I recently returned from eastern Austria, where I spent a few weeks in and around Graz, as well as a weekend in Vienna. The trip turned out to be more of the cultural type, largely due to a heat wave that coincided with my stay and resulted in record temperatures. This made it difficult to spend a lot of time outdoors.
Climbing the steps of the ‘Bärenschützklamm Gorge’ in Mixnitz (30 minutes from Graz by train). This monumental ravine has been made accessible to the public by a long series of wooden staircases. At the end cold beer is being served at the cozy ‘Almgasthof Zum Guten Hirten’. But then you'll still have to walk back.
With the beer came several Red Crossbills (Loxia curvirostra), here a female (I assume) (photo by Fabi).
Lurgrotte Peggau: Austria’s largest dripstone and water flowing cave. The temperature inside is a constant 10 C° and humidity 97-98%. Very nice! (photo by Fabi).
A view over Graz from the Schloßberg, a tree-clad hill in the city center and the site of a former fortress. On the right the Mur can be seen, a fast flowing river that runs through the city, providing some coolness to the scorching streets. Graz is surrounded by mountains, so there’s very little wind to provide some comfort there.
The Open Air Museum Stübing: in an idyllic setting you can find out about regionally typical ways of construction, tools and life in the old days. This saw mill runs on 100% carbon footprint neutral water power. What a great invention... (photo by Fabi).
A not so great invention...
Hooded crows (Corvus cornix) are common birds in this part of the world. They are very similar in morphology and habits to the Carrion Crow (Corvus corone). Hybridization is observed where their ranges overlap. Whether these are geographical races of one species, or whether they deserve a full species status, seems still to be subject to debate (https://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/2014/07/24/a-tale-of-two-crows/).
I suspect eastern Austria makes up part of the hybridization zone, as both types of crows can be observed there, as well as hybrids between the two. In the two cities that were visited Hooded Crows however, were most abundant (like here in Vienna). Back in The Netherlands I’m used to seeing only a few of these Hooded Crows annually for the most, often during the colder winters. It was strange to observe them during a heat wave. Why they don't take their jackets off?
In Vienna, the ‘Naturhistorisches Museum’ (Museum of Natural History) is well worth a visit. Their extensive collection of rocks, stones and minerals is impressive. This is just one of several rooms entirely filled up with bizarre looking candy.
The museum’s bird collection is also interesting. However, these stuffed individuals did not make up for the rather disappointing number of species seen by me in and around the cities during my stay (only 41 species; was it really the heat?).
