Switzerland 2024 (5 Viewers)

[bittern]

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

 

[Mcnswiss2]

Well done Mike! I noted several reports of the shrike..my next target bird!
I went to Flachsee and Still Ruess today with friends. My favourite place for Hobby, Great Reed Warbler, Purple Heron, Quail and Little Bittern.
The weather was great, even T shirt weather!
The birds turned up, some 60 Species including Great Reed and Common Reed Warblers, Cuckoos, Savi Warblers, Purple Heron, Black Winged Stilt, Spotted Redshank, Black Kites, Swifts, etc etc.
What a great day…get out there!

 

[Mcnswiss2]

As the weather was still good went site seeing to Schloss Hallwyl on the Hallwilersee.
Very attractive castle, interesting history and great little cafe!
The Castle is very close to an excellent Moos/ Swamp …the Seenger Moos.
Some 40 species seen or heard included Common Nightingale, Fieldfares, Garden Warblers, etc. I also picked up a penduline tit on my Merlin app.
The bird of the day for me was the Jackdaw. I find this bird fascinating and not that common in Switzerland.
Another great day out.

 

[jurek]

I also picked up a penduline tit on my Merlin app.

For me Merlin regularly picks birds which I am certain are not in the area and not called - recently Grey Wagtail in the middle of the forest and American Pipit in Basel. Merlin recently progressed to 'helps more than wastes your time' but still needs to be treated with a grain of salt.

 

[pixelpieper]

Haven‘t checked Ornitho for a few days and only noticed the strange looking Gull when packing up my stuff after sunset - there is my picture of audouins gull which I would have nearly missed

View attachment DSC_9731.jpeg

 

[Frank van Drogen]

I hadn't seen a Willow Warbler in Switzerland this year, and having a bit of spare time before going into work this morning, I figured I could spend some time around the Kaferberg looking for one. I used my bins and Merlin; and must have seen 50+ Chiffchaffs before seeing a bird that looked slightly different, especially more white at the breast.... It moved around a fair bit before singing: got a Wood Warbler according to Merlin (and features are consistent with that).

Definitely a new species for the year, but still no Willow Warbler
----
Also got very nice views of a Cuckoo and a Little Grebe at the Katzensee/Bussisee this afternoon. Happy day

 

[bittern]

I hadn't seen a Willow Warbler in Switzerland this year, and having a bit of spare time before going into work this morning, I figured I could spend some time around the Kaferberg looking for one. I used my bins and Merlin; and must have seen 50+ Chiffchaffs before seeing a bird that looked slightly different, especially more white at the breast.... It moved around a fair bit before singing: got a Wood Warbler according to Merlin (and features are consistent with that).

Definitely a new species for the year, but still no Willow Warbler
----
Also got very nice views of a Cuckoo and a Little Grebe at the Katzensee/Bussisee this afternoon. Happy day

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 detect easy species that are loud and easily detected by the human ear, like Nightingale!

Cheers,
Mike

 

[Frank van Drogen]

Sometimes it doesn't manage to detect easy species that are loud and easily detected by the human ear, like Nightingale!

Ah, that's another species I didn't get yet for my Swiss list this year.

I did get a surprising addition this morning though. A rather light coloured Wryneck on a somewhat freshly cut lawn on campus at ETH this morning. I tried to check on Ornitho.ch if there are more observations in the Zurich region, but Ornito.ch seems to be down atm.

 

[bittern]

Ah, that's another species I didn't get yet for my Swiss list this year.

I did get a surprising addition this morning though. A rather light coloured Wryneck on a somewhat freshly cut lawn on campus at ETH this morning. I tried to check on Ornitho.ch if there are more observations in the Zurich region, but Ornito.ch seems to be down atm.

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 detect in early April.

What we don't get are migrating waders, there is some talk of creating a flooded field as in Yverdon but I have doubts that it will ever happen.

Mike

 

[Mcnswiss2]

Bird of the day…..Collard Pratincole.
I love this bird..reported at La Sauge.
( my photos from Mallorca)