Steve Happ Photography Travel and Wildlife

Zletovska River Birds

I spent the morning and afternoon just west of Obleshevo in the Kochani area. In the east of Macedonia. Not a great deal of birds and nothing new but some decent shots were to be had. The highlight was seeing European Bee-eaters coming out of their nests in the bank of the river. So, it is true, they do nest in riverbanks.

Great Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus arundinaceus)

Gray Partridge (Perdix perdix)

White Stork (Ciconia ciconia)

Common Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus)

Corn Bunting (Emberiza calandra)

Spanish Sparrow ( Passer hispaniolensis)

Great Tit (Parus major)

Kochani area bird list

Gray Partridge (Perdix perdix)

Great Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus arundinaceus)

Common Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus)

Corn Bunting (Emberiza calandra)

Spanish Sparrow ( Passer hispaniolensis)

Great Tit (Parus major)

White Stork (Ciconia ciconia)

European Bee-eater

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East of Shtip, Macedonia.

I am heading east towards the Bulgarian border. Somewhere east of Shtip I stopped for the night in the grain fields at Karatmanovo. Then this morning I kept heading east and stopped at a nature reserve next to the Zletovska River. The White Storks are back nesting in the villages in the Balkans. It must be Spring. I saw heaps last year. Every village has quite a few nests of White Storks on the power poles.

Calandra Lark (Melanocorypha calandra)

Calandra Lark (Melanocorypha calandra)

Gray Partridge (Perdix perdix)

White Stork (Ciconia ciconia)

With hungry chick.

White Stork (Ciconia ciconia)

European Bee-eater (Merops apiaster)

European Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis)

Macedonia Bird List

Calandra Lark (Melanocorypha calandra)
White Stork (Ciconia ciconia)
Gray Partridge (Perdix perdix)
European Bee-eater (Merops apiaster)
Common Blackbird
Eurasian Marsh-Harrier (Circus aeruginosus)
Spanish Sparrow (Passer hispaniolensis)
European Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis)
Eurasian Collared Dove
Corn Bunting
Grey Heron
Common Wood-pigeon
Common Kestrel

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stobi afternoon wednesday

Afternoon session at the Stobi Archeological Site. I am stoked I got some decent photos of the European Bee-eater. And I was very surprised to see a mob of Rosy Starlings.

European Bee-eater (Merops apiaster)

European Bee-eater (Merops apiaster)

Rosy Starling (Pastor roseus)

Rosy Starling (Pastor roseus)

Eastern Olivaceous Warbler (Iduna pallida)

Western Black-eared Wheatear (Oenanthe hispanica)

Stobi bird list

Eastern Olivaceous Warbler (Iduna pallida)
European Goldfinch
Rosy Starling (Pastor roseus)
European Bee-eater (Merops apiaster)
Western Black-eared Wheatear (Oenanthe hispanica)
Masked Shrike (Lanius nubicus)

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Stobi Archeological Site Morning

In the morning I went for a walk along the river. It was quite lively with birds flying everywhere. I am pretty happy with most of the shots that I got. It is getting pretty hot now, after all the cold and rain.

Masked Shrike (Lanius nubicus)

Masked Shrike (Lanius nubicus)

Eurasian Hoopoe (Upupa epops)

Eurasian Golden Oriole (Oriolus oriolus)

Common Whitethroat (Sylvia communis)

Eastern Olivaceous Warbler (Iduna pallida)

Not sure at all. These warblers do my head in! Edit: thanks Roy, positive ID..

Common Wood-pigeon (Columba palumbus)

Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus)

Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo)

Stobi Archeological Site bird list

Masked Shrike (Lanius nubicus)
European Roller (Coracias garrulus)
Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo)
Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus)
Red-rumped Swallow (Cecropis daurica)
Common Wood-pigeon
Common Starling
Eurasian Magpie
Grey Heron
Eurasian Hoopoe (Upupa epops)
Eurasian Tree Sparrow
Eurasian Golden Oriole (Oriolus oriolus)
Common Whitethroat (Sylvia communis)
Great Tit
European Goldfinch
Common Blackbird
Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo)
Eastern Olivaceaous Warbler

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Stobi Archeological Site

What an afternoon. Heaps of new birds , oh well a couple at least. I did not think it was going to be much good. There was a big storm coming with lots of wind, but it turned out fine. The rain did not eventuate and the wind calmed down.

Masked Shrike (Lanius nubicus)

This was an amazing find. I was thinking it might be a Woodchat Shrike, but no, tick.

Western Black-eared Wheatear (Oenanthe hispanica)

These Western Black-eared Wheatears are way out of range. I have no idea what they are doing there.

Western Black-eared Wheatear (Oenanthe hispanica)

Western Black-eared Wheatear (Oenanthe hispanica)

Western Black-eared Wheatear (Oenanthe hispanica)

Western Black-eared Wheatear (Oenanthe hispanica) – female

At least, I think it is.

European Roller (Coracias garrulus)

Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus)

Eurasian Jackdaw (Corvus monedula)

Red-rumped Swallow (Cecropis daurica)

Crested Lark (Galerida cristata)

Stobi Archeological Site bird list

Masked Shrike (Lanius nubicus)
European Roller (Coracias garrulus)
Western Black-eared Wheatear (Oenanthe hispanica)
Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo)
Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus)
Eurasian Jackdaw (Corvus monedula)
Red-rumped Swallow (Cecropis daurica)
Crested Lark (Galerida cristata)
Common Wood-pigeon
Common Starling
Eurasian Magpie
Grey Heron

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Ohrid to Bitola, Macedonia Birds

The weather has been overcast and rainy here in Macedonia and not a lot of birding to be done. These are just some random photos from my journey between Ohrid and Bitola. I started off at Lagadin on the shores of Lake Ohrid. Then over the mountains through the Galicica National Park, stopping at the rest area at 1500 meters altitude. Then on to Lake Prespa for a night in a meadow, and now at a camping area just outside of Bitola.

Red-backed Shrike (Lanius collurio)

I think this one is a juvenile. On the shores of Lake Prespa, from the car.

Corn Bunting (Emberiza calandra)

On the way to Bitola, on the old road.

Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus)

Just above my camp at Bitola.

Caterpillar

Macedonia bird list

Mallard
Red-backed Shrike (Lanius collurio)
Dalmatian Pelican
Corn Bunting (Emberiza calandra)
Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus)

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Lake Mavrovo Macedonia

The weather has been very bad lately here in Macedonia. I went up to Lake Mavrovo, which was covered with clouds. It is up 1000 meters and there is even a ski resort up there. I managed to see very little but ended up getting a few ticks despite the bad weather and random birding. I even saw a little ferret like creature. I have no idea what it was, the ranger said it might be something like a mink.

European Turtle Dove ( Streptopelia turtur)

This was a big surprise. I thought I had a Eurasian Collared Dove. I was wondering why the wings were so colourful.

European Turtle Dove ( Streptopelia turtur)

Seen just south of Kichevo on the way to Lake Ohrid.

Great Gray Shrike (Lanius excubitor)

I snapped this while I was having lunch. I had no idea what it was, doh! Terrible photo but the only one I got. Seen just east of Tetovo.

Red-backed Shrike (Lanius collurio) – juvenile

Common Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus)

And finally a relatively decent photo of a Common Cuckoo. They seem to hide from me, mostly. Seen south of Kichevo.

Macedonia bird list

Great Gray Shrike (Lanius excubitor)
European Turtle Dove ( Streptopelia turtur)
Red-backed Shrike (Lanius collurio)
Common Blackbird
great Tit
Common Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus)
European greenfinch (Chloris chloris)

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Lake Tresca, Skopje, Macedonia

First stop in Macedonia in the rain and misery was Lake Tresca. It is all abandoned. The lake is dry, all the buildings around it have been knocked down. Quite an eerie place. Not many birds but I managed to get a couple to salvage the shipwreck.

Eastern Olivaceous Warbler (Iduna pallida)

Waiting for confirmation. Edit: confirmed. Thanks Ragnar..

Eastern Olivaceous Warbler (Iduna pallida)

Grey Plover (Pluvialis squatarola)

Red-backed Shrike (Lanius collurio)

A moody atmospheric shot in the rain.

Common Wood-pigeon (Columba palumbus)

Eurasian Blue Tit (Cyanistes caeruleus)

With a bug for breakfast.

Skopje bird list

Eastern Olivaceous Warbler (Iduna pallida)
Grey Plover (Pluvialis squatarola)
Little Egret
Mallard
Western Jackdaw (Corvus monedula)
Common Wood-pigeon (Columba palumbus)
Eurasian Magpie
Red-backed Shrike (Lanius collurio)
White Wagtail
Common Sandpiper
Eurasian Blue Tit (Cyanistes caeruleus)
Grey Heron

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