Herring Gull YBAJ @ Schiphol airport. September 29 2015, 11:50 AM

Some recent captures from Zwolle, The Netherlands (September 19 – 27)

Coal tit Periparus ater




Common sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos



Common snipe Gallinago gallinago

Big Brown Bird

 

A 1st calender year Great Reed Warbler Acrocephalus arundinaceus. Caught, ringed, measured and released today in the wetlands of Salreu (Portugal).

Aquatic warblers in Salreu

Aquatic warblers Acrocephalus paludicola are the rarest and the only internationally threatened passerine in mainland Europe. Apart from a very small remnant population in Western Siberia, its breeding grounds are completely confined to Europe. Drainage has meant that this species has declined. Its stronghold is now the south of Belarus, where 70% of the world's population breeds. This time of the year Aquatic warblers show up also in the wetlands of Salreu. These birds are on their way to Africa, where they spend the winter. They use the food rich marshes of Salreu to build up strength for the next part of their journey. JMN and I managed to ring two of these birds on September 4.




Typical Aquatic warbler habitat in Salreu: sedges and rice fields.

Reservoir Ducks II

The two freshwater ponds at the University of Aveiro are currently packed with ducks, of which many are still undergoing their annual moult. Among about 360 Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) at least 21 were carrying a nasal saddle, all of which could be read.




Also present were about nine Shovelers (Anas clypeata), one of which was marked. All of the marked ducks have previously been captured, marked and released at the Sao Jacinto dune reserve (David Rodrigues/www.pt-ducks.com).

As in the reserve, in these ponds the ducks should be relatively safe from hunting (the hunting season recently started, I believe starts September 6), but they’ll have to deal with regular disturbance by dogs and people (just as in the reserve..?).

A few photos from Austria: Graz & Vienna

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?).

The São Jacinto pack

During the past years I had a few close encounters with the pack of stray dogs that roams the dunes of São Jacinto. The presence of these dogs is likely causing problems for local wildlife, but as a dog owner I’m biased and must admit I’ve gotten fascinated by them. Here are reports of some of those encounters.






September 4, 2012 - In summer, when the water level of the ponds is lowest, the pack hunts on moulting ducks (which at that time are unable to fly), as well as any nesting waterbirds. The ducks try to find a safe place at the deepest part of the pond. The second dog from the right is the suspected alpha female.




March 7, 2014 – A confrontation with the alpha female and two of her pups in the dunes.








January 23, 2015 – At the beach, where they find and eat whatever ends up on the tide line (in particular beached animals). I assume the first black individual is one of the pups seen in 2014. Whether the other two on the first photo originate from the same litter remains unknown. On the second photo the suspected alpha male and female.






July 14, 2015 – The family patrols the pond again. A life any short-living Portuguese asylum dog would dream of? In the front the alpha male and female, in the back at least one of the youngest generation.