Slovakia Sept/Oct 2021
- Bob Croxton
- Oct 18, 2021
- 5 min read
Updated: Dec 8, 2024
Saturday 27 September
Arrived at Bratislava at 10:00 pm from Manchester, then drove the 50 miles to my base at Sokolovce.
Birds underlined are the first one of each species for the trip.
Sunday 26 September 2021
Svrbice a walk along the farm track to the SE of the village.
Starling, 11 Roe Deer, Linnet, Goldfinch, Jay, Black Redstart, Yellowhammer, Peacock Butterfly, Pheasant.
Orešany Airstrip
Collared Dove, many Black Redstart, Kestrel, Buzzards galore, Crested Lark, Grey Heron, White Wagtail.
Sokolovce/River Vah
Great White Egret, Little Egret, Grey Wagtail, Praying Mantis, Small Heath, Large White, Clouded Yellow sp. Not going to try and determine between Clouded Yellow, Pale Clouded Yellow or Berger’s Clouded Yellow, unless photographed, due to similarities.
About
Great Tit, Rook, House Sparrow.
Monday 27 September
Madunice/Drahovce Fishponds
Blue Tit, Song Thrush, Wood Pigeon, Great Spotted Woodpeckers.
Woodland puddle Chiffchaff, 5 Blackcap, Hawfinch, Chaffinch, Blackbird, Common Blue butterfly, Painted Lady, Robin, Long-tailed Tits (White-headed form).
River Vah
White-tailed Eagle
Hlohovec Fishponds
Marsh Tit, Long-tailed Tits (West Europe form with yellow eyelids) Red Admiral.
About
Jackdaw.
Tuesday 28 September
Voda Budmerice
Coot, Great Crested Grebe, Pochard, Tree Sparrow, Gadwall, Kingfisher, Black-headed Gull, Common Sandpiper, Small flock of Serin, Cormorant.
Reservoir next to Šoporňa
Flock of Lapwing, Pygmy Cormorant, Small Copper.
Wednesday 29 September
Spent the morning visiting the small reservoirs at the villages below, mostly low numbers of wildfowl.
Lukáčovce
Little Grebe
Malé Zálužie
GW Egret, Black Redstart.
Veľké Ripňany
Marsh Harrier
Reservoir between Pohostinstvo u Krta and Lužany
Very Quiet.
Svrbice
Great Grey Shrike on the same overhead wire as previous years.
Koplotovce
Moorhen
Sokolovce
At dusk went to have a walk along the Oxbow to the SW of the village to look for bats. Bats recorded Common Pipistrelle, Soprano Pipistrelle and Noctule Bat. A large mammal swam across the Oxbow in the dark, but identification could not be confirmed. Otter and Beaver (I have found felled trees nearby) are present, but I understand Coypu are very common.
About Hooded Crow
Thursday 30 September
Chtelnica spent the morning exploring the woodlands above this village.
Nuthatch and 3 fairly approachable Fallow Deer.
Friday 1 October travelled NE to spend two nights at Turčianske Teplice
Near Vrícko
Raven, Coal Tit.
Dubové followed a narrow tarmac road through open forest.
Stonechat, probable Wild Cat videoed from the rear had the classic tail of this species and was well away from any urban areas.
Saturday 2 October
Dubové early morning
Fieldfare
Turčianske Teplice
40 plus Raven including a few dive-bombing some Roe Deer crossing a field.
Midday went for a long walk-through forest at the top of mountain pass to the SE of Turčianske Teplice. Birds were few but some Wild Boar poo was found on the track.
Sunday 3 October
Dubové early morning
Red Deer, a party of several Wild Boar of various sizes ran across the road, Sparrowhawk, lots of Chaffinch.
Late afternoon travelled to the upland village of Strelníky next to Palana National Park to spend 4 nights.
Monday 4 October
Strelníky
Marsh Tits. A small Smooth Snake was found on a minor road, it was very docile and did not seem to be injured (The following day it had been squashed!). Green Woodpecker, Nuthatch, Mistle Thrush. Lots of butterflies in the upland meadows Red Admiral, Peacock, Comma, Large White. Clouded Yellow Sp. An afternoon walk high into the hills above Povrazník, found me following an unmarked path into woodland to reach a summit. I then came across what from the photo, seems to be Brown Bear poo, the path then petered out, so I made a hasty retreat back to the meadows. Brown Argus.
Tuesday 5 October
Strelníky
Walked several miles though high Spruce and Beech Forest, only to be unable to find a marked footpath down to the town of Ľubietová. This meant me retracing my steps and walking an extra 5 miles to get to my designation. Then caught a bus back up the mountain to Strelníky. Very few birds seen on the walk other than passing Jays and Ravens, despite the remoteness. A number of forestry workers approached me, interested in my camera and were taken aback at me being English. Very friendly though! A large beast came crashing out of some scrub behind me, making me jump somewhat. It was only a Red Deer! There should be bears, Lynx and Wolfs up here, evidenced by the size of the dogs guarding the sheep. Bullfinch. Wren. Small Tortoiseshell.
Fallow Deer - Red Deer - Roe Deer
Wild Boar - Smooth Snake
Fire Salamander - Preying Mantis
Wednesday 6 October
Strelníky
A rare wet day. Morning walk through forest found only Blackbird and Wren. A visit to the Co-op in Ľubietová found Dippers on the stream through the town. Heavy rain until 1600 saw me stuck in my apartment watching House Sparrow, Blackbird, Starling and Black Redstarts from the window. Around 4:00 pm the rain eased, so I caught a bus to Povrazník where it seemed every other house had a Black Redstart on the roof. On the walk back to Strelníky lots of Chaffinch, Goldfinch and fair numbers of Yellowhammer. The wet conditions brought out a superb Fire Salamander.
Thursday 7 October.
Strelníky
Early morning walk found little other than two fairly approachable Red Deer. Then drove back to Sokolovce. On the drive, little other than a distant Meadow Pipit on a line.
Friday 8 October
Sokolovce
Good morning for birds. Adult White-tailed Eagle, large finch flock mainly Chaffinch with lots of Goldfinch, a few Hawfinch and at least one Brambling. Good numbers of migrants mostly Chiffchaff with Blackcap, Black Redstart and Willow Warbler. Middle Spotted Woodpecker.
Koplotovce
Quiet for birds, but good for butterflies. Constant stream of Clouded Yellow species south. Queen of Spain Fritillary.
Saturday 9 October
Orešany Airfield could not be accessed due to tractors loading sugar beet.
Svrbice
Great Grey Shrike, Tree Sparrows, fall of Black Redstart along the farm track.
Sokolovice
While driving through the industrial estate a female Grey-headed Woodpecker landed on a roof.
A large flock of Redpol species were around the old oxbow, but very flighty and would not allow a close approach.
Sunday 10 October
Orešany Airfield & Manure Dump
Numerous Buzzards most on the ground, plus Crested Lark, Black Redstart, Grey Wagtail and Greenfinch.
Monday 11 October
Koplotovce
Great Grey Shrike, Hawfinch, Green Sandpiper, a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker came out of some Common Reeds with a tit flock!
Tuesday 12 October
Last day ended with a drive down to the SW corner of Slovakia bordering Austria. Stopped at a number of sites that have been good in the past, but were quiet today. The last few hours were spent at the flood forests/meadows of the River Morava near Vysoká pri Morave. Very quiet just occasional Nuthatch and Great Spotted Woodpeckers. Interesting to see a foot/cycle bridge being built across the river to Marchegg Stadt in Austria, opening possibilities to walk over to some of the reserves in that part of Austria in the future. Just as I started to pack my equipment to go to the airport, a Red Kite circled over a nearby field and two others were in the distance.
Ryanair were 15 minutes early back to Leeds on a fairly empty flight. Got back to Rotherham for £5.50 from the airport on bus and train!
Managed to find a new bird every day of the trip, but ‘Vismiging’, wildfowl and gulls were disappointing. The trip was productive for mammals and good numbers of butterflies for the time of year.
Dragonflies
Blue-tailed Damselfly, Black-tailed Skimmer, Common Darter. A number of blue hawker dragonflies whizzed by, but none could be identified to species.
Butterflies
Large White, Berger's Clouded Yellow, Clouded Yellow species, Small Copper, Common Blue, Brown Argus, Painted Lady, Red Admiral, Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell, Comma, Queen of Spain Fritillary, Small Heath,
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