10,000 Birds

JUNE 17, 2021

Also, it is a part of the international ecological corridor and the “Confluence of the Sava and the Danube Rivers” Important Bird Area (IBA), already proposed for a nature reserve by the Government’s Institute for the Protection of Nature of Serbia. It is a spacious floodplain between the River Danube and the levee, 2.1

Serbia 274

Serbia Boars Deer Otters 274

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 10, 2020

Last month, I birded my favourite local patch, Beljarica – the best eBird hotspot in Belgrade city and the 3rd best in Serbia – four times. but because this large spillway protects the city from flooding. Before I start, my readers are already asking themselves why are they familiar with the name of this locality? Photo: VICE.

Serbia 267

Serbia Boars Otters Birds 267

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 24, 2015

Worried by the lack of appropriate action by the authorities (as described in the previous post ), this year I invited two more wildlife protection organisations to take part in the annual census of Pygmy Cormorants in Belgrade. “The Pygmy Cormorant is a strictly protected bird species in Serbia, as well as in the European Union. .

Serbia 180

Serbia Protection Europe 2007 180

10,000 Birds

APRIL 9, 2020

Part of the Labudovo okno Ramsar Wetland and protected within the Deliblato Sands Special Nature Reserve , this section of the Danube, downriver from Belgrade, Serbia, is unique for its wide shallows, before the river narrows downstream from the village of Ram. eBird list of the recorded species. Dupljaja area. Vracev Gaj area.

Mali 264

Mali Serbia Eagles Turtles 264

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 1, 2016

The majority are clearly Mallards , followed by Garganeys , with one and possibly more Green-winged Teals , also Ferruginous Ducks … Surprises among them are one Common Shelduck , a species that most likely breeds some 15 mi from here (and my first shelduck of the year) and an even greater surprise: two Eurasian Wigeons.

Serbia 164

Serbia Eagles Protection Boars 164

10,000 Birds

MARCH 25, 2021

And, some time later, during the final stages of the bird-atlassing work, computer models of Serbian ranges for some 150 bird species were produced for the first time ever: Some bias was created because of the large data set from Belgrade and environs where the majority of active eBirders live. The consequences were amusing.

Europe 264

Europe Denmark Breeding Russia 264

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. Reva Pond was my favourite local patch until, a few years back, construction works started there.

Otters 260

Otters Protesters Protest Protesting 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. Up to the mid-20th century, Pygmy Cormorants were a common breeding species of wetlands around Belgrade… until the wetlands were drained and the birds were lost, at one moment – from the whole of Serbia.

Serbia 191

Serbia Legislation Protection Europe 191

10,000 Birds

MARCH 26, 2020

LABUDOVO OKNO Ramsar Site and an Important Bird Area represents a section of the Danube floodplain downriver from Belgrade, Serbia, and situated in the south of the Deliblato Sands Special Nature Reserve. Dubovacki Rit (Dubovac Wetland) is a part of the Labudovo okno Ramsar Wetland and protected within the Deliblato Sands Reserve.

Turtles 167

Turtles 2002 Serbia Eagles 167

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

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. Kozara backwaters.

Serbia 239

Serbia Stray Dog Botswana Protection 239

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

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

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 Ukraine Europe Birds 166

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 Fish Boars Birds 264

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 3, 2019

eBird doesn’t offer such an option, so I used the second best: the species was observed in one month only. The next specialty is the Red-footed Falcon in the Deliblato Sands Nature Reserve in the east of Serbia: “Two European Rollers await us on the wires, while one Eurasian Hoopoe flies by. No, they weren’t in raspberry fields.)”.

2018 117

2018 Serbia Greece Falcons 117

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 Hungary Eagles 119

10,000 Birds

MARCH 19, 2015

I haven’t increased my life or country list, only my city list for one species (I don’t even know which one). Still, six years ago I nominated that central Belgrade zone for an Important Bird Area – some parts of it should become protected any time soon and all the data that can further strengthen that protection is welcome.

Serbia 209

Serbia ALA Protection Collecting 209

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 8, 2016

How many species have I observed this year? Oddly, in 1936 this mountain was declared a national park, the first in Serbia, but in 1946 it was stripped of its title and got a lower protection status, further confirmed in 2007. The malicious eBird answers: only 186! Yes, I know, I’ll reach 190, but 200? What have I missed?

Woodpeckers 241

Woodpeckers Serbia 2007 Ducks 241

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 20, 2014

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. The world record holder is the town of Kikinda, further north, with 700 birds in their town square which has recently become an officially protected owl habitat – a small, urban nature reserve.

Serbia 238

Serbia Owls Rodents India 238

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 10, 2022

And used the opportunity to send an open letter to the City Mayor, enquiring about his still-unfulfilled promise of this particular area finally becoming protected. Basically, the answer cleared that the protection of the wider Beljarica was upgraded from the city to the state and international level, and will, supposedly, be official soon.

Otters 257

Otters Croatia Eagles Protection 257

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 3, 2013

But, from the existing data, the authors have drawn a different conclusion – there is no proof that the breeding population ever existed, that the south of Africa was beyond the species range and that that all observations were of vagrant individuals. During my lifetime, this species was rare in my native Serbia, too.

Sudan 223

Sudan Macedonia Botswana Serbia 223

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 Lions Horses 189

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. Serbia, the Bradt Travel Guide by Laurence Mitchell, 4th edition, 2013 (offers extensive coverage of birding sites by yours truly). So, yes – it is possible, but by no means easy. Milovanovic and M.

Serbia 186

Serbia Turtles Romania Eagles 186

10,000 Birds

JULY 21, 2016

The gamekeeper drives by, I wave my greetings but do not mention the jackals I am observing at the moment: this animal is not protected in Serbia and is allowed for killing year-round (one may say “hunting” instead, but I am having problems trying to spot the difference).

Sheep 127

Sheep Serbia Eagles Mammals 127

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 Eagles 2017 Otters 204

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 4, 2016

I know that you believe that Serbia is a land-locked country, but Belgrade city was actually built on an island in the sea. The next tract of rolling sand dunes grassland is to be found at the eastern edge of the Sands, in the recently protected Karas-Nera nature reserve (cover photo). But first, where did all that sand came from?

Sheep 122

Sheep Turtles Squirrels Europe 122

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

AUGUST 31, 2017

Bank Swallow) holes, among 60+ other bird species. A narrow bluff-top buffer zone is also protected. And the answer is yes, there are dozens of European Bee-eater and Sand Martin (a.k.a. Today, there were maybe 50 Sand Martins flying over me, but it took me a while to ID them. As I was trying to get closer, it flew further away.

Serbia 116

Serbia Breeding Feral Woodpeckers 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.

Greece 231

Greece Malta Croatia Italy 231

10,000 Birds

JUNE 6, 2020

The potential for contagion through clicking on links has long been acknowledged and with a desire to protect our precious readers, the links have been discontinued. 7 beats contributed their sightings from 7 countries (Hong Kong, UK, China, USA, Serbia, Australia and, of course, Costa Rica).

2020 152

2020 Niger Sparrows Woodpeckers 152

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 22, 2016

Out of just under 200 bird species I observed this year in SE Europe, there are 6 threatened species. point to just one problem source, one over-abundant and highly invasive species – Homo sapiens. point to just one problem source, one over-abundant and highly invasive species – Homo sapiens.

Montenegro 200

Montenegro Serbia Greece Bulgaria 200

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 143

Hungary Serbia Austria Eggs 143