After having visited the Carpathians of Slovakia in April mainly for Hazel grouse photography, I wanted to observe different birds in the same area. In preparation I ordered a birdlist of the species from a local guide which birds might be possible and got the following:
Schedule suggestion (June 9 – 16):
1st day Boreal Owl
2nd Black Woodpecker
3rd Northern Goshawk
4th Three-toed Woodpecker
5th Eurasian Pygmy Owl
6th Black Stork
7th Golden Eagle
White-backed Woodpecker, Honey Buzzard, Lesser Spotted Eagle – depending on the distance of each species by car and on foot, the weather and your endurance while sitting in the hiding-place.
Wow, that sounded really good.
This time, photography of young birds, on and around the nest was the target. Nest photography is a sensitive endeavor. Nothing to try by yourself. So I laid my fate again in the hands of Milos. Milos is performing guarding and monitoring the wildlife of the Carpathians in the Tatra Mountains for more than 20 years. First, Milos worked as a ranger for the Mala Fatra NP. Doing this job, he learned to climb trees with professional equipment. A job, which needs licenses in Slovakia, too which are renewed every year or so after having showed the necessary skills and knowledges. Now he is self-employed as a nature conservationists but is still doing research and monitoring for the various Nature und National Park authorities. In pursuing this job he has all the necessary permits inclusive entering the park roads and performing surveillance jobs also on nest of birds. The results of the shooting of Carpathians birds of Slovakia in June you see in the Gallery.
June 09th 2014
Passing Žilina I headed for the tourist spot Terchová. A narrow country road leads you down to Dolny Kuby. Sunny & hot. Meeting Milos und Jaro at 7:00pm in the hotel. We agree to meet again at 6:00 am the next morning for breakfast in the pension.
June 10th 2014
Mala-Fatra-Mountains near Terchová. Searching nesting sites of Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) and Boreal Owl (Aegolius funereus), Sunny & hot with some thunderstorms elsewhere.
June 11th 2014
Mala-Fatra-Mountains to the east, Veľká Lúčivná Visit nesting sites of Northern Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis) and in vain Pygmy Owl, Sunny & very warm, some thunderstorms nearby.
June 12th 2014
Hills near Choč-Mountains. Visit nesting sites of Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo), Visit nesting site of Northern Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis) of day before. Clouds with some sun. Cooler than the previous days.
June 13th 2014
Buffer Zone High Tatras Mountains. Searching the Wallcreeper (Tichodroma muraria) and other birds of limestone crags. Investigating birds of alpine meadows. Afternoon: investigating nesting site of Lesser Spotted Eagle (Aquila pomarina) in hills near Choč Mountains. Clouds in the beginning with sunny weather afterwards, very hot in parts.
June 14th 2014
In the morning Žilina mountains near water reservoir. Three-toed Woodpecker (Picoides tridactylus) at nest hole. Afternoon: investigating nesting site of Eurasian Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus) in Choč Mountains, photographing with interval controlled camera. Cloudy, very little sun. Showers, even heavy rain. Quite cool.
June 15th 2014
Morning: change batteries and CF-Card of interval controlled camera at nesting site of Eurasian Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus) in Choč Mountains. After: Buffer Zone Malá Fatra. Searching the Lesser Spotted Eagle (Aquila pomarina). Sunny in the beginning with heavy clouds and some rain, sunny in the afternoon, warm in the sun.
June 16th 2014
Morning: de-install interval controlled camera at nesting site of Eurasian Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus) in Choč Mountains. Rest of day: Buffer Zone Malá Fatra. Searching the Lesser Spotted Eagle (Aquila pomarina). Beautiful weather, with some clouds during afternoon, warm.
June 17th 2014
Day of return. Sunny and warm. After visiting a spot near Terchová, drive via Žilina, Bratislava, Vienna back home.
Nature und National Park authorities are very jealous for their natural assets – for good reasons. Thus, only licensed guides are authorized even to use most of the roads in the parks. For no reason, you should try the program you see above on your own. Fines are serious and costly. Additionally, this is bear-country. Another reason not to stalk alone through the forests. Tourists are allowed to move only on marked trails.
Ranger Miloš is pursuing a job, which means that he has all the necessary permits inclusive entering the park roads and performing surveillance jobs also on nest of birds, but guiding you is not his main task. In so far, patience is absolutely essential but, see it as a real privilege, to join him, one of the real nature experts of the Carpathians in Slovakia.
Some organization in advance is necessary to perform this kind of trip. I am considering doing this trip – but for other birds in a slightly different time window – in 2015 again. Pls. contact via contact form, if you are interested or need more details.
Annotated Birdlist:
Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea)
Only 1 ind. The last day along river Orava
Black Stork (Ciconia nigra)
Almost daily, seen in flights, more than 1 pair involved
White Stork (Ciconia ciconia)
Nesting in small numbers in the villages along river Orava
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)
on the gravel pit ponds near Párnica
Tufted Duck (Aythya fuligula)
1 male on the gravel pit ponds near Párnica
European Honey-buzzard (Pernis apivorus)
Quite common, but rarely seen, heard on 2 days
Eurasian Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus)
Common, but elusive, nests in pine and spruce trees, sometimes in small patches, 1 nest with 4 young
Northern Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis)
Uncommon and elusive, 1 nest with 3 young
Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo)
Abundant, often seen soaring, one of the birds harassing Golden Eagles high in the sky, 1 nest with 3 young
Lesser Spotted Eagle (Aquila pomarina)
Quite common but very elusive, several nests, no youngs (but not checked, due to nature protection reasons)
Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos)
Common. Showing well, almost every day, soars in pairs, several nests, all with only 1 young
Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus)
common
Eurasian Hobby (Falco subbuteo)
1 ind. seen flying in the buffer zone of the NP Malá Fatra; probably hunting over ponds near Párnica
Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus)
Uncommon, but an obvious bird over crags and steep cliffs
Hazel Grouse (Bonasa bonasia)
No sighting, but 2 beautiful located sites of dust bathing under high limestone cliffs near Terchová
Corn Crake (Crex crex)
A bad year for this normally very common but elusive bird, only 3 males heard calling on wide meadow on 700m asl
Eurasian Woodcock (Scolopax rusticola)
1 nest with 4 eggs on ground in Malá Fatra buffer zone
Caspian Gull (Larus cachinnans)
abundant along river Orava
Common Black-headed Gull (Larus ridibundus)
abundant along tributary of Orava river
Common Wood-Pigeon (Columba palumbus)
Common through-out
Eurasian Collared-Dove (Streptopelia decaocto)
Common in the small villages
Common Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus)
common, heard also in the middle of forest, if clearings nearby
Boreal Owl (Aegolius funereus)
1 sighting near Terchová, nest box with min. 4 youngs (could be well 7 youngs, but hard to estimate)
Common Swift (Apus apus)
abundant
White-backed Woodpecker (Dendrocopos leucotos)
1 female, calling for a while in Mala Fatra NP
Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major)
Not as common as expected, only 2 encounters
Three-toed Woodpecker (Picoides tridactylus)
Surprisingly uncommon, but a pair at the hole, young?
Black Woodpecker (Dryocopus martius)
Heard only occasionally
Red-backed Shrike (Lanius collurio)
Uncommon, nesting on several sites
Eurasian Jay (Garrulus glandarius)
Very common, more in the wide valleys and in orchards near villages
Black-billed Magpie (Pica pica)
Abundant in open country
Spotted Nutcracker (Nucifraga caryocatactes)
Common in the middle of mountainous forests, often heard calling, quite responsive
Hooded Crow (Corvus cornix)
abundant
Common Raven (Corvus corax)
Only 2 pairs heard & seen soaring
Eurasian Golden-Oriole (Oriolus oriolus)
Heard only, probably 1 ind.
Eurasian Skylark (Alauda arvensis)
Common in right habitat
Sand Martin (Riparia riparia)
Small flock near Parnica ponds
Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)
Abundant over villages
Northern House-Martin (Delichon urbica)
flock near Parnica ponds with swifts
Willow Tit (Poecile montanus)
only seen on Parnica ponds
Crested Tit (Lophophanes cristatus)
only 1 ind., calling in small spruce tree
Great Tit (Parus major)
abundant
Blue Tit (Cyanistes caeruleus)
Abundant, many family flocks
Wood Nuthatch (Sitta europaea)
heard in almost every deciduous tree forest
Winter Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes)
common
White-throated Dipper (Cinclus cinclus)
1 nesting in dried-up stream in High Tatras buffer zone
Goldcrest (Regulus regulus)
abundant
Icterine Warbler (Hippolais icterina)
Heard only, seems to be quite common
Willow Warbler (Phylloscopus trochilus)
in mountains near clearings, otherwise in open habitat in cliffs & gorges
Common Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita)
abundant
Wood Warbler (Phylloscopus sibilatrix)
Abundant, but only heard
Common Whitethroat (Sylvia communis)
Abundant in open countryside
Lesser Whitethroat (Sylvia curruca)
Common, heard only
Barred Warbler (Sylvia nisoria)
1 observation, found around Red-backed Shrike nesting site, reluctant to respond
Ring Ouzel (Turdus torquatus)
Several observations with calling ind.; by far not as common as in April
Eurasian Blackbird (Turdus merula)
abundant
Fieldfare (Turdus pilaris)
Abundant, espec. near villages
Song Thrush (Turdus philomelos)
Common, 1 young seen begging for food
Mistle Thrush (Turdus viscivorus)
Occasionally, mostly at dawn on meadows
European Robin (Erithacus rubecula)
common
Black Redstart (Phoenicurus ochruros)
Common in villages
Whinchat (Saxicola rubetra)
Only 1 observation on alpine meadows in buffer zone High Tatras
European Stonechat (Saxicola rubicola)
Quite common
Common Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)
abundant
Hedge Accentor (Prunella modularis)
Seldom seen, mostly during dusk and dawn
White Wagtail (Motacilla alba)
abundant
Grey Wagtail (Motacilla cinerea)
Common near streams
Tree Pipit (Anthus trivialis)
The common singer on meadows, on slopes of wide valleys
Water Pipit (Anthus spinoletta)
Abundant, song conspicuous not only on alpine meadows
Yellowhammer (Emberiza citrinella)
abundant
Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs)
Very common
European Serin (Serinus serinus)
abundant
European Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis)
common
Eurasian Bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula)
Only 1 observation, near forest clearing
Hawfinch (Coccothraustes coccothraustes)
Seen in flights, flight call characteristic
House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)
Abundant in villages & towns
Eurasian Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus)
Some in countryside, often near farming
In total 77 species of birds. Not bad for one week!