10,000 Birds

AUGUST 6, 2015

Twenty years ago, flocks consisting of a thousand European Turtle Doves were a common sight in Serbia in spring. As we speak, in Serbia these birds are still hunted in August and September. Turtle Doves have been declining in Europe since the 1970s, and in this century alone, the continent has lost 40% of its population of the species.

Serbia 270

Serbia Slaughtered Slaughter Turtles 270

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 13, 2020

In the chill morning of late January, I am driving east of Belgrade towards the Two Towers section of the Danube and the best waterfowling bonanza in the whole of Serbia. Actually, I visited the Two Towers twice, had about 50 bird species each time and about 60 in total, so this is sort of a composite tour description.

Serbia 264

Serbia Geese Eagles Louisiana 264

10,000 Birds

JULY 24, 2014

With binoculars around my neck, I am leaving home, wondering which will be the first species on my year list. The explanation said: „dovecote – fresh meat in case of siege“. It is not impossible that in my native Serbia (perhaps neighbouring countries too) we may not have any genetically clean populations of Columba livia livia left.

Feral 252

Feral Meat Species Serbia 252

10,000 Birds

JULY 4, 2023

” Writing about owls means writing about roughly 250 species (I counted 245 on the 2022 Clements spreadsheet, but I might have missed a few, and we all know that each classification system is different). These are behaviors that are most likely to vary across species and topics that make for compelling stories.

Owls 202

Owls Science Barn Owls Penguins 202

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 9, 2014

It breeds in Greenland, Iceland and Svalbard and overwinters (singly and at mountain top hot springs – if Hollywood is to be trusted) along the coasts of northern Europe. In my native Serbia, I’ve observed this species in winter only once, while here in East Anglia every site held one. Nearby Cantley Marshes were the next stop.

Geese 200

Geese Barn Owls Serbia Sheep 200