10,000 Birds

JULY 10, 2014

Consequently, my first local patch becomes a largish Danube River floodzone opposite to Belgrade (Serbia) city centre (cover photo: April 1992). With about 110 recorded species, the Kozara becomes truly magical place when the Danube swells and reclaims what is rightfully his. armed with binoculars only?), Kozara backwaters.

Serbia 240

Serbia Stray Dog Protection Botswana 240

10,000 Birds

JUNE 3, 2021

Not just mine, but all the most active birders of Belgrade, Serbia, were visiting this site at least 2-3 times a month: it is so conveniently close to the city, and even reachable by the city bus 108. Personally I wasn’t happy, but I do not live there and do not have a septic tank in my backyard, so I felt that I had no right to complain.

Otters 260

Otters Protest Protesting Protesters 260

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 11, 2014

The night temperatures in Belgrade, Serbia, were already below minus 10 Celsius / 14 degrees Fahrenheit for two weeks. And asking yourself the right question is more than half the way towards the answer. Large windows and unobstructed views of the river are a criterion for the right observation point. Or wiser, perhaps?

Serbia 192

Serbia Protection Legislation Europe 192

10,000 Birds

APRIL 16, 2015

I am parked at the bridge over the Reva Pond in the suburb of Belgrade, Serbia, mere 150 metres away from the nearest buildings behind me, but facing the fascinating undeveloped 1.2 In that first year, about 95 bird species were recorded here, not to mention the Otter, listed as the Near Threatened species in the IUCN Red List.

Otters 175

Otters Serbia Fish Mammals 175

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 20, 2015

This map shows the distribution of the World’s bird species, based on overlying the breeding and wintering ranges of all known species. I used to live in Botswana, where there are about 450 bird species in an area a few dozen miles from the capital; then somewhat naively moved back to Serbia with mere 250 species around the capital.

Sri Lanka 257

Sri Lanka Botswana Africa Serbia 257

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 19, 2015

The city of Belgrade, Serbia, has about 1.7 Less than two years ago, I wrote here how I found the 4th GBBG for Serbia. When you count some 40,000 gulls of four species and find the fifth or the sixth species among them, represented by only one individual – that one becomes the most interesting. For the day, at least.

Serbia 166

Serbia Birds Ukraine Europe 166

10,000 Birds

JULY 6, 2017

While Serbia claims to strive towards the EU membership, it is back to the Chinese credit and Chinese environmental standards. Annex II of the Bern Convention lists 45 of Beljarica’s bird species, with a further 91 species in Annex III. Finally, 24 species in Annex I of the EU Bird Directive were recorded in this area.

Eagles 165

Eagles Campaign Otters Serbia 165

10,000 Birds

JULY 5, 2018

As you know, I started to bird from a canoe, exploring the Danube backwaters in Belgrade, Serbia. It is a fascinating world of swampy forests of willow and poplar, inhabited by Black Storks , White-tailed Eagles , Eastern Olivaceous and Icterine Warblers (above), among more than 200 other species. Nevertheless, Nagy was right.

Beavers 119

Beavers Serbia Eagles Hungary 119

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 20, 2014

The first stop of the morning: young White–tailed Eagle , right next to the road and several dozen Rooks around. I observed this species in the Little Rann of Kutch in India and since then, have been burning with desire to see them back home. Birding city birds Europe owls Serbia' Long-eared Owls are irresistibly cute.

Serbia 238

Serbia Owls Rodents Eagles 238

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 2, 2014

Even among the protected areas of Serbia, the Iron Gates National Park (in Serbian: Djerdap) stands out as better preserved. Go right after the bridge with bright red railings and follow the international Danube cycling route sign for the Kladovo and the Donji Milanovac. So, yes – it is possible, but by no means easy.

Serbia 186

Serbia Turtles Birds Eagles 186

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 26, 2015

No, I took a paddle and discovered the Danube backwaters (cover photo: 1995), the very same area I am fighting to protect now, but the Government, it seems, has an interested investor… Seeing the most valuable habitats disappearing in front of our eyes, environmentalists are quite prone to depression, but that is another story.

Serbia 189

Serbia Bosnia Research Lions 189

10,000 Birds

JULY 21, 2016

One raft of 20+ Mallards swims by the bank, right in front of jackals, careless like if they were just two sheep! All this happens less than a mile from the nearest houses. They are sitting in the wet grass at the edge of the water, observing the bird movements around them.

Serbia 127

Serbia Sheep Birds Eagles 127

10,000 Birds

MAY 26, 2016

Inside the IBA borders I observed some 163 species – about 70 percent of the estimated number of expectable species. On my section of the Danube several species reach their national thresholds, but the most important numbers are those of Pygmy Cormorants. The tricky part of the IBA process is trying to protect it.

Protection 119

Protection Eagles Jamaica Farming 119

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 11, 2018

“I would certainly recommend Serbia to visiting birders. I chalked up 132 species in a pretty relaxed eight days, during which birds shared the agenda with culture. With 154 eBirded species almost single-handedly spotted by the UK expat Geoff Laight, the Paljuvi is the latest addition to the top-5 list. eBird bar chart. #4

Serbia 155

Serbia Birds Farming Bulgaria 155

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 31, 2017

Bank Swallow) holes, among 60+ other bird species. You can hear its song in spring, but even then, it is a rare privilege to have one posing at the very ends of willow branches right next to one’s car. A narrow bluff-top buffer zone is also protected. In the Bird Identification guide, it is deservedly described as an introvert.

Serbia 116

Serbia Breeding Woodpeckers Sparrows 116

10,000 Birds

MAY 1, 2014

A range of hills protects the cove from the eastern wind, yet, the bushes are swaying in the rythm of it. Nick finds a bird-shaped protrusion at the top of the rock – Black-eared Wheatear , not exactly a species I expect to observe from a boat deck. The Sun already sets and I haven’t seen a new species in a while. diomedea ).

Greece 232

Greece Malta Croatia Birds 232

10,000 Birds

JULY 29, 2021

The very best wetland birding around Belgrade, Serbia, is not to be found in the locally famous and tourist-promoted Obedska or Carska Bara Ramsar areas, but at Beljarica Backwaters and the fish farm triangle of Centa, Baranda and Sakule villages, in the Tamis River floodplain. mi, to the Vrbovski turnoff.

Farming 264

Farming Birds Fish Boars 264

10,000 Birds

JUNE 8, 2017

Shallows provide an ideal spawning ground for almost 50 fish species and submerged islands breeding ground for more than 100 bird species. Beside several well-showing Red-backed Shrikes , the highlight was one uncommon Lesser Grey Shrike (highly localized ** , with only 700 to 1000 breeding pairs in Serbia).

Romania 119

Romania Serbia Turtles Blackbirds 119

10,000 Birds

APRIL 27, 2017

I am a birder and I can claim that out of Serbia’s total of 350+ bird species, highly urbanised inner city areas of Belgrade hold almost 100 birds, while the outskirts have more than 200 species. eBird says that, at the time of writing (April 2017), there are some ten hotspots that have crossed the 100 bird species mark.

Birds 204

Birds 2017 Eagles Otters 204

10,000 Birds

MARCH 1, 2018

Yet, it takes great logistical effort to organize the census all the way from Germany to Austria, Hungary and Serbia in the same day, to count on numerous volunteers and hope for the best February weather. The idea behind is simple, some birds may move and if counted within a week or a month, double counting is almost guaranteed.

Hungary 144

Hungary Serbia Austria Eggs 144