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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

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  1. bittern

    Switzerland 2024

    Plenty of both around Geneva, a person doing a count of Nightingales around one site noted 40 singing males. There are singing Golden Orioles in most of the woods around here with tall trees. The Bee-eaters are present in force now as well. We also had an influx of birders from the Zurich area...
  2. bittern

    Switzerland 2024

    Well there are literally hundreds of Nightingales singing loudly around Geneva at the moment, the problem is that they are so loud that it is tough detecting singing warblers that should be arriving! Quite a lot of Wryneck here but they have pretty well stopped singing, they are much easier to...
  3. bittern

    Switzerland 2024

    It took me until yesterday to get good views of a Willow Warbler, they seem to have been in short supply this year. I agree that Merlin can sometimes produce "surprising" results and shouldn't be depended on as the only means by which a species is identified. Sometimes it doesn't manage to...
  4. bittern

    Switzerland 2024

    Forgetting the Spotted Sandpiper, there has also been a big influx of spring migrants in the last couple of days, I saw 6 Red-backed Shrike this morning as well as 8 Northern Wheatears and a couple of Winchats. Mike
  5. bittern

    Switzerland 2024

    A Spotted Sandpiper has just been found at the Verbois dam, this one is wearing its summer spots. It would be really interesting to know whether this is the same bird that spent several month on the lakeside by the WTO. Mike
  6. bittern

    Switzerland 2024

    There was also an early Whiskered Tern at Verbois (GE) the other day and a Savi's Warbler is still present at Sionnet. Several Hoopoes have also been seen in the last few days. Mike
  7. bittern

    Switzerland 2024

    There are still two long staying female Greater Scaup in Geneva, close by the Jet d'Eau! Mike
  8. bittern

    Switzerland 2023

    It's not so much the million Brambling but the tens of raptors waiting for them to arrive. Many years ago there was a flock of Brambling in the Jura reputed to be 5 or 6 million strong. The numbers of Sparrowhawks, Goshawks and Peregrines were quite extraordinary. Mike
  9. bittern

    Switzerland 2023

    The Spotted Sandpiper is still present by the lakeside in the Perle du Lac area in Geneva.
  10. bittern

    Interesting aspects of birding culture in non-Anglosphere countries?

    I was also going to recommend Géroudet for his evocative language. Reading his descriptions one can imagine oneself in exactly the environment where one can find the bird. Unfortunately I think that most of his books are out of print, the earliest were published in the 1950s and 60s, but he...
  11. bittern

    Switzerland 2023

    Unfortunately the Surf Scoter could not be refound today, we spent much time in the cold looking but only a Velvet Scoter was found. The Spotted Sandpiper was in the usual area however on the opposite side of the lake. Mike
  12. bittern

    Switzerland 2023

    In addition Sempach talks about 2'800 to 3'500 breeding pairs, which is about 10% of the world's population. There are roosts that are controlled. Mike
  13. bittern

    Switzerland 2023

    The Surf Scoter was showing very well this morning and I guess that Geneva will be seeing some visitors from beyond the Sarine:) Mike
  14. bittern

    Switzerland 2023

    I finally had excellent views of the Spotted Sandpiper this morning, the bird is not shy and put on quite a performance. A single Turnstone remaining from the original group of three was present this morning at Pâquis and on the opposite side of the lake we managed to get some rather poor views...
  15. bittern

    Switzerland 2023

    A Spotted Sandpiper was found (refound!) in Geneva today. It had apparently been on the lake side since then end of October if not earlier. Mike
  16. bittern

    Common Scoter Lake Geneva

    A female Common Scoter is with a group of Great Crested Grebes on the lake in Geneva, opposite the WTO. Pretty rare here compared with Velvet Scoter. Mike
  17. bittern

    Switzerland 2023

    By the way one was reported yesterday at Perle du Lac, a Geneva city park by the lakeside, it departed in the direction of Pregny. A very strange place for a SEO! Mike
  18. bittern

    Switzerland 2023

    And not forgetting the Little Bustard that sadly only stayed a couple of days.
  19. bittern

    Switzerland 2023

    The European Roller is still present in Russin near Geneva and I saw it again this morning close to the railway station hunting in a field and displaying its magnificent blue wings. As it is a first year bird everything else is rather muted. Mike
  20. bittern

    Switzerland 2023

    The Little Bustard is still present and showing well once it had been found again this morning. Birders present from many parts of Switzerland and local areas of France. Mike
  21. bittern

    Switzerland 2023

    There appears to be just the beginning of a Roller influx in SW Switzerland. Hopefully it might equal that of autumn 2022. Mike
  22. bittern

    Switzerland 2023

    14 Pygmy Cormorants are now present at Verbois (GE) on the lake above the dam. A nice life bird for me:) Mike
  23. bittern

    Switzerland 2023

    It certainly has already started for early migrating species. At the migration counting site of Chevrier which is about 20km south of Geneva migration is well under way: 15926 Common Swifts 4821 Black Kites 2551 Barn Swallows 28 White Storks (a single groups yesterday) Cheers, Mike
  24. bittern

    Switzerland 2023

    There seem to be far less Black Kites in Geneva in recent days, I bet they don't hang around in Spain on their way back to West Africa with temperatures in the 40s!
  25. bittern

    Ghana November December 2023

    Yes you are right about Egyptian Plover, I did that with a guide + car, great sightings and remarkably tame as one of the pair was on a beach surrounded by kids playing in the water while the other watched from the other side of the river. Mike
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