Wednesday 27 September (Bratislava)
Arrived at Bratislava by Ryanair 1hr 20 min late at 1050 hrs. No one on the car hire desk, they had given up and gone home. Had to check in at an airport hotel and pick the hire car up on Thursday.
Thursday 28 September (Sokolovce)
Budmerice Resr and Fish Pond
Grey Heron, Mute Swan, Great Crested Grebe, Teal, Coot, Small party of Snipe, Tree Sparrow, Cormorant, Black Redstart, Jay, Mallard, Pochard, Tufted Duck, Little Grebe, Chiffchaff.
Sokolovce River, Oxbow and Resr.
Two pesky Coypu showed well in and out of water. There are Beavers and Otters about, but usually Coypu are seen. they swim with there backs out of water so you can usually quickly eliminate Otter, The round tail is the best feature to distinguish from Beavers which have flat tails. Beavers are bigger, but care needed as any beavers may be smaller juveniles.
Great White Egret, White Wagtail, Green Woodpecker, Woodpigeon. A Nuthatch and Chaffinches feeding on sunflower seeds. On Millet, Tree Sparrows, Linnets and I picked out a lone Serin.
About
Buzzard, Kestrel, Goldfinch, House Sparrow, Collared Dove, Magpie, Blackbird.
Friday 29 September (Sokolovce)
Koplotovce Old gravel pits and river
8 Jay's flying south together. Blackcap, Kingfisher, Grey-headed Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Long-tailed Tit (white-headed), Treecreeper species. Notable small passage of Woodpigeon south.
Svbice
Many birds about feeding in crops of sunflower and Maize, mainly Chaffinch and Goldfinch. Also, regular sightings of leaf Warblers along the edge of the crops, identified ones Chiffchaffs. At the straw stack several Black Redstart and a small party of Serin.
Orešany Airstrip
Crested Larks. Two Ring-tailed harriers. A look at photos showed 4 fingers eliminating Hen. Managed a photo of one of the birds, which looks good for Juvenile Pallid. Two harriers were then found landed in a freshly ploughed field, not sure if they were the same or one or more. Both had strong pale collars behind the eyes and are juvenile Pallid Harriers. A female Marsh Harrier had a crown and forewings, more white than the usual yellow.
Bojná
Revisited the Beaver dam from June, but none put in an appearance. Grey Wagtail and Robin were some of the few birds present in the forest. Drove past the first Great Grey Shrike midday.
Saturday 30 September (Sokolovce)
Sokolovce River, Oxbow and Reservoir
Tree Sparrow. Large flock of Goldfinch on sunflowers, Grey Wagtail, Yellowhammer, Song Thrush, Great White Egret. My first Slovak autumn Hoopoe. Kingfisher, Green Sandpiper. Jays were feeding on sweetcorn husks.
In general, many more birds about than back home in Treeton, particularly common birds such as Great/Blue Tits, Blackbirds, Starlings, Nuthatch and finches. One unusual fact, but typical at this time of year, is a total lack of gulls, which were abundant in spring and summer.
Sunday 1 October (Sokolovce)
Sokolovce River, Oxbow and Reservoir
Off to a good start, with a pair of Hawfinch and more later. As Saturday with plenty of birds about, Goldfinch and Chaffinch particularly numerous. New birds today Hooded Crow, my first Sokolovce Syrian Woodpecker, Little Grebe, Moorhen. Two Woodpeckers drumming in cover, with one eventually being found as Black Woodpecker.
Monday 2 October (Veľké Revištia)
A long drive to Eastern Slovakia for 5 nights
Manínska tiesňava
A second visit to this spectacular gorge to look for Wallcreeper, failed again.
Despite the long journey no raptors were seen until just after Michalvoce when right next to the main road I was on, two adult Eastern Imperial Eagles were perched close to the road, but I had a lorry right behind me. After checking into my hotel, I went for a short drive before it went dark. Fairly quiet apart from a Great Grey Shrike and a few Buzzard
Tuesday 3 October (Veľké Revištia)
Morské oko
Spent a couple of hours in one of Europe's oldest forests. As usual not much bird life other than a few of the commoner birds.
Senianske rybníky Nature Reserve/Senné Fishponds NW
Entered from the north, from the village of Blatná Polianka which is a half hour walk. As I left my car, a ranger in a 4x4 pulled up, one of his passengers, who spoke English told me there were few birds about. When I got to the tower hide, I was disappointed to find the main Lake has dried up. Over the next couple of hours I had some good birds though.
White-tailed Eagle plus other distant large raptors. Black Stork, Flock of Cranes, Marsh Harrier, Hen Harrier, another flock of Cranes.
About
Ravens, Stonechat.
Wednesday 4 September Veľké Revištia
Kalná Roztoka
Mistle Thrush, Red Fox, Roe Deer, Red Deer,
Topĺa
Grey-headed Woodpecker flew between gardens.
Runina
Upland village alive with birds, Black Redstarts particularly. One garden had a male Brambling.
A walk over upland meadows and woods found little other than another small party of Mistle Thrush. Flock of Cranes came south over the hill from Poland and circled for a while before continuing south.
Starina reservoir
In the afternoon I did a long walk to a reservoir and back, but little other than Blackbirds and Jays. Yet another flock of Cranes came over from the north and kettled for a while.
Thursday 5 September (Veľké Revištia)
Blatné Remety
12 White-fronted Geese down in an arable field.
Pavlova
Nuthatch.
About
Sparrowhawk,
Friday 6 September (Veľké Revištia)
Zemplinska Širava (Large Reservoir)
At the Eastern end there is a protected area but, access is restricted. I got challenged by an employee, but he was OK when he found I was birding. Just large numbers of Mallard and Grey Herons.
On the north shore where there is decent access at least for anglers, finally some Gulls in this case Black-headed and a distant immature Larus probably Caspian.
Senianske rybníky Nature Reserve/Senné Fishponds NE from the village of Blatná Polianka
In the hedgerow Tree Sparrow, Yellowhammer, Marsh Tit. After a near hour long walk, toward the end through a bog, I found an observation tower in such poor condition, it could not be climbed.
Senianske rybníky Nature Reserve/Senné Fishponds SE 30 minute walk from the village of Senné
The observation tower here was in good condition, but a bit on the low side to see much of the Ponds over vegetation. Lapwings, Greylag Goose, Shoveler. My first Slovak Spoonbill was flying within a flock of Great White Egret. A small group of waders with red legs could be picked out with the 260X digital zoom, they seemed quite tall and elegant so were more likely Spotted Redshank. A small flock of small waders probably Dunlin or Little Stints were in flight way out in the distance.
Senianske rybníky Nature Reserve/Senné Fishponds SW 30 minute walk from the village of Senné
Good path from Senne village with interpretation boards, picnic tables and a board walk through a reedbed made this the most cared route to the fishpond’s towers. Off to a good start when a Grey-headed Woodpecker flew from the roof, but this is the most commercial of the Fishponds, one large pond had nothing but Great Crested Grebe and Black-headed Gulls. The other Great Crested and Little Grebes, Coot and little else. One distant field had over 30 Great White Egret hunting little creatures.
Saturday 7 October (Sokolovce)
Drive back to Sokolovce
Malý Ruskov
Small herd of female Red Deer with 2 stags crossed the road.
Kuzmice
Two Imperial Eagles flew off a pylon into a roadside tree. Managed to stop and take a few photos.
Pozorovateľňa vtáctva Hrhovské rybníky
At this reservoir, only a few Great Crested Grebe and Cormorants. A small very mobile flock of Skylark on adjacent fields
Rest of journey quiet.
Sunday 8 October (Sokolovce)
Sokolovce River, Oxbow and Reservoir
10 Great White Egret south. Large flocks of Goldfinch and Chaffinch, plus several parties of Tree Sparrow. Nuthatch continue to be conspicuous. A dead tree had 3 Great Spotted Woodpecker then a fourth turned out to be a Middle Spotted Woodpecker. The first Hooded Crow for a week non in Eastern Slovakia, though Ravens seemed more common out there.
Oraisay Airstrip
Midday turned cloudy and windy. Weather improved mid-afternoon, so drove up to the Airstrip. The reliable Crested Lark soon appeared, I rarely get them anywhere else in Slovakia. A Great Grey Shrike was the first for a few days. Up to 5 Kestrel in the air together. The Buzzards were soaring high in the wind, and an eagle soon stood out, by its sheer size. Very high and flying away, but pretty sure it was Eastern Imperial Eagle.
At the manure dump a min of 6 White Wagtail and the usual Tree Sparrows.
Svbice
Hundreds of Chaffinch flying over to roost, presumably in the nearby woods. Another flock of c25 Tree Sparrows on a track between two of the most intensively farmed fields imaginable. Just as I was about to leave a very approachable Great Grey Shrike landed on the overhead lines, where I have recorded this species, most years since my first visit here in 2016.
Monday 9 October (Sokolovce)
Hlohovec
Amazingly the first Rooks of the trip, at the reliable site of the Tesco car park.
Madunce to Drahovce Ponds and floodplains
Another day and more Nuthatch this time 3 together. Parties of Woodpigeon south and as on most days of this trip Green Woodpecker. The old gravel pits now used for angling were quiet, just a few Mallard, Great Crested Grebe and 2 Teal. Goshawk.
Vodná Nádrž Sĺňava
Found a way to drive up the west side of this large reservoir. New birds in several Red-crested Pochard and 2 Wigeon, picked out from amongst the many Mallard. The first rain of any note set in early afternoon, sat it out in the car overlooking the reservoir, other than a Kingfisher for company little passed by. Still a complete absence of Gulls in Western Slovakia and I would have hoped for a few Swallows as well!
Oraisay Airstrip
The rain slowed a bit mid-afternoon so a trip up here. Plenty of Buzzards about, but all perched up. The Crested Larks were out and about and at the manure dump a Grey Wagtail was an unusual visitor.
Tuesday 10 October (Sokolovce)
Lukáčovce
These ponds were fairly quiet apart from a pair of Wigeon amongst the Mallard.
Malé Zálužie
Very few birds on the water, good numbers of Grey Heron and a few Great White Egret. A lone adult Caspian Gull was the first in West Slovakia on this trip.
Veľké Ripňany
This small reservoir was devoid of wildfowl. Along the dam wall several Black Redstart and a party of Tree Sparrow. In the distance an Eagle flew out of a tree with a Buzzard, it flew away low to me, but it could not be identified to species.
Voda NadRriz krtvove
No birds on the water, White Wagtails and Black Redstarts along the dam wall. Twenty plus Great White Egret were mammal hunting in a field. Two Eagles were flying in the distance, one definitely an adult White-tailed.
Oraisay Airstrip
A large flock of several hundred finch most seemed to be Linnets were being harassed by a Sparrowhawk.
Wednesday 11 October (Manchester)
Put my grandsons on the service bus to school this morning, saves me a trip to Hlohovec
and back. Bus on time with another following in case it's full, run by Arriva!
Sokolovce river, oxbow and reservoir
Since the Sunflowers have been harvested a drop off in Chaffinch and Goldfinch numbers. Compensated in the arrival of a few small flocks of Siskin feeding in Alders. Through a small gap in shrubs, by one of the oxbows I spooked a White-tailed Eagle, annoyingly it flew away low into trees.
vodná nádrž Kráľová - Šoporňa
Apart from hundreds of Mute Swan not a lot of interest. The usually interesting oxbow had too many anglers to be any good for birds.
Číčov Fishponds
Lots of wildfowl, probably thousands of Mallard, with hundreds of Coot and Pochard, small numbers of Tufted Duck, Teal and Wigeon. One of the Ponds was being drained to collect the fish. Large numbers of Grey Heron and Great White Egret on the mud catching the smaller fish. A flock of Lapwing down on the mud. An immature White-tailed Eagle flew over the Ponds, heading for the Danube, only other raptor was a Marsh Harrier.
Danubiana
Very quiet by the huge dam wall compared to previous visits. Yellow-legged Gulls on top of most of the lampposts.
Rusovce
Investigated this area of arable farmland to the west of the village again bordering Austria, which is supposed to hold large numbers of Great Bustards in winter. Non-seen, presumed too early.
Flew back to Manchester arriving at 2320 hrs. Busy at immigration, meant I missed my hoped for train, had to wait nearly an hour for next one into Central Manchester and my hotel, arriving at 0100 hours Thursday.
Butterflies
Red Admiral, Peacock, Comma, Small Heath, Small Copper, Large White, Green-viened White, Clouded Yellow species. Speckled Wood, Queen of Spain Fritillary.
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