-47185-0-44211900-1487176307_thumb.jpg

 

BY 035 / WI 35

Glossy Ibis - Plegadis falcinellus

post-47185-0-41191700-1487176316_thumb.jpg

 

BY 036 / WI 36

Killdeer - Charadrius vociferus

post-47185-0-74457000-1487176318_thumb.jpg

 

BY 037 / WI 37

Blue-winged Teal - Anas discors

female

post-47185-0-93852500-1487176309_thumb.jpg

 

BY 038 / WI 38

Cattle Egret - Bubulcus ibis

post-47185-0-62195600-1487176311_thumb.jpg

 

BY 039 / WI 39

Semipalmated Sandpiper - Calidris pusilla

post-47185-0-05836700-1487176321_thumb.jpg

 

BY 040 / WI 40

Spotted Sandpiper - Actitis macularia

post-47185-0-33335000-1487176325_thumb.jpg

 

BY 041 / WI 41

Sanderling - Calidris alba

post-47185-0-34755300-1487176381_thumb.jpg

 

BY 042 / WI 42

Great Egret - Ardea alba

post-47185-0-85008000-1487176376_thumb.jpg

 

BY 043 / WI 43

Black-faced Grassquit - Tilaris bicolor

post-47185-0-83356100-1487176374_thumb.jpg

 

juvenile

post-47185-0-70585500-1487176372_thumb.jpg

 

BY 044 / WI 44

Green-throated Carib - Eulampis holosericeus

post-47185-0-11747100-1487176379_thumb.jpg

Edited by xelas
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So, West Indies has given us 44 birds. Not bad, considering this was mostly R&R type of trip.

 

For identification and latin names I have used "Birds of West Indies" published by Helm Field Guides, authors H.Raffaele, J.Wiley, O.Garrido, A.Keith and J.Raffaele.

 

Special thanks to Julian Moore for his support with "difficult birds".

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@@xelas, what a lovely mixture of Birds, Shorebirds through to Hummingbirds, great job with the Hummingbird, by the way.

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@@elefromoz and @@TonyQ , indeed I was surprised by the latest count. And thank you for making me browse through all photos one more time ... to find this one soaring high above in the sky!

 

 

BY 045 / WI 45

 

Osprey - Pandion halieatus

 

post-47185-0-26519400-1487537180_thumb.jpg

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Coming back to Slovenia, the winter was at full swing! Not good for us and certainly not very comfortable for those birds that have not escaped the winter. Also the light was not that good, however, taking photos of BOC gave me some fun. Barje / 22.01.2017

 

BY 046 / SI 001

 

Grey Heron - Ardea cinerea

post-47185-0-87027800-1487705698_thumb.jpg

 

 

BY 047 / SI 002

 

Black-headed Gull - Chroicocephalus ridibundus

post-47185-0-81603000-1487705464_thumb.jpg

 

post-47185-0-46337200-1487705462_thumb.jpg

 

 

BY 048 / SI 003

 

Great Cormorant - Phalacrocorax carbo

post-47185-0-60251900-1487705466_thumb.jpg

 

 

 

This Great Egret surely looks much less happy than his cousin on Barbados :) :

 

post-47185-0-52076900-1487705468_thumb.jpg

Edited by xelas
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@@xelas thanks for posting this interesting selection of birds from the West Indies.

 

The Green-throated Carib is a very tidy bird.

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  • 2 weeks later...

The West Indies provided you with some good species and photos, @@xelas! I can feel the cold in your last set. I hope Spring will set in soon in Slovenia (well, here too...:))

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The West Indies provided you with some good species and photos, @@xelas! I can feel the cold in your last set. I hope Spring will set in soon in Slovenia (well, here too... :))

 

 

Welcome back to the cold countries, @@PeterHG . Looking forward to see your selection of birds from your last trip(s) :) !

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  • 2 months later...

Despite all the good wishes sent by @@PeterHG , spring came late to Slovenia. That and the fact we have had not that much time due to long trip to Namibia, and maybe some lack of enthusiasm by myself, resulted in relatively poor birding. However, it is time to post what we were able to capture. Still in winter time.

 

BY 049 / SI 004

Blue Tit - Parus caeruleus

post-47185-0-17589100-1496480826_thumb.jpg

BY 050 / SI 005

Common Buzzard - Buteo buteo

post-47185-0-36301900-1496480830_thumb.jpg

post-47185-0-31475700-1496480828_thumb.jpg

BY 051 / SI006

Feral Pigeon - Columba livia f. domestica

post-47185-0-38703700-1496480832_thumb.jpg

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BY 052 / SI007

Blackbird - Turdus merula

post-47185-0-13266800-1496481575_thumb.jpg

BY 053 / SI008

Eurasian Coot - Fulica atra

post-47185-0-17404000-1496481577_thumb.jpg

BY054 / SI009

Tree Sparrow - Passer montanus

post-47185-0-19072800-1496481579_thumb.jpg

BY055 / SI010

Wood Pigeon - Columba palumbus

post-47185-0-05309400-1496481581_thumb.jpg

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BY056 / SI011

Hooded Crow - Corvus cornix

post-47185-0-14757100-1496482570_thumb.jpg

BY057 / SI012

Mallard - Anas platyrhynchos

post-47185-0-60840300-1496482574_thumb.jpg

post-47185-0-42118400-1496482572_thumb.jpg

BY058 / SI013

Common Starling - Sturnus vulgaris

post-47185-0-54429200-1496482576_thumb.jpg

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Beginning of March I had a business trip to Ulm, Germany. Passing by Chiemsee, and reading about great birding there from @@michael-ibk , I have had great hopes. The rain washed them away efficiently :angry: . Another mistake I have done is using a D90 body, and those older generation sensors just cannot cope well with noise as soon as they are pushed over 800 ISO :( . Lesson learned. Anyway, just for the sake of not throwing all photos away, here are some that could be posted, and counted.

 

 

BY059 / DE001

Great Tit - Parus major

post-47185-0-63985600-1496484342_thumb.jpg

 

 

BY060 / DE002

Common Chaffinch - Fringilla coelebs

post-47185-0-31829800-1496484340_thumb.jpg

 

 

BY061 / DE003

House Sparrow - Passer domesticus

post-47185-0-68243900-1496484344_thumb.jpg

 

 

BY062 / DE004

Carrion Crow - Corvus corone

post-47185-0-24942000-1496484338_thumb.jpg

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