I was not expecting to do much birding during our short tour of two weeks in Eastern Europe but, as always, I was constantly on the lookout for bird life and was rewarded with five new birds (“lifers”) during our tour, which consisted of four days in Prague, an eight-day cruise of the Danube with stops in four countries, and a short stay in Passau, Germany.
The best birding was while relaxing in our cabin, sliding door open to the fresh air and binos and camera at the ready as the boat cruised at a steady pace along the Danube. The only problem with this was the limited field of vision and the speed of the boat, which meant I had a very short time to react if I saw anything and I mostly had to rely on photographs for an ID of the bird species. The Danube at times widens out into a lake-size body of water, so any birds along the banks tended to be quite far away and it proved difficult to get a decent photo.
The photos showcased here represent the best shots I could get under the circumstances.
Prague
The best way of seeing a new city is to walk the streets and parks, which we did during our stay in this handsome city. European cities are not known for their variety of birds and Prague was no exception, with Jackdaws, Magpies and Blackbirds being the most common birds.
Jackdaw, Prague
One city park had a Eurasian Jay which was a new species for me
Eurasian Jay, Prague
One fine day we took the funicular to the top of the hill which overlooks the city and walked through the extensive parkland and forests of Petrin Park. Here we came across a Common Chiffchaff and on the walk down saw Wood Pigeons. A Eurasian Green Woodpecker drew our attention with its call but did not hang around long enough for a photo.
Common Chiffchaff, PragueWood Pigeon, Prague
Cesky Krumlow
We took a day trip to this historic town a couple of hours bus ride from Prague. With time to spare after the walking tour of the town, we found a pleasant riverside café for coffee which also turned out to be a good spot for viewing some birds as they came to the river. Apart from the ubiquitous Blackbirds, we found Grey and Pied Wagtails on the banks of the strongly flowing Elbe River (both eluded my camera) and a few Black Redstarts, one of which looked remarkably similar to the Familiar Chat we know from SA.
Blackbird, Cesky KrumlowBlack Redstart (Female/Immature Male), Elbe River in Cesky Krumlow – having a striking resemblance to the Familiar Chat we know from SABlack Redstart, Cesky Krumlow
Danube Cruise
A selection of the birds we spotted while cruising :
Mute Swans were seen frequently
Mute Swan, Danube
A single sighting of Mandarin Duck was a surprise and a new species for me
Mandarin Duck, Danube
Grey Herons were seen regularly
Grey Heron, Vienna
Great Cormorants in the protected area
Great Cormorant, Danube
Goosanders were another regular sighting but always at a distance
Goosander, Danube
Caspian Gull in the protected area
Caspian Gull, Danube
Vienna
Our extended stop at Vienna allowed for a walk along the riverside, which was good for a few land-based species
Common Chaffinch, DanubeGreat Tit, Vienna
Linz
While moored in Linz, Common Martins and Barn Swallows suddenly appeared in numbers over the river. I surmised that they had just returned from their annual African summer safari and were revelling in being back “home”, judging by the enthusiastic way they were swooping over the river, despite the bitterly cold weather
Common House Martin, DanubeBarn Swallow, Danube
Passau
This delightful town was a highlight of our trip (more about it in a later post). The birding was limited but a Lesser Kestrel flying high above the Castle was an interesting sighting
Lesser Kestrel, Passau
Other than that the ubiquitous Mallard Duck was the only water bird of note
Mallard, PassauMallard, Passau
I had downloaded Collins Bird Guide for Europe prior to the trip – it has a useful bird listing function which I used to list the species we encountered. At the end of the two weeks I had a grand total of just 33 species – par for the course in Europe when the focus is not on birding.
I regularly see that many species in an hour, walking around our neighbourhood in SA – I’m just saying.
The last few posts have been about our trip in August and September 2014 to Canada and Alaska, covering just a few of the wonderful experiences that these two destinations have to offer. Now it’s time to get back to the main theme of my blog – birding – before getting to the next phase of our trip, namely the Eastern part of Canada.
Health Warning : Non-birders beware – this post contains information that you may find disturbing and slightly obsessive. Birders will (hopefully) find it of some interest.
Gulls and more Gulls
Even before our Alaska cruise got underway, it was clear that Gulls would be a main feature of the birding opportunities, as they wheeled in the air and flew close by the ship as it stood docked in Seattle. Once underway, I realised that identifying the Gulls and other seabirds would be a real challenge, as both the ship and the target birds were moving, often in different directions, making it very difficult to pick up any sort of detail with my binoculars.
Fortunately I had my camera with zoom lens at the ready and resorted to taking photos first and asking questions afterwards – such as “what the heck was that!” This turned out to be the right strategy as I was able to identify many of the seabirds that would have otherwise remained a mystery, by comparing my blown-up photos with the illustrations in Sibley Birds (which I downloaded onto my I-Phone and I-Pad before the trip)
In the end I was only able to sort all my photos (approaching 1000 of them) and finally ID them once I got back to SA and at the same time I developed a list of the main features to help with the ID, finding as I did that many of the gulls have only very subtle differences between them
So here they are, all 11 Gull species and one Kittiwake that I saw on the trip, in the order that I saw them (the Kittiwake is very much like a Gull, so I have included it in this study) and with the key identification features listed :
(As a first time visitor to Canada and Alaska I’m by no means an expert so any corrections of errors will be welcomed)
Ring-billed Gull
Medium sized (43cm/17″)
In flight – long slender wings, sharply contrasting black tips with white spot
Bill – yellow with black ring
Head – white; brown smudging when non-breeding
Juvenile – mostly white underside and rump; dark tail band
First sighting – flying overhead in Calgary
Ring-billed Gull, Baddeck Nova ScotiaRing-billed Gull and probable juvenile, Baddeck Nova Scotia
Franklin’s Gull
Small (36cm/14″)
In flight – limited black tips to grey wings
Bill – red; black when non-breeding
Head – black in summer; black hood in winter
Juvenile – pale brown wings and neck
First sighting – flying overhead in Calgary
Franklin’s Gull, CalgaryFranklin’s Gull, Calgary
Herring Gull
Large (64cm/25″)
In flight – pale grey back; limited dark tips not sharply contrasting
Bill – yellow with red spot
Head – white with pale eye
Juvenile – pale brown/grey overall; dark tipped bill
First sighting – at sea
Herring Gull, at seaHerring Gull, at sea
Heermann’s Gull
Medium (48cm/19″)
In flight – dark grey body with white head
Bill – red with black tip
Head – white; grey in non-breeding
Juvenile – darker all over
First sighting – at sea
Heermann’s Gull, at sea
Western Gull
Large (64cm/25″)
In flight – dark backed; poorly defined black tips to grey wings
Bill – yellow with red spot
Head – white
Juvenile – dark sooty brown; paler rump
First sighting – at sea
This one eluded me – no photo unfortunately, but here’s a picture from Sibley Birds of North America
Western Gull
Bonaparte’s Gull
Small (33cm/13″)
In flight – pale grey wings, white outer primaries, thin black rear edge
Bill – thin black
Head – black head (summer); dark ear spot (winter)
In flight – grey wings; black wing tips with white spots
Bill – yellow
Head – white; brown smudging in non-breeding
Juvenile – pale brown / grey overall; dark tipped bill
First sighting – Juneau, Alaska
Mew Gull, JuneauMew Gull, JuneauMew Gull (Juvenile), at seaMew Gull (Juvenile), Glacier Bay
Thayer’s Gull
Large (58cm/23″)
In flight – pale grey back; limited dark wing tips not sharply contrasting
Bill – yellow with red spot
Head – white; dark eye
Juvenile – pale brown / grey overall; all dark bill
First sighting – Skagway, Alaska
No photo of an adult and I am not 100% sure about this photo being of a Juvenile Thayer’s Gull but it is most likely
Thayer’s Gull (Juvenile), Skagway
Black-legged Kittiwake
Medium (43cm/17″)
In flight – long wings; contrasting black wing tips ; black legs
Bill – yellow
Head – white; mark behind head in non-breeding
Juvenile – bold “M” on upper wings
First sighting – Glacier Bay, Alaska
Black-legged Kittiwake, Glacier BayBlack-legged Kittiwake, Glacier BayBlack-legged Kittiwake, Glacier Bay
Ivory Gull
Medium (43cm/17″)
In flight – all white
Bill – small, orange tip
Head – white; black eye
Juvenile – dark spots to feathers
First sighting – Misty Fjords, Ketchikan Alaska
I puzzled over this photo for some time before eliminating all but the Ivory Gull, which is listed as Rare in Sibley Birds, casting further doubt on my ID – I would really appreciate confirmation or otherwise from anyone with more expert knowledge
Ivory Gull, KetchikanIvory Gull, Ketchikan
Great Black-backed Gull
Large (76cm/30″)
In flight – dark backed; black wing tips with large white spots
Bill – yellow with red spot
Head – white
Juvenile – speckled brown; black bill; whitish head
First sighting – Cape Breton, Nova Scotia – among cormorants in bay pounded by heavy seas
The photo is not great but does show the black back of the gull in the foreground
Greater Black-backed Gull amongst the Cormorants, Cape Breton
The 11 Gulls represent just under half of the 25 that can be found in North America, but quite a few of those not seen on our trip are listed as Rare so I was more than pleased with this “haul”.
More about some of the other birds seen during our trip in a future post – right now I’m preparing for a massive birding adventure into southern Mozambique with an expert birding guide and a group of 10 people in 4 vehicles including my own, leaving early on Thursday 29th January 2015. Watch this space!
“Ernesto was proud to mention that a species of Gecko he discovered there was named after him and he was able to find it for us”
Nature Reserve at Varadero
TheReserva Ecológica Varahicacos protects a 3 km2 remnant of xeromorphic coastal scrub and mangrove at the tip of the 20 km. Hicacos Peninsula. Much of the peninsula, also known as the sun destination ‘Varadero’ to hundreds-of-thousands of international tourists, has been modified to accommodate scores of sprawling, all-inclusive resorts. It is also home to the newly described (2009) Cuban Croaking Gecko (Aristelliger reyesi), the only Aristelliger known from Cuba. Dίaz and Hedges (2009) named the species after its discoverer, local biologist and bird guide Ernesto Reyes. (Source : http://northshorenature.blogspot.com/2012/03/some-cuban-lizards.html)
Ernesto works most days as a conservation officer at this nature reserve, which was a short taxi-ride from our hotel, and he was only too happy to include a walk through the reserve at any time during our stay. Andre and I took him up on the offer a few days after Geraldine and I visited Zapata Swamps with Ernesto and were glad we did, as it added another dimension to the Cuban birding experience and a number of lifers to the trip list.
Ernesto was proud to mention that a species of Gecko he discovered there was named after him and he was able to find it for us :
Ecological Reserve at VaraderoCamouflaged Cuban Croaking Gecko (Aristelliger Reyesi) named after its discoverer and our bird guide, Ernesto Reyes
Ernesto took us along a few of the paths that run through the wooded part of the Reserve and found a number of forest birds, many of which turned out to be Warblers of various combinations of black, brown, yellow and white. The new ones for our trip list and all lifers for me were :
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Prothonotary Warbler (Interesting name)
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Hooded Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
All of them were too furtive and quick to get a photo for the record, so I took some photos of the Reserve’s other interesting features instead
Rocks are actually ancient coral reefsCuban Brown Curlytail (Leiocephalus cubensis)My lovely assistant, Andre (someone had to carry the bird book – but note this is not a dumb blonde, he’s a Neurologist)“Tourist Skin” tree – so called because its thin red bark peels – just like the European tourists do after a few days in Varadero’s sun (Actual name is West-Indian Birch, I believe)
Ponds at Varadero Water Treatment Works
For good measure Ernesto took us to the nearby Varadero water treatment works the same day, where we clambered through a gap in the fence and found a number of exciting birds in the network of ponds.
Ponds at the Varadero Water treatment works
Tri-coloured Heron
White-chinned Pintail
Northern Shoveler
Northern Shovelers take to flight
Blue-winged Teal
Common Moorhen (for a change, an “ordinary” bird)
Laughing Gull
White Ibis
American Coot
American Coot and White Ibis sharing a patch next to one of the ponds
Well-satisfied with our “bonus” trip to the Nature Reserve and Water Treatment works, we thanked Ernesto for his wonderful assistance, bade him goodbye and got a taxi back to our hotel, where we continued our lazy existence for the rest of our 11 day stay. When our memorable holiday came to an end, we were taken by bus back to Havana (all part of the package) where we caught the Virgin Atlantic flight back to Gatwick near London, followed by a taxi shuttle (which you can pre-book) to Heathrow for our overnight flight to Johannesburg.
” Ernesto did everything else extremely well and made sure that we had an incredible and fruitful day as he showed us one new bird species after another and knew exactly where to find the specials, including a number of Cuban endemics that birders would give their eye teeth to see”
Finding a Bird Guide
While planning our trip to Cuba in early 2011, I searched the internet (well, Google did all the work) for any birding opportunities in the 2 areas we were to visit, namely Havana and Varadero. In the process I came across a reference to Ernesto Reyes, who did bird guiding from the Varadero area, and sent him an email. He soon responded with suggestions and this led to me booking him for a day during our stay at Sol Palmeras resort hotel on the Varadero peninsula.
I looked forward to the chance to do some birding in Cuba, which was likely to be a once in a lifetime opportunity in such an exotic location, but wasn’t really sure what to expect. I purchased a Cuba bird guide which I had a good look at before leaving for Cuba, so that I would have an idea of what birds could be found in the various habitats, and this helped a lot.
Turkey Vultures are everywhere – and a Martin caught flying by!
The Trip
Our main destination for the day was the Parque Nacional Cienaga de Zapata – the Zapata Swamps National Park, which is located south-east of Havana and south of Varadero where we were staying in a fine resort hotel. The Zapata peninsula is bordered on the east side by the infamous Bay of Pigs, the site of the failed attempt by American-backed forces to invade Cuba back in 1961. Along the way Ernesto had planned stops at various spots to find some of the Cuban specials.
My daughter Geraldine agreed to accompany me and we were ready in the early hours outside the hotel main entrance, breakfast packs in hand, waiting for Ernesto and his driver to collect us. It seems that very few Cubans have driving licences because so few are allowed to own cars and Ernesto, married with kids, was not a driver, although he did take over on some of the back roads and showed us how not to pull away and change gears. Ernesto did everything else extremely well and made sure that we had an incredible and fruitful day as he showed us one new bird species after another and knew exactly where to find the specials, including a number of Cuban endemics that birders would give their eye teeth to see.
Zapata peninsula lies south east of Havana
From Varadero we headed to the southern side of Cuba, passing through small villages on the way, one of which had a main street with more horses and old-fashioned horse-drawn cabs than motor cars
Country scenesCountry transportCountry scene
An hour or two later we entered the Zapata National Park area where our first stop was at a forested area alongside the road – we walked a short distance along a wooded path before Ernesto stopped and started pointing out bird species.
Forest roadForest flowers
This happened a few more times until we reached the Zapata swamps, where we drove to various points then walked further along paths between the waterways, pausing to greet fishermen who were catching supper.
Zapata SwampsZapata SwampsJust to prove I was there
At one point we came across a group of American birders who were touring in a large luxury bus and they immediately called us over to view a very special bird, the Zapata Wren, through their scopes. We were surprised to find Americans in Cuba, knowing of the frosty relationship that exists and sanctions applied by the US on Cuba – apparently they are able to get permission for special trips
Ernesto and Geraldine about to meet up with an American group of birders in the Zapata Swamps
Their guide was one Arturo Kirkconnell, who happened to be co-author of the Cuban field guide I had bought, Birds of Cuba and he was kind enough to sign it and write a short message, which made the day extra-special.
Lunchtime with the locals
Ernesto offered a choice of a “Tourist Stop” standard lunch or he could arrange with some local people who, like a growing number of Cubans, have small restaurants in their homes. We chose the latter and it was a very special experience, eating in humble surroundings and served Cuban fare by the family – nice to be able to support them.
The “home” restaurant, the sign confirms they are approved by the governmentErnesto and Don with the driver and the husband and wife who run the home restaurantClassic in the country
Zapata Swamps
One source describes it thus:
The Zapata Swamp is a mosaic of mangrove swamps and freshwater and saltwater marshes that form the largest and best-preserved wetland in the Caribbean. The swamp was designated a Biosphere Reserve in 1999 and forms a vital preserve for Cuban wildlife, a spawning area for commercially valuable fish, and a crucial wintering territory for millions of migratory birds from North America. More than 900 plant species have been recognized in the swamp, and all but three of the 25 bird species endemic to Cuba breed there
Also a feature of the Zapata Peninsula is the system of caves along the coast, some of which have caved in creating small lakes. We visited one such flooded cave in a small reserve a short distance from the beaches of the Bay of Pigs – the largest flooded cave in Cuba, 70m deep and crystal clear
The flooded caveGeraldine braves a rickety bridgeCrystal clear water allows you to see the fish quite easilyThese red crabs migrate to the beaches by the thousand at certain times
The birds
It was a veritable feast of ‘lifers’ for me – no less than 49 during our one day trip to Zapata National Park and a further 14 in the space of a couple of hours spent at the Varadero Nature Reserve – but it’s not all about numbers, more about the experience of birding in such exotic and amazing locations.
The birds seen included the following – short descriptions are taken direct from my field notes :
Once again, where I was able to get a photo, the quality of the photos is very ordinary due to not having my “birding” lens on the trip (I won’t make that mistake again) so I had to make do with a standard zoom lens.
Zapata Forest:
The forest was not as dense as some I’ve experienced – it was not too difficult to see the birds which Ernesto found. The rock underfoot looked volcanic or could be ancient coral.
Cuban Tody – small round colourful bird with a long thin bill
Yellow-faced Grassquit – male and female pair, small sparrow-like bird
Red-legged Honeycreeper – dark purple plumage, turquoise cap and red legs make it a very distinctive bird. Top of tree
Red-legged Honeycreeper
Common Yellow-throated Warbler – the first of many warblers, all in combinations of yellow, black and brown
Stripe-headed Tanager – colourful small bird in the mid-stratum
Cuban Trogon – signature bird for Cuba and their National Bird. Loud call, easily seen, 5 sightings during the day
Cuban Trogon
Great Lizard Cuckoo – secretive, large bird (Coucal size), light brown in colour. I just caught it on camera as it flew off.
Great Lizard Cuckoo disappearing over the forest
More Warblers in quick succession (we would have had no chance of ID-ing them without Ernesto) – Yellow-headed Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler, Prairie Warbler, Magnolia Warbler. Cuba lies on the migration route between North and South America for many of the Warblers and we happened to be there when many of them are visitors to this Caribbean island.
Northern Parula – another Warbler
Cuban Vireo – looks like our White-eyes, just 2m from us in the tree
Cuban Vireo
Black-whiskered Vireo
Black-whiskered Vireo
Zenaida Dove – forest path, pair on the ground amongst leaf litter
and then, a surprise sighting………..
Surprise in the forest
Zapata Swamps
Barn Swallow – just like home
Zapata Wren – the US visitors were very excited about finding this rare endemic – brownish barred bird with long tail, singing vigorously in the reeds
Indigo Bunting – blue all over, short bill
La Sagra’s Flycatcher – mid stratum, crested appearance
La Sagra’s Flycatcher
American Redstart – male, mid stratum
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron – Flying overhead
Tawny-shouldered Blackbird – group of 5 – all black except for orange patches on shoulders, tree tops
Loggerhead Kingbird – large, flycatcher-like, crested appearance, low in branches
Double-crested Cormorant –
Double-crested Cormorant
Pygmy Owl – much like our Pearl-spotted, similar in size, low in tree next to channel
Northern Waterthrush – mid stratum, most resembles our Prinias
Roadside Stops
Ernesto stopped at various spots along the way, often at places known to be home to some of the specials. We also stopped at one of the government-run “Tourist Stops” where you can have snacks and meals
Tourist Stop – Ernesto in conversation with a birding personality
Smooth-billed Ani – large, all-black Coucal-like bird – on the way to Zapata
Black-cowled Oriole – ponds near Tourist Stop, top of tree
American Kestrel – roadside pole
Purple Gallinule – ponds near Tourist Stop, walking on lilies
Purple Gallinule
Purple Martin – overhead
West Indian Woodpecker – near Tourist Stop, pecking at nest-hole in Palm tree
West-Indian Woodpecker at a nest-hole
Cuban Crow – scavenging in road
Cuban Crow
Cuban Parrot – near Tourist Stop, top of tree
Great Egret – probably same as Southern African species – ponds near Tourist Stop
Great Egret
Great Blue Heron – ponds near Tourist Stop
Osprey – flying over ponds near Tourist Stop
Red-legged Thrush – dirt road, on ground, wary
Northern Mockingbird – dirt road
Northern Mockingbird
Smallest Bird in the World !
The bird we desperately wanted to see, since realising it was a possibility – the amazing Bee Hummingbird – found by Ernesto on a dirt road off the main road. We watched, mesmerized, as it zipped from telephone wires to sparse trees across the road, almost quicker than the eye could follow, looking like a large bumble-bee. Sensational sighting! But I couldn’t get a decent photo…
The sensational Bee Hummingbird – 5 to 6cm long
Open Savannah with many palm trees
Open Savannah with palms
Northern Flicker – Woodpecker-like bird in top of palm tree
Northern Flicker (Female)Northern Flicker (Male)
Fernandina’s Flicker – (just love the name!) Rare endemic in bare palm tree
Roadside Farm with a number of large trees
Killdeer – Lapwing-like, in short grass
Common Ground Dove – open ground
Cowboys are alive and well in Cuba
Cuban Parakeet – flock of up to 20 in large fig tree, most flew off at our approach, some returned for viewing and photo opportunities
Cuban Parakeet
Rice paddies
Rice paddies
Lesser Yellowlegs – very much like a Greenshank in size and appearance, yellow legs conspicuous
Little Blue Heron – pair at edge of paddies
Rice paddies
Black-necked Stilt – much like our Black-winged Stilt
Black-necked Stilt
Crested Caracara – in distant tree – large raptor reminiscent of a Harrier-Hawk
Glossy Ibis – presumably same species as ours, flying overhead
Limpkin – on bank of paddy, large bird, long decurved bill
On the way back to Varadero we passed a country rodeo in progress – looked exciting
A rodeo was on the go
Ernesto and the driver dropped us off at the hotel in the evening, after a brief stop at his home in a nearby town to meet his wife and daughter who tried their best to converse in broken English and charmed us in the process.
For days after we reflected on an amazing day spent birding an area that I never in my wildest dreams thought I would see and experience for myself. It brought a lesson home to me – when it comes to birding (or anything else that grabs you) one should have no boundaries and take the chances when they arise, there is just so much out there to see and do!
Note : Thanks to Ronald Orenstein for his guidance on a couple of mis-identifications in my photos, now corrected
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