USA, summer '24 - Maine

Bonaparte's (above) and Laughing Gulls

Just back at the western Mass homestead after a fine few days in coastal Maine staying with our dear friends Kate, George and Indigo - lots of coastal adventures (swimming, hiking, sailing, running, ice-cream) and good times. 

Fledgling (above) and parent (below) Dark-eyed Juncos

American Red Squirrel, Belted Kingfisher

USA, summer '24 - garden Bluebirds

We're back 'home' here in New England for a few weeks, spending quality time with family and friends before a hectic autumn begins back in Yorkshire; while it's pretty much the least birdy time of year to visit, this being the US, there's still lots to enjoy.

The garden of the family homestead here in Western Massachusetts is small but always entertaining, and there's already been plenty to appreciate while sipping coffee on the porch. Local breeding birds include these Eastern Bluebirds, which (as illustrated) have several hungry chicks, which are being expertly catered for by both parents.

(above - a local fledgling from a few doors down)

Transylvania, May '24 (7)

 

A final post from our wonderful Transylvania adventure back in May, which I was fortunate to guide for Yorkshire Coast Nature - ten days of birds, bears, beautiful landscapes and warm, traditional hospitality.

For our final two nights, we were way out in the sticks of central Transylvania, in a 16th century lodge (above and below) surrounded by forests and rolling green hills... birds everywhere, including owls - most notably, the Ural Owl in the clip at the top of the post, which I picked up thanks to my Zeiss thermal imager; we'd heard it loud and clear, but we'd have missed it otherwise, and I was able to track it to a branch where everyone got great views.

Our final adventure involved a drive and then a cable car up to the sunny, hot, snow-patched summit of Cota 2000 Sinaia, where we'd great forest birding on the way up and down (including singing alpestris Ring Ouzels and Goshawks), and plenty of target breeding species at the top, including Shorelarks, Water Pipits and Wheatears.

Alpestris Ring Ouzel belting it out in the southern Carpathians today on our @YCNature #Transylvania tour 😍 pic.twitter.com/5XDqlauPE1

— Mark James Pearson (@Markthebirder) May 10, 2024

Thanks to Bobi from Milvus for a great co-guiding experience - looking forward to next time! 

Transylvania, May '24 - Bears!

With our trip being marketed as 'Birds and Bears', it would've been a little remiss if we'd not rendezvoused with a least one during our time in Transylvania.... as it happened we watched 13 (!) - including mums and cubs of various ages, and rogue males and females (lots of drama....) - and as you can see from the photos, the experience was unforgettable.

Several metres away from us for over well an hour, exhibiting all manner of behaviour and tomfoolery, in true Transylvanian forest wilderness. Perfect!

Transylvania, May '24 (5) - Carpathian Delta

Another great day in the south of the region involved a leisurely meander around Dumravita fishponds, otherwise known as the Carpathian Delta. With next to no disturbance and many of the ponds in a (fantastically) unkempt state, the place was absolutely brimming with birds.

Highlights included breeding Little Bitterns, Squacco Herons and Black-crowned Night-herons, great views of White-tailed Eagle on the deck, reedbeds and scrub full of warblers, Bee-eaters, lots of Caspian Gulls, two Ruff among small number of waders, Honey-buzzards, five species of woodpecker and Hawfinches in the nearby woods, and lots more - but the dramatic thunderstorms provided the show-stealer....

... in the shape of over 300 marsh terns, which dropped out of the ether en masse (against a background of mountains and flashing lightning) and proceeded to murmurate over the ponds right in front of us.

330 Black, four White-winged and two Whiskered shimmied and swirled for a good half-hour, before deciding the conditions had improved enough to move on - and suddenly they had, as quickly as they'd arrived. A breathtaking migration spectacle!