Motacilla alba can be found in many places on this planet and it appears to do OK as a species, but it is thought that climate change is going to affect its migration. This individual was foraging on the bank of the river Danube in Slovakia.
Sitta europaea is lovely to look at. The species is doing alright, but since they live in old forests local populations are under threat from logging, e.g. in Poland.
This one was on a bird feeder in Slovakia. Remember to feed birds seeds and nuts. Feeding bread is a really bad idea as it damages the birds’ digestive system.
I’ve seen Alcedo atthis in Austria, Slovakia and Germany. The species is widespread, and fortunately it is labelled as ‘Least concern’. However, if you look at the entry in the Red List, that is because a lot of data is unknown (http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/22683027/0).
Cygnus olor isn’t actually mute, but produces very little vocalisation. What you can hear when they’re flying over is the sound created by their wings.
Yeah, I’m feeling a wee bit sentimental. We’ve left our home of three years in Bratislava, said good-bye to many a good friend (who we hope to meet again in the future), and also said bye to our favourite twitching places along the river Morava / March. And because spring had already mightily started to spring, we had some lovely sightings in the floodplain near Devinska Nova Ves like a yawning stork, circling white-tailed eagle or a hare:
We also went to the WWF nature reserve -just over the border in Austria- in Marchegg, to see more storks and other birds:
I was particularly happy to have seen the breeding herons again. On top of that, I had never knowingly seen gadwalls before, so that was a rather welcome sight too.
Of course, there was some non-avian activity. The frogs and toads were mating, and snakes were around to hunt the mating amphibians.
Yep, it’s sad to leave such places, but there’s also the fact that we take some wonderful memories with us. Plus, there’s the chance to explore something new.
Coccothraustes coccothraustes is apparently quite shy and a bit tricky to observe – they love being high up in trees. So I’m very glad this male came down and sat in a bit of shrubbery and waited until I had taken a photo, before he then took off again.
The tiny town of Spišské Podhradie is home to some awesome attractions and also a UNESCO Worl
d Heritage site. First of all, there is Spišská Kapitula, or Spiš Chapter House. It is really like a town within a town.
I did a tour of the cathedral. The different styles of altars were all fascinating, tacky at times, beautifully crafted and not allowed to be photographed.
From the hill with the Chapter House on one has several hiking options and some lovely views. One such view is of the other main attraction of the village, Spiš Castle.
To get to the village, you can take one of the many busses going there. I arrived early in the morning to beat the crowds, which turned out to be a rather good idea. In fact, when I got there, it was still foggy, the dew hanging in the cobwebs and I was the only one hiking up to the castle.
Once I had reached the top, the weather played along nicely and the fog lifted. The castle is one of the largest in Europe.
I was there just after they had opened, and it filled up quite quickly. Yes, the place is huge, but there’s a small museum inside which soon became overcrowded. Actors in period costumes put on plays, and craftspeople sold lovely looking merchandise. I was quite fond of pottery items, but for fear of breaking them while walking around I didn’t buy any. Rather, I managed to escape the throngs and enjoyed the quieter parts of the castle.
The castle is divided in a lower and an upper part. Architecturally, the upper one is probably the more exciting. T
here is just more to see and explore. One has to beware of dangerous animals though.
The lower part is basically an open space surrounded by an enormous wall. It’s open grassland, and signs point out that there can be a number of birds and other animals. I only saw the spermophiles, but plenty of them. All in all, I spent about three hours on the castle grounds, and two or so in the Chapter House. Podhradie is only about 20km from Levoca, so it makes for a nice day trip from there.
