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WildLife photography by Boris Belchev |
Me and my friend Asta decide to make an Easter fotosession, I want to the market in Tuesday and after short time came back with two 1 day old chicks. So today I finally decide to make some photos of them, as yestreday Asta and my wife were taking photos of them, I have to wait for my own fotosession this afternoon.
Nature Travel is a company that offers a cottage to rent for wildlife photography in Bulgaria and birdwatching in Bulgaria. The cottage has several hides where fantastic local birds can be photographed. Amongst the highlights are Grey-headed Woodpecker, Sombre Tit, Long-legged Buzzard, Golden Oriole, European Bee-eater, Roller etc.
Alcedo Wildlife offers images from the wildlife photographer Boris Belchev. A Bulgarian who currently lives in Lithuania. His devotion to wildlife photography is prominent. He started with his hobby in 2007. However, just two years later he won a monthly award by Wild Wonders of Europe.
With this exchange of banners, Nature Travel and Alcedo Wildlife aim at attracting the public attention to the preserved wilderness of Bulgarian nature.
The special award by Bulgarian foundation “Biodiversity” won Boris Belchev (alcedo) with the photo project “Meeting at dusk”.
He won a three day photo-safari, organized by 
As it already end of January, I decide to start new topic about 2012 observation of gulls with plastic rings:
The day start with quick stop at the window to check my chances to use my car – temperature of -19C, doesn’t promise any good. But anyway I had to try, I refill the feeders in the yard, and then I herd familiar voice – a single Song Thrush (Turdus philomelos) rush over my head. Behind the feeder the were some berries left, so together with single Fieldfare (Turdus pilaris), they rush to pick them. Feeders were ready for the busy day, as temperatures were not about getting higher than 10-12 degrees Celsius below zero. I got a call from Vytautas Eigirdas, which finally bought a car and was about to help me start my engine by pulling me out on the street. He still didn’t know that, but he called me with great news, as winter finally showed up, the Shore larks (Eremophilla alpestris) were just next to my town foraging roadside for gravel and sand.
As he was about to arrive I push the car on sunny side of the yard, so he just had to attach the rope and after third attempt my engine starts. So we drove to the location with the Shore Larks. As the sun was against us we missed the opportunity to observed a 21 birds flock, as they were very shy and didn’t let us pass them so the sun be behind us… We twitch them, so it was time to ring some Mute swans (Cygnus olor) in Kėdainiai downtown. We stop at the market to buy some bread and rush to the shore, were the swans and more than 500 Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) didn’t wait invitation and step up on the frozen river shore. Soon we ringed 3 adult swans and decide that its enough freezing for now. I remember that I went out without documents, so we left my car and drive back home with other car to pick up my bag. The feeder was busy as always, but my sight stop on new visitor – for last three winter I had different observations, but for first time my feeder got Coal tit (Periparus ater), great news as it was new species for my year checklist as well.
Vytautas decide to help my neighbor, as his car was frozen for 3rd day in row. I take my documents and make few shots of the Coal tit. We decide to separate and meet again at the dump place, as I have to change the bulb of my car. So I took my car and drove to the local garage to buy new bulb. I make the replacement and rush to the dump place. Eigirdas spot the only two ringed gulls and as soon as I took picture of them we decide that is too cold and it was time for more bird watching from the cars. We make some drifting on the frozen street on our way back to the town and near the graveyards I take off a strange looking dove, as it fly in same direction with me I saw it pretty good, it was a Stock dove (Columba oenas) rare bird for this time of the year, Vytautas told me later that he saw it too, but as I didn’t stop he pass it as well.
So we decide to check the shore larks again but they were gone. We left one of the car and take decision to visit Snow bunting location some 5 km away from my town. We found 3 Shore larks, but we didn’t found any Snow bunting until we didn’t drive back. We make a U turn and drive back, and a miracle, just in front of us a flock of 15 Snow Buntings (Plectrophenax nivalis), were picking sand from the roadside and as we went off the car they rush just by our car. I managed to take very bad flight photos 
– but I will capture them soon better, I hope.
We drove back to the village to check for songbirds, as near Tiskūnai, farmers keep large amount of grains, so it attracts big flocks of buntings, sparrows and feral pigeons. Nothing interesting, so we drove back to the 3 Shore larks, as I saw them again we try the old way, by getting closer with the car, but it was hopeless, the birds were too shy. Then I went form the car and try the old school style, making circle around them and it was looking hopeless when they finally stop on one place where the road side was enough deep to cover me. So I make my best and took some close up photos which bring me this situation. I got the best photos of the species ever made in Lithuania 
)) I was so happy…
The time till lunch was ticking out so we got back to the car and rush back to check the river under the bridge where last winter I spot the Dipper, but with no luck this time, I hope if the cold weather keep it like this soon it will bring Dippers back to Lithuania, as this winter was too warm there was a single pbservation of Dipper in Western part of the country.
So we finish the bird watching Sunday happily and a bit tired as the temperature was far under zero… Enjoy some of the photos on my web page: http://alcedowildlife.com
I was invited to give interview for the local television, the interview starts from 8:42 min, but is in Lithuanian
… in Christmas birdwatching marathon to all. As we had the most beautiful Christmas morning I decide to spend it in outdoors. I grab my binoculars and check out by the feeder in the yard. Then a short walk by the river and a loop trough the park I walk back to take my car. After the successful walk I hope to find some more birds in the countryside. For my surprise three Collared Doves were looking for food just by the road, so soon I got 16 species in less than two hours. In the fields as we still don’t have any snow it was empty, so I just spotted a lonely Common Buzzard. Driving back I turn to the small forest, and as soon as I turn off the engine I heard and later I saw two Great Spotted Woodpeckers. I make a loop around my village and on the wires Grey Shrike was scanning the field beneath it for rodents. I was running out of fuel, so I drove back to the town to refill and just above flew two Mallards. Industrial park welcomes me with pair of magpies, and few hundred gulls and Corvids at the Dump place. As I get in the Dump, I spotted unusual for this time of the year Starlings on the bushes. Gulls were nervous because on the ice was hunting adult White-tailed Eagle. Just before I went out I spotted a Rook flying over me.
So to finish the day I saw 20 Waxwings at my yard…
After the Autumn come back, I decide to start the feeders, so I fill them up… I want to share my first observation. At work, the fat-ball attracts only two Great tits, but I hope later, when the snow finally arrive to my town will bring more diversity.
At hide I fill up the feeder with sunflower seeds and I hope soon have also more visitors. Because in near by village already saw some Yellowhammers and Tree sparrows. As soon as the first snow fall I will prepare the feeder for Grey partridges, but for now everything looks bad…no buzzards, and even no Crows and Ravens on the meat.
At my yard the situation is getting better and better, after first day I saw only Great tits, today (DEC 15th) I have Great tits flock, Willow, Marsh and Blue Tits, Tree- & House Sparrow, Hawfinch, chased by neighbor’s hens And just before I decide to go home, I panic explosion finished with success for the local Sparrowhawk, which caught a House Sparrow…
As winter is all around, but not in Kėdainiai district I finally start the feeder season. This winter I am very good prepared so I hope I will get good results. I have an backyard feeder, Grey partridge hide-feeder, Buzzard feeding station and bird-feeder in front of my permanent hide. So after I load the feeders I decide to check the Kėdainiai Garbage Dump, as in Saturday I got only a hour to check for some ringed gulls. Today December the 11th 2011, I managed to found 15 different gulls with plastic rings from several European countries. I will upload a table with the rings and hope soon I will get more details about those gulls and I will share them here with you… Here some photos from today and yesterday…
