47 Acrocephalus 26 (124): 47 – 62, 2005 Slovenija / Slovenia Pygmy Cormorant Phalacrocorax pygmeus Pritiklavi kormoran – 1 osebek opa`en na Cerkni{kem jezeru (UTM VL56, osrednja Slovenia) dne 30.5.2005 On 30 May 2005, whilst leading a group of 15 visiting British birdwatchers, I saw a Pygmy Cormorant at Cerkni{ko jezero (UTM VL56, Central Slovenia) amongst the more common birds. The bird was seen from the east side close to the village of @erovnica. It was sitting on a stick, apparently beside the river. It was in classic Cormorant pose with wings outstretched but with a long tail. The bird was extremely distant (>1 km) but seen in very good light with a telescope. This kind of news would not cause much of a stir in north – east Italy in this time of year where the bird is ever more common and breeding at many sites, one less than 90 kilometres from the Slovene border. The first record for the karst lake at Doberdob was in April 2005. Paul Tout, Malchina / Mavhinje 5/A, I–34013 Duino–Aurisina / Devin– Nabre`ina, Italy, e–mail: paul_tout@hotmail.com Plevica Plegadis falcinellus Glossy Ibis – one adult individual inhabiting Medvedce reservoir between 5 Aug and 28 Sep 2003 (UTM WM53, NE Slovenia), feeding mostly separately from other water birds and partly moulting Dne 5.8.2003 sva se z o~etom Ivanom odpravila na vodni zadr`evalnik Medvedce jugovzhodno od Pragerskega, SV Slovenija. Tam sva med drugim {tela rjave lunje Circus aeruginosus, ki jih je tega dne bilo dvanajst. Z ve~jim zanimanjem sem opazoval pobre`nike, ki so zaradi nizke vode, kot posledica su{e, mno`i~neje obiskovali ta kraj. Ve~ pozornosti sem namenil velikim {kurhom Numenius arquata. Bilo jih je dvajset, kar je bila ena ve~jih jat te vrste na zadr`evalniku do tistega trenutka, in spreletavali so se od enega blatnega poloja do drugega. Ob jati sem opazil {e en osebek plevice. Ob kasnej{ih obiskih zadr`evalnika sem ob bolj{i svetlobi prepoznal odrasel osebek. Plevica se je v ~asu, ko se je zadr`evala na tem mestu, delno pregolila iz poletnega perja v zimsko. Iz ornitolo{ke bele`nice From the ornithological notebook Zanimivo se mi zdi, da je bila plevica v skupini z drugo vrsto ptic le ob prvem opazovanju. V vseh preostalih opazovanjih se je prehranjevala neodvisno od drugih vodnih ptic. Nazadnje sem jo opazoval 28.9.2003. Po pregledu Acrocephalusov 2000 – 2004 sem opazil, da ni zabele`enega poletnega opazovanja te vrste, prav tako ni podatka o dalj{em zadr`evanju. V mojem primeru se je osebek zadr`eval skoraj dva meseca. Plevica je do leta 1998 veljala za redkost [Bo`i~, L. (2001): Poro~ilo nacionalne komisije za redkosti o opazovanjih redkih vrst ptic za obdobje 1997 – 2000. – Acrocephalus 22 (106/107): 109 – 113]. Dejan Bordjan, Ulica 8. februarja 50, SI–2204 Miklav`, Slovenija, e–mail: dejanonih@email.si Plevica Plegadis falcinellus Glossy Ibis – 3 individuals observed between 10 and 14 Apr 2005 near the church at ^rna vas, Ljubljansko barje (UTM VL69, central Slovenia); Glossy Ibis is rare but regular spring and autumn guest in central Slovenia; see colour appendix Dne 10.4.2005 sem iz avtomobila opazil 3 plevice, ki so se prehranjevale kakih 100 m vzhodno od Ple~nikove cerkve Sv. Mihaela v ^rni vasi na Ljubljanskem barju. Vreme je bilo slabo, rahlo je tudi rosilo. Kasneje sem se vrnil in si ptice podrobneje ogledal. Glede na obarvanost perja sem sklepal, da opazujem tri odrasle osebke, pri ~emer se eden {e ni popolnoma pregolil iz zimskega perja; lahko pa je seveda {lo tudi za drugoletni osebek, ~esar ne morem z gotovostjo izklju~iti. Plevice so se na tem mestu zadr`evale {e najmanj do 14.4.2005, ko so `e nemirno dvigovale peruti in se pripravljale na odlet (D. [ere pisno). Plevica je v osrednji Sloveniji sicer redek, a reden gost, predvsem aprila, maja in septembra. Primerjaj npr.: [[ere, D. (1990): Plevica Plegadis falcinellus. – Acrocephalus 11 (43/44): 29; Sovinc, A. (1997): Redke vrste ptic v Sloveniji v letu 1995. – Acrocephalus 18 (84): 151 – 156; Kebe, L. (1999): Plevica Plegadis falcinellus. – Acrocephalus 20 (92): 31; Smole, J. (2002): Plevica Plegadis falcinellus. – Acrocephalus 23 (110/111): 50]. Primo` Kmecl, Mala ~olnarska 4b, SI–1000 Ljubljana, Slovenija, e–mail: primoz.kmecl@guest.arnes.si 48 Veliki `agar Mergus merganser Goosander – a male observed at Lake Ormo` (UTM WM94, NE Slovenia) on 28 May 2005, which is quite a late date indicating possible breeding in the near vicinity Pozimi je veliki `agar pri nas razmeroma {tevil~en. Sovinc [Sovinc, A. (1994): Zimski ornitolo{ki atlas. – Tehni{ka zalo`ba Slovenije, Ljubljana] ocenjuje prezimovajo~o populacijo na 50 – 100 osebkov, kasnej{a opazovanja pa so pokazala, da jih je danes toliko verjetno samo na Dravi [[tumberger, B. (2002): Rezultati {tetja vodnih ptic v januarju 2002 v Sloveniji. – Acrocephalus 23(110/111): 43 – 47]. V ~asu gnezdenja je v Sloveniji le tu in tam kak{en par. V literaturi ve~krat opisano je gnezdi{~e na Trbojskem in Zbiljskem jezeru, samica z mladi~i pa je bila opazovana tudi v [turmovcih [[tumberger, B. (1996): Veliki `agar Mergus merganser. – Acrocephalus 17(77): 129]. Z Ormo{kega jezera je poznano nekaj poznospomladanskih opazovanj odraslih osebkov [Geister, I. (1995): Ornitolo{ki atlas Slovenije. – DZS, Ljubljana], ki namigujejo na mo`nost gnezdenja v bli`ini. Nekaj podobnega sem na Ormo{kem jezeru opazoval dne 28.5.2005. Na deblu podrtega drevesa sredi vode je brezbri`no po~ival samec. Davorin Tome, Trnovska 8, SI–1000 Ljubljana, Slovenija, e–mail: davorin.tome@nib.si Ka~ar Circaetus gallicus Short–toed Eagle – 1 individual observed on 25 Jun 2005 above the [marje ridge (UTM UL93, SW Slovenia) holding prey (Western Whip Snake Hierophis viridiflavus) in its claws and eventually moving to a couple of other spots above Slovene Istria Dne 25.6.2005 sem nad [marskim grebenom v Slovenski Istri ob 15.50 uri opazoval ka~arja v letu s plenom. S pomo~jo teleskopa sem ugotovil, da je bil plen ~rnica Hierophis viridiflavus. Ka~ar je s plenom najprej preletel [marski greben v predelu Zabreg – Kandelca z ju`ne proti severni strani v smeri proti Kopru in v kro`ni liniji proti vzhodu zavil nazaj na ju`ne, prete`no odprte kmetijske predele [marij. Po desetih minutah sem ka~arja ponovno opazil nad ju`nimi predeli ^rte`e in Prelne skupaj z dvema kanjama Buteo buteo, kjer je kro`il brez plena in se po pribli`no dvajsetih minutah vnovi~ prestavil nad travi{~a v obmo~je Rete pri Kri`i{~u Pu~e, kjer je znano lovi{~e ujed (T. Miheli~ ustno). Po meni znanih podatkih [Geister, I. (1995): Ornitolo{ki atlas Iz ornitolo{ke bele`nice / From the ornithological notebook Slovenije. – DZS, Ljubljana] ka~ar ni prav pogosta vrsta na obmo~ju pore~ja reke Dragonje, zato je bilo opazovanje {e toliko bolj zanimivo. Andrej Medved, [marje 13/b, SI– 6274 [marje pri Kopru, Slovenija, e– mail: andrej.medved@dopps–drustvo.si Rjavi {karnik Milvus milvus Red Kite – 1 individual observed on 19 Jun 2005, circling above the highway near Postojna in the Nano{~ica river basin (UTM VL36, S Slovenia); possibly breeding in the vicinity Rjavi {karnik velja v Sloveniji za zelo skrivnostno mo`no gnezdilko, saj kljub celi vrsti gnezditveno sumljivih opazovanj v SV Sloveniji gnezditev ni bila nikoli potrjena [Geister, I. (1995): Ornitolo{ki atlas Slovenije. – DZS, Ljubljana]. V sosednji Italiji gnezdi kar nekaj parov [Burfield, I. & van Bommel, F., eds. (2004): Birds in Europe: population estimates, trends and conservation status. – BirdLife Conservation Series No. 12, BirdLife International, Cambridge], na Hrva{kem pa velja za regionalno izumrlo vrsto [Radovi}, D., Kralj, J., Tuti{, V. & ]ikovi}, D. (2003): Crvena knjiga ugro`enih ptica Hrvatske. – Ministarstvo za{tite okoli{a i prostornog ure|enja, Zagreb]. V zadnjem ~asu se je {tevilo opazovanj klate{kih ptic v Sloveniji znatno pove~alo [za podrobnosti glej npr. Bordjan, D. (2003): Rjavi {karnik Milvus milvus. – Acrocephalus 24 (116): 31]. Ve~ina podatkov se nana{a na obmo~je SV Slovenije, manj pa na ju`no Slovenijo. Sam sem opazoval odrasel osebek, ki je kro`il nad avtocesto blizu izvoza za Postojno 19.6.2005 v dolini Nano{~ice (UTM VL36). Ali je bil osebek gnezdilno ali zgolj klate{ko razpolo`en, bodo verjetno pokazale nadaljnje ornitolo{ke raziskave na tem zanimivem mednarodno pomembnem obmo~ju za ptice (IBA). Al Vrezec, Pra`akova 11, SI–1000 Ljubljana, Slovenija, e– mail: al.vrezec@nib.si Sr{enar Pernis apivorus Honey Buzzard – late observation of a single individual on 24 Oct 2004 at Gori~ko near the village of Neradnovci (UTM WM99, NE Slovenia) Dne 24.10.2004 smo na Gori~kem v Neradnovcih opazovali sr{enarja, ki je kakih 5 minut nizko kro`il nad dolinico Male Krke. Podatek je zanimiv zaradi kasnega datuma opazovanja, saj je sr{enar tipi~na selivka, ki se seli v ekvatorialno in ju`no Afriko. Iz srednje Evrope 49 se glavnina populacije odseli ob koncu avgusta, po 15. oktobru je mo~ v Evropi opazovati le zelo zapoznele ptice, opazovanja v novembru pa so `e izjemno redka [Glutz von Blotzheim, U.N. & Bauer, K.M. (1989): Handbuch der Vögel Mitteleuropas. Band 4: Falconiformes. – Akademische Verlagsgesellschaft, Wiesbaden]. Sr{enar je na Gori~kem sicer razmeroma pogosta gnezdilka [Denac, D. (2000): Gori~ko. pp. 173–182 In: Polak, S. (ed.), Mednarodno pomembna obmo~ja za ptice v Sloveniji; Important Bird Areas (IBA) in Slovenia. – DOPPS, Ljubljana] in je za obmo~je naravovarstveno pomembna vrsta, uvr{~ena na Prilogo I Direktive o pticah. Damijan Denac, Gorki~eva 14, SI–1000 Ljubljana, Slovenija, e–mail: damijan.denac@nib.si Kragulj Accipiter gentilis & Koza~a Strix uralensis Goshawk & Ural Owl – observation of a female Goshawk feeding on carrion at the Meni{ija plateau feeding site on (UTM VL48, Central Slovenia) on 17 Dec 2004 and 25 Mar 2005. On 1 Apr 2005, one Ural Owl was observed at a Roedeer Capreolus capreolus cadaver on Meni{ija plateau, although no actual feeding was confirmed. Prehranjevanje ujed z mrhovino ni ravno redkost, pa vendar o tem vsaj pri nas ni dosti objavljenih podatkov. Izjema so tipi~ni mrhovinarji, kakr{en je beloglavi jastreb Gyps fulvus [npr. [ere, D. (1998): Beloglavi jastreb Gyps fulvus. – Acrocephalus 19 (87/88): 67]. Med drugimi ujedami ob mrhovini najpogosteje opazimo kanjo Buteo buteo [Bordjan, D. (2003): Kanja Buteo buteo. – Acrocephalus 24 (117): 75], kar gre verjetno predvsem na ra~un njene pogostosti in pojavljanja v kulturni krajini. Kot primer navajam kanjo, ki se je dne 10.3.2005 na Loga{ki planoti prehranjevala na truplu srne Capreolus capreolus, ki jo je pet dni prej uplenil ris Lynx lynx. Bolj zanimivo je opazovanje z dne 17.12.2004, ko je zve~er na mrhovi{~e na Meni{iji priletela samica kragulja. Nekaj ~asa je brskala po mrhovini, potem pa odletela, verjetno zaradi giba moje roke proti fotoaparatu. Kasneje se je sicer vrnila, vendar v meso ni zagrizla. Nemara isto samico sem na mrhovi{~u opazoval tudi dne 25.3.2005. Tokrat je ostala dalj ~asa in se dodobra najedla, zatem pa si o~istila kljun z drgnjenjem ob kos mokrega debla. Najve~je presene~enje pa sem do`ivel, ko se je prav tako na Meni{iji dne 1.4.2005 ob ogledu risovega plena s srninega kadavra dvignila koza~a. Ker sem sovo zagledal {ele v zraku, ne morem zanesljivo trditi, da se je z mrhovino tudi dejansko prehranjevala. Upamo, da bomo prehranjevanje sov z mrhovino lahko potrdili v prihodnje, ko bomo ob plenih name{~ali kamere. Iz literature sta doslej o prehranjevanju sov z mrhovino znana podatka za lesno sovo Strix aluco [Selva, N. (2004): Life after death – scavenging on ungulate carcasses. In: Jedrzejewska, B. & Wojcik, J. M. (eds.): Essays on Mammals of Bialowieza Forest. – Polish Academy of Sciences, Bialowieza] in ribjo uharico Bubo zeylonensis, ki so jo opazovali pri hranjenju na kadavru krokodila [König, C., Weick, F. & Becking, J. H. (1999): Owls. A Guide to the Owls of the World. – Pica Press, Sussex]. Miha Krofel, Zavrh pri Borovnici 2, SI–1353 Borovnica, Slovenija, e–mail: mk_lynx@yahoo.co.uk Navadna ~igra Sterna hirundo Common Tern – aggressive behaviour (mobbing) against Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus and Kestrel Falco tinnunculus, flying 300 and 1000 m respectively from the breeding colony, observed at Lake Ptuj on 3 Jul 2004 (UTM WM74, NE Slovenia) Med popisovanjem prehranjevalne dinamike navadne ~igre v koloniji na Ptujskem jezeru dne 3.7.2004 smo velik del pozornosti posvetili znotrajvrstnim interakcijam [Denac, D. (2004): Prehranjevalna dinamika in pojav znotrajvrstnega kleptoparazitizma v koloniji navadne ~igre na Ptujskem jezeru (SV Slovenija). – Acrocephalus 25(123): 201–205]. Medvrstne interakcije so bile redkej{e od znotrajvrstnih, mednje pa sodita dve opazovanji preganjanja ujed. Ob 5.58 zjutraj je skobec Accipiter nisus preletel Ptujsko jezero na razdalji 300 m od kolonije in ni kazal namena, da bi napadel ~igre v koloniji. Kljub temu se je ena izmed ~iger bliskovito pognala proti njemu in ga silovito napadla ter odgnala. Podoben pregon je do`ivela postovka Falco tinnunculus, ki je ob 8.20 »lebdela« pri Ranci, oddaljena 1000 m od kolonije. Pribli`no 30 sekund kasneje se je ~igra dvignila iz kolonije in jo napadla podobno kot skobca. V obeh primerih je bil napad tako silovit, da sta se ujedi nemudoma umaknili. U~inkovita obramba pred plenilci bi naj bila ena izmed prednosti kolonijskega gnezdenja, vendar je ta teorija `e precej ~asa dele`na kritikam [Rodgers, J.A. (1987): On the antipredator advantages of coloniality: a word of caution. – Wilson Bull. 99(2): 269–71], saj je po drugi strani ravno za kolonije zna~ilno mo~no plenjenje, ki se neredko kon~a s popolnim neuspehom celotne kolonije. Damijan Denac, Gorki~eva 14, SI–1000 Ljubljana, Slovenija, e–mail: damijan.denac@nib.si Acrocephalus 26 (124): 47 – 62, 2005 50 Mala uharica Asio otus Long–eared Owl – eggshells, feathers and pellets found on 31 Jul 2004 in Pohorje Mts. along the trail leading from Osankarica to ̂ rno jezero (1200 m a.s.l., UTM WM34, NE Slovenia); the highest altitude breeding record for Slovenia so far Na poti od Osankarice proti ^rnemu jezeru smo 31.7.2004 naleteli na jaj~ne lupine, ve~je {tevilo izbljuvkov in peresa male uharice. Na{teto je le`alo pod bukvijo, ob kateri je rasla smreka v precej strnjenem smrekovem sestoju. Po stanju jaj~ne lupine smo sklepali, da se je iz jajca izvalil mladi~. Kljub pozornemu pregledu drevesa nismo na{li gnezda ali njegovih ostankov, zato smo sklepali, da je ̀ e razpadlo. Za malo uharico je znano, da gnezdi tudi v opu{~enih gnezdih, ki so v zelo slabem stanju. Potrjeno gnezdenje male uharice na nadmorski vi{ini 1200 m je zanimivo, saj je, upo{tevajo~ dosedanje podatke [Bo`i~, L. & Vrezec, A. (2000): Sove Pohorja. – Acrocephalus 21 (98/99): 47–53], to najvi{je potrjeno gnezdenje pri nas, ki pa je bilo glede na posamezne prej{nje podatke s podobnih nadmorskih vi{in in podatke iz sosednjih dr`av [Sackl, P. & Samwald, O. (1997): Atlas der Brutvogel der Steiermark. – Austria medien service, Graz] pri~akovano. Damijan Denac, Gorki~eva 14, SI–1000 Ljubljana, Slovenija, e–mail: damijan.denac@nib.si Belohrbti detel Dendrocopos leucotos White–backed Woodpecker – a male observed in Javorniki Mts. (1140 m a.s.l., UTM VL46, Notranjska, S Slovenia) on 3 Feb 2005; first record for the Notranjska region Dne 3.2.2005 sem na Javornikih v snegu iskal sledi `ivali. Potem ko `e nekaj ~asa nisem videl nobene ptice, sem na ju`nem pobo~ju, pribli`no 500 m zahodno od vrha Velikega Javornika na nadmorski vi{ini 1140 m opazil detla, ki se je prehranjeval ob bazi debla. K sre~i se je tam zadr`eval dovolj dolgo, da sem si ga lahko dobro ogledal z daljnogledom. Bil je samec belohrbtega detla balkanske podvrste D. l. lilfordi. Belohrbti detel spada med najredkej{e vrste `oln pri nas. Za zimsko obdobje je v Zimskem ornitolo{kem atlasu Slovenije kot edina lokacija naveden Maribor [Sovinc, A. (1994): Zimski ornitolo{ki atlas Slovenije. – Tehni{ka zalo`ba Slovenije, Ljubljana]. Nekoliko pogostej{i so podatki za gnezditveno obdobje, ko so Iz ornitolo{ke bele`nice / From the ornithological notebook ga na{li okoli La{kega, na Goteni{ki gori [Geister, I. (1995): Ornitolo{ki atlas Slovenije. – DZS, Ljubljana], v Ko~evskem rogu [Peru{ek, M. (1991): Balkanski detel Dendrocopos lilfordi gnezdi tudi v Sloveniji. – Acrocephalus 12 (47): 14–18], na Gorjancih [Gregori, J. (1996): Belohrbti detel Dendrocopos leucotos gnezdi na Gorjancih. – Acrocephalus 17 (78/ 79): 153–155], Pohorju [[ere, D. (1985): Belohrbti detel Dendrocopos leucotos. – Acrocephalus 6 (23): 11], Kozjaku [Mlakar, G. (1996): Belohrbti detel Dendrocopos leucotos. – Acrocephalus 18 (75/76): 85–86], Menini (H. Poto~nik ustno) in ob Blejskem jezeru [Rubini~, B. (1993): Belohrbti detel Dendrocopos leucotos. – Acrocephalus 14 (60): 168]. Opa`anje na Javornikih je tako prvi podatek za Notranjsko. Glede na to, da se belohrbti detel vse leto zadr`uje v okolici svojega gnezdilnega obmo~ja [Peru{ek, M. (2004): @olne Slovenije. – Svet ptic 10(1): 6– 9], ni izklju~eno, da na Javornikih tudi gnezdi. Detla sem opazoval v razmeroma mladem bukovem sestoju, kar je nekoliko nenavadno za to vrsto, ki daje prednost gozdovom z obilico starega in trohne~ega drevja (Geister 1995). Da to ni osamljen primer, ka`ejo podatki iz [vice, kjer je Bühler prav tako opazoval belohrbtega detla v mlaj{ih bukovih gozdovih [Bühler, U. (2001): Brutvorkommen des Weissrückenspechts Dendrocopos leucotos in Nordbünden. – Der Ornithologische Beobachter 98 (1): 1–11]. Miha Krofel, Zavrh pri Borovnici 2, SI–1353 Borovnica, Slovenija, e–mail: mk_lynx@yahoo.co.uk Triprsti detel Picoides tridactylus Three–toed Woodpecker – a female observed on 7 Feb 2005 on Meni{ija plateau (713 m a.s.l., UTM VL48, Central Slovenia) Med sledenjem risa Lynx lynx dne 7.2.2005 sem na Tolstem vrhu na severozahodnem delu Meni{ije v me{anem gozdu zasli{al potrkavanje. Odpravil sem se za zvokom in kmalu opazil samico triprstega detla, ki se je prehranjevala na posu{eni jelki Abies alba na nadmorski vi{ini 713 m. Vnovi~ se je izkazal neboje~i zna~aj te vrste, kar mi je omogo~ilo, da sem si jo dodobra ogledal. Glede na literaturo je to tretji podatek za pokrajino Krimskega hribovja in Meni{ije ter prvi zimski podatek za osrednjo Slovenijo. V gnezditvenem obdobju je bil opa`en `e na Ljubljanskem vrhu [Vrezec, A. (2001): Triprsti detel Picoides tridactylus. 51 – Acrocephalus 22 (104/105): 60], v okolici Sne`nika pa celo par s speljanim mladi~em [Kebe, L. (2001): Triprsti detel Picoides tridactylus. – Acrocephalus 22 (104/105): 60]. Miha Krofel, Zavrh pri Borovnici 2, SI–1353 Borovnica, Slovenija, e–mail: mk_lynx@yahoo.co.uk Planinska pevka Prunella collaris Alpine Accentor – a flock of 15 individuals feeding on 18 Dec 2004 on the peak of Mt. Kucelj (1237 m a.s.l., UTM VL08, W Slovenia); first winter observation for the forest complex of Trnovski gozd Planinska pevka pri nas gnezdi nad drevesno mejo v Julijskih Alpah, Karavankah in Kamni{ko – Savinjskih Alpah [Geister, I. (1995): Ornitolo{ki atlas Slovenije. – DZS, Ljubljana]. Pozimi lahko ostane v gnezditvenem okoli{u ali pa se pomakne na ni`ja pobo~ja. Doslej so bila za to vrsto pri nas znana tri prezimovalna obmo~ja: skalnate stene kra{kega roba z Matarskim podoljem in pe~inami v dolini Zgornje Pivke, {ir{e gnezditveno obmo~je Alp in tretje v Zasavju [Sovinc, A. (1994): Zimski ornitolo{ki atlas Slovenije. – Tehni{ka zalo`ba Slovenije, Ljubljana]. Zato je dokaj zanimivo moje opazovanje jate 15 planinskih pevk dne 18.12.2004 na vrhu Kuclja (1237 m n.v.). Kucelj sodi v kompleks Trnovskega gozda in doslej {e nisem zasledil podatkov o pojavljanju planinske pevke na tem obmo~ju. Planinske pevke so intenzivno brskale med skalami in travno ru{o ter iskale hrano, pri tem pa niso bile prav ni~ pla{ne. Kot se za ornitolo{ki izlet na visoki dinarski Kras spodobi, sem malo naprej od ko~e na ^avnu uzrl koza~o Strix uralensis, v daljavi z vrha Kuclja pa {e planinskega orla Aquila chrisaetos, oba tukaj{nja znana gnezdilca. Damijan Denac, Gorki~eva 14, SI–1000 Ljubljana, Slovenija, e–mail: damijan.denac@nib.si Pogorel~ek Phoenicurus phoenicurus Redstart – probable breeding on 28 and 30 Jun 2005 approx. 250 m and 350 m outside the villages of Kamno (UTM UM92) and Kozar{~e (UTM VM01) respectively in the So~a valley (W Slovenia), where breeding inside villages is common; orchards were used as a breeding ground Na ornitolo{kem taboru Most na So~i smo z na{o skupino pri popisovanju rjavega srakoperja Lanius collurio na dveh obmo~jih potrdili gnezditev pogorel~ka zunaj vasi. Prvi primer je bil zabele`en 28.6.2005 v bli`ini vasi Kamno. Opazovali smo samca, ki je s hrano v kljunu sedel na enem izmed dreves visokodebelnega sadovnjaka, obdanega z omejki in ekstenzivnimi travniki. Na podlagi tega sklepamo, da je krmil mladi~e v gnezdu. Sadovnjak je bil od vasi oddaljen 250 m. Drugi primer gnezditve je bil potrjen 30.6.2005. Tudi tega dne smo opazovali samca s hrano v kljunu, in sicer v manj{em sadovnjaku kakih 350 m od vasi Kozar{~e. V sadovnjaku se je pasla `ivina, ob njem pa je stal tudi manj{i hlev. Drugih stavb v bli`ini ni bilo. Z navedenima podatkoma dopolnjujemo navedbe A. Figlja [Figelj, A. (2004): Pogorel~ek Phoenicurus phoenicurus. – Acrocephalus 25 (120): 36– 37] o raz{irjenosti in gnezditvenih navadah pogorel~ka v Poso~ju. Figelj (2004) navaja, da pogorel~ek gnezdi v domala vsaki vasi v dolini So~e, o~itno pa posamezni pari gnezdijo tudi v sadovnjakih zunaj vasi. Simon Komar, Zrkovska cesta 132, SI–2000 Maribor, Slovenija, e–mail: simon.komar@email.si Repalj{~ica Saxicola rubetra Whinchat – probable breeding recorded on 29 Jun 2005 at Podljubinj in the So~a valley (1000 m a.s.l., UTM VM01, W Slovenia) Na ornitolo{kem taboru v Mostu na So~i smo v kulturni krajini v dolini So~e popisovali rjave srakoperje Lanius collurio. Dne 29.6.2005 smo v Poljubinju med prete`no intenzivnimi kmetijskimi povr{inami okoli 7. ure zjutraj na fi`olovkah, na vi{ini pribli`no 1,5 metra od tal, opazili samca in samico repalj{~ice. Obe ptici sta se svarilno ogla{ali, samica pa je imela v kljunu hrano, zato domnevamo, da sta tam gnezdili. Travnik, na katerem se je zadr`eval par repalj{~ic, je bil dokaj izoliran in edini takega tipa, razprostirajo~ se sredi bolj intenzivnih travnikov in koruznih polj. Na{e opazovanje potrjuje gnezdenje repalj{~ice v ni`inah alpskega sveta. Repalj{~ica naj bi po dosedanjih podatkih v tem predelu Slovenije gnezdila le na visokogorskih travnikih in pa{nikih na nadmorski vi{ini nad 1000 m. Maja Slak, Trnovski pristan 10, SI–1000 Ljubljana, Slovenija, e–mail: maja.slak@email.si ^opasta sinica Parus cristatus Crested Tit – a pair observed on 29 Mar 2004 in a lowland Oak–Hornbeam forest Querco–Carpinetum (known as Orlov{~ek) near Dolnja Bistrica (UTM XM05, NE Slovenia), while building a nest in a Bird Cherry Prunus padus hollow, which was probably Acrocephalus 26 (124): 47 – 62, 2005 52 enabled by approx. 0.2 ha large Norway Spruce Picea abies plantation in the middle of the forest. This is the second nesting record for this species in the lowland part of Prekmurje. Med popisom ptic za Novi ornitolo{ki atlas gnezdilk Slovenije sem 29.3.2004 v gozdu Orlov{~ek pri Dolnji Bistrici (Prekmurje, SV Slovenija) naletel na gnezde~i par ~opastih sinic. Na naselitev te vrste v sicer tipi~nem ni`inskem, hrastovo-gabrovem gozdu Querco−Carpinetum je verjetno odlo~ilno vplival 0,2 ha velik gost nasad smreke Picea abies, ki le`i sredi omenjenega gozda. Par si je v ~asu mojega opazovanja vneto spletal gnezdo v duplu manj{e ~remse Prunus padus, od smrekovega sestoja oddaljene pribli`no 50 metrov. Kljub dokaj kratkemu ~asu opazovanja je bilo o~itno, da sinici gnezditveni material zbirata le v smrekovem nasadu. Podatek je zanimiv zaradi netipi~nega gnezditvenega habitata ~opaste sinice in potrjenega gnezdenja vrste v Prekmurju. Iz ravninskega dela Prekmurja je bil doslej znan le en podatek iz gnezditvenega obdobja, in sicer iz ^rnega loga [Geister, I. (1995): Ornitolo{ki atlas Slovenije. – DZS, Ljubljana]. Luka Bo`i~, Kamen{kova 18, SI–2000 Maribor, Slovenija, e–mail: luka.bozic@dopps–drustvo.si [~inkavec Fringilla coelebs Chaffinch – almost complete leucistic individual observed on 19 Apr 2005 on Mt. Krim near the village of I{ka (UTM VL68, central Slovenia) in a Beech forest with Fir Omphalodo–Fagetum s.lat.; in Slovenia, albinistic and leucistic individuals have also been found in Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo, Mute Swan Cygnus olor, Coot Fulica atra, Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto, Scops Owl Otus scops, Barn Swallow Hirudno rustica, Blackbird Turdus merula, Marsh Warbler Acrocephalus palustris, Long–tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus, Jackdaw Corvus monedula, Raven Corvus corax, and House Sparrow Passer domesticus Med redkej{e pojave pri prosto`ive~ih pticah gotovo sodi albinizem in leucizem, torej belo ali rumenkasto obarvani osebki s pomanjkanjem melanina. ^eprav pojav v obliki delnega albinizma, kjer je belo le posamezno pero, ni tako redek, pa so osebki s popolnim ali ve~inskim albinizmom oziroma leucizmom velika redkost. Eno tak{nih redkosti sva opazovala 19.4.2005 na Krimu pri Ljubljani, nekoliko vi{je nad vasjo I{ka (VL68) v dinarskem bukovem gozdu z jelko Omphalodo–Fagetum s.lat., na primeru na{e najpogostej{e gozdne ptice, {~inkavca. Na gozdni cesti nama je pot prekri`al rumenkasto obarvan pti~, podoben kanar~ku. Telo je imel rumenkasto, peruti so bile bele, le na glavi je imel nekaj rjavih peres. Po ogla{anju in obliki telesa sva ugotovila, da gre za leucisti~ni primerek {~inkavca. Ptica je bila v zelenih kro{njah dreves dobro opazna, a se po vedenju ni kaj dosti razlikovala od drugih istovrstnih osebkov, ki so v raztreseni skupini obirali liste. Tu in tam so se po {~inkav~je tudi malce preganjali, toda ni bilo opaziti, da bi bil bledi~ni osebek kaj bolj preganjan od drugih. Avtorjema tega prispevka ni znano, da bi bil pri nas skoraj popolnoma leucisti~ni {~inkavec `e opazovan, bledi~ni osebki pa so bili v Sloveniji ugotovljeni denimo ̀ e pri kormoranu Phalacrocorax carbo [[orgo, A. (1997): Veliki kormoran Phalacrocorax carbo. – Acrocephalus 18(80/81): 40; A. Vrezec v Senega~nik, K., Sovinc, A. & [ere, D. (1998): Ornitolo{ka kronika 1994, 1995. – Acrocephalus 19(87/88): 77–91], labodu grbcu Cygnus olor [Vrezec, A. & Hönigsfeld Adami~, M. (2003): Labod grbec Cygnus olor. – Acrocephalus 24(119): 147–148], liski Fulica atra [Lipej, L. & Makovec, T. (1997): Prezimovanje ~rnih lisk Fulica atra v Strunjanski laguni. – Acrocephalus 18(80/81): 23–26], tur{ki grlici Streptopelia decaocto [Vrezec, A. (1999): Tur{ka grlica Streptopelia decaocto. – Acrocephalus 20(93): 61], kme~ki lastovki Hirundo rustica [Lenar~i~, L. (1981): Paberki (kme~ka lastovka). – Acrocephalus 2(7): 15; Gobec, M. (1996): Kme~ka lastovka Hirundo rustica. – Acrocephalus 17(74): 36–37], kosu Turdus merula [Kurillo, A. (1986): Kos Turdus merula. – Acrocephalus 7(30): 62; L. Osterman, M. Bratu{ v Sovinc, A. (1992): Ornitolo{ka kronika 1990. – Acrocephalus 13(50): 29–32], dolgorepki Aegithalos caudatus [F. Bra~ko v Sovinc, A. & [ere, D. (1993): Ornitolo{ka kronika za leto 1991. – Acrocephalus 14(58/59): 140–144], kavki Corvus monedula (I.A. Bo`i~ v Sovinc & [ere 1993), krokarju Corvus corax [Gro{elj, P. (1991): Krokar Corvus corax. – Acrocephalus 12 (49): 165] in doma~em vrabcu Passer domesticus [Kljun, I. (2003): Doma~i vrabec Passer domesticus. – Acrocephalus 24(117): 78–79]. Poleg tega so nama iz Slovenije beli~ni osebki znani tudi pri velikem skoviku Otus scops in mo~virski trstnici Acrocephalus palustris (lastni podatki). Sicer pa so denimo v Bolgariji beli~nost ugotovili {e pri mlakarici Anas platyrhynchos, mestni lastovki Delichon urbica, kup~arju Oenanthe oenanthe, srpi~ni trstnici Acrocephalus scirpaceus, rjavoglavem srakoperju Lanius senator, poljskem vrabcu Passer montanus in velikem strnadu Miliaria calandra Iz ornitolo{ke bele`nice / From the ornithological notebook 53 [Nikolov, S.C., Spasov, S.D. & Meeùs, T. (2004): Northern Wheater Oenanthe oenanthe. – Acrocephalus 25 (122): 175–176]. Al Vrezec, Pra`akova 11, SI–1000 Ljubljana, Slovenija, e–mail: al.vrezec@nib.si Petra Vrh, Gri~ C. IX/1, SI–1310 Ribnica, Slovenija, e–mail: petravrh@yahoo.com Croatia / Hrva{ka ^rna {torklja Ciconia nigra Black Stork – one individual seen soaring on 29 May 2004 in particularly strong winds over Bakarski Bay near Rijeka (UTM VL61, W Croatia) Dne 29.5.2004 sem se mudil v majhnem naselju ob cesti v Bakarskem zalivu pri Reki, ko je pihala izredno mo~na burja. Med opazovanjem, kako se dviguje voda z morske gladine, sem zagledal jadrajo~o ~rno {torkljo, le da ta v nasprotju z mano ni imela te`av z burjo. Podatki za to ptico so za Hrva{ko primorje redki in vklju~ujejo predvsem klate`e zunaj gnezdilnega obdobja [Rucner, D. (1998): Ptice hrvatske obale Jadrana. – Hrvatski prirodoslovni muzej, Ministrstvo razvitka i obnove, Zagreb]. Ker gre za podatek iz gnezdilnega obdobja, lahko domnevamo, da je ta osebek nekje v bli`ini tudi gnezdil. Dejan Bordjan, Ulica 8. februarja 50, 2204 Milklav`, Slovenija, e–mail: dejanonih@email.si Red–footed Falcon Falco vespertinus Rde~enoga postovka – avtorja navajata podatke o opazovanju 3 osebkov na Vranskem jezeru (UTM WJ46) v dneh 2.5.2005 in 3.5.2005 Between 1 and 8 May 2005, several survey walks were made in the northern part of Lake Vransko (UTM WJ46). Our observations were focused particularly on areas with intensive horticultural activity, with vegetable gardens neighbouring hay meadows reaching out almost to the immediate waterside, i.e. down to the reedbed. Our observation of birds of prey included 3 Marsh Harriers Circus aeruginosus seen on 1 May. There were in fact a number of them (1 – 5) flying above the reeds almost during every survey walk. At about 11.00 h on 2 May, 1 female Red– footed Falcon was spotted hunting above the meadow. About 5 – 10 minutes, later a male also showed up above the reedbed, and at 11.20 h yet another male joined the birds already hunting there. At 11.20 h on 3 May, while surveying the same area, the two male and one female Red–footed Falcons were still there. Red–footed Falcons in the Croatian seaside region are seen most commonly at the time of spring migration, i.e. around late April, early May [Rucner, D. (1998): Ptice hrvatske obale Jadrana. – Hrvatski prirodoslovni muzej, Ministarstvo razvitka i obnove, Zagreb]. The Red–footed Falcon is listed in the avifauna of Lake Vransko as a migrating species [Luka~, G. (2002): Fauna ptica (Aves). pp. In: Prirodoslovne podloge za izradu prostornog plana Parka prirode Vransko jezero, Zagreb.]. However, no exact observation data are known to have been published so far. On 4 May, no birds of prey other than Marsh Harriers were seen. On 5 May, one female and one male Kestrel Falco tinnunculus were seen. The female was hunting above a mown area, whereas the male was circling higher up in the air. On 8 May, another male Kestrel, and a male Montagu’s Harrier Circus pygargus were observed. Jenő J. Purger, University of Pécs, Institute of Biology, Ifjúság útja 6, H–7624 Pécs, Hungary, e–mail: purger@ttk.pte.hu Jasmina Mu`ini}, Institute for Ornithology CASA, Gunduli}eva 24, HR– 10000 Zagreb, Croatia, e–mail: jasmina@hazu.hr Zalivski galeb Larus genei Slender–billed Gull – 2 adults resting on 18 May 2005 at Mlinica Bay (UTM WK11, Pag Island, N Dalmatia) after heavy rainfall Dne 18.5.2005 sem s {vicarskimi ornitologi v zalivu Mlinica nasproti Malega blata na J delu otoka Pag (S Dalmacija) opazoval dva (2) odrasla zalivska galeba. Ptici sta ob 18.30 h po~ivali tesno druga ob drugi v bibavi~nem pasu kar tik ob cesti. ^eprav smo v tednu poprej prekri`arili Pag po dolgem in po~ez, zlasti vsa mokri{~a, zalivskega galeba nismo opazili. Verjetno je, da sta ptici prileteli s ciklonom; {e popoldan je mo~no de`evalo, zve~er pa se je povsem zjasnilo. Pojavljanje zalivskega galeba na Hrva{kem je dokumentirano presenetljivo redko, primerjaj npr.: [Rubini~, B., Bo`i~, L. & Sackl, P. (2002): The actual status of Slender–billed Gull Larus genei on the southern Dalmatian coast. – Acrocephalus 23 (110/111): 35–37]. Borut [tumberger, SI–2282 Cirkulane 41, Slovenija, e–mail: stumberger@siol.net Acrocephalus 26 (124): 47 – 62, 2005 54 Gull–billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica ^rnonoga ~igra – dne 3.5.2005 opa`en en osebek na Vranskem jezeru (UTM WJ46), kar je ~etrti podatek za to obmo~je Several observations were made at Lake Vransko (UTM WJ46) between 1 – 8 May 2005. Agricultural areas at the northern part of the lake adjoin wet meadows and reedbeds. The lower sections of agricultural fields were inundated. Almost each day, we could observe 3 – 6 individuals of Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides, 2 – 20 Little Egrets Egretta garzetta, 2 – 8 Glossy Ibises Plegadis falcinellus, 2 – 4 Wigeons Anas penelope, 2 – 16 Mallards Anas platyrhynchos, 4 – 6 Garganeys Anas querquedula, 2 – 50 Coots Fulica atra, 1 – 4 Black – winged Stilts Himantopus himantopus, 1 – 3 Lapwings Vanellus vanellus, 3 – 7 Curlew Sandpipers Calidris ferruginea, 1 – 2 Black–tailed Godwits Limosa limosa, 1 – 2 Curlews Numenius arquata, 1 – 3 Spotted Redshanks Tringa erythropus, 1 – 2 Redshanks Tringa totanus, 1 – 5 Greenshanks Tringa nebularia, 1 – 3 Wood Sandpipers Tringa glareola, and 4 – 10 Common Sandpipers Actitys hypoleucos. Usually there were 4 – 12 Black–headed Gulls Larus ridibundus and 4 – 5 Yellow–legged Gulls Larus cachinnans resting in ploughed up areas. Some (1 – 5) Ringed Plovers Charadrius hiaticula often ran past them. On 2 May, four Whiskered Terns Chlidonias hybridus and one Black Tern Chlidonias niger were noticed in the same place. On 3 May, a Gull–billed Tern was seen sitting in the company of Black–headed Gulls and Yellow–legged Gulls. It took wing several times, but soon returned to the ploughland. However, it was no longer seen during the ensuing days. We have found three records on Gull–billed Tern sightings at Lake Vransko: on 10 July 1972 [Kralj, J. (1997): Ornitofauna Hrvatske tijekom poslednjih dvjesto godina. – Larus 46: 1–112], on 27 April 1995, 3 individuals [Radovi}, D., Tuti{, V. & Kralj, J. (2004): Inventarizacija i valorizacija ornitofaune Parka prirode Vransko Jezero. – Zavod za Ornitologiju HAZU, Zagreb] and 6 May 1995, 1 specimen [Stip~evi}, M. (1996): A contribution to the Croatian list of rare and scarce birds recorded from 1985 – 1995. – Natura Croatica 5 (1): 53–81]. Jasmina Mu`ini}, Institute for Ornithology CASA, Gunduli}eva 24, HR– 10000 Zagreb, Croatia, e–mail: jasmina@hazu.hr Jenő J. Purger, University of Pécs, Institute of Biology, Ifjúság útja 6, HR– 7624 Pécs, Hungary, e–mail: purger@ttk.pte.hu Long–eared Owl Asio otus Mala uharica – 2 mladi~a, stara nekaj manj kot mesec dni, najdena 16.1.2005 v vasi Novo Selo Palanje~ko v bli`ini Siska (UTM XL03, osrednja Hrva{ka) On 16 Jan 2005, a friend told me about two young Long–eared Owls he had just found at Novo Selo Palanje~ko near Sisak. I visited the area and found them along the road leading through the village. They were still fully covered with down. As the chicks’ primaries were incomplete, I estimated the two young to be 3 to 4 weeks old. Considering that these owls incubate the eggs for about 25 to 30 days [Mikkola, H. (1983): Owls of Europe. – T & A D Poyser, Calton], I concluded that they had been laid at the end of November or in early December. In the gardens of the local houses (in a circle with about 100 m in diameter), ten high and thick spruce trees are standing in which the owl’s nest was most probably built. This recovery seems interesting to me owing to the highly unusual date of nesting. In the town of Sisak and its vicinity, the Long–eared Owl is a fairly common and regular summer breeder (March – May), where it uses the abandoned magpies’ and crows’ nests. In the winter months, these owls gather in flocks at few places in the town itself, such as in the central park, on private plots along the town skating rink, and in a group of spruce trees at Bada{evo. @eljko Vasilik, S. Bereka 11, HR–44202 Topolovac, Croatia, e–mail: zeljko.vasilik@ina.hr ^ebelar Merops apiaster Bee–eater – pair observed during its nesting between 27 Jul and 2 Aug 2005 on the east side of Pa{man Island (UTM WJ36, N Dalmatia) Od 27.7. do 2.8.2005 sem na hrva{kem otoku Pa{manu pre`ivljala dopust. V kampu Sovinje na vzhodnem delu otoka se nad pe{~eno pla`o dviguje pribli`no 7 m visoka pe{~eno ilovnata stena, v kateri me je `e prvi dan pritegnilo ve~je {tevilo lukenj, podobnih vhodom v pti~ja gnezda. Naslednji dan (28.7.) sem res opazila par ~ebelarjev, ki se je spreletaval nad nanosom. Ptici sta izmeni~no pristajali pri eni izmed lukenj, izginili vanjo in se v ~asu dveh minut vrnili ter spet poleteli na lov. Vsaki~ sta se tik pred vstopom oglasili s kratkim ~ivkom. Druge luknje so ostajale brez obiskovalcev, omenjena ~ebelarja pa smo lahko opazovali vsak dan v njuni skrbi za zarod. ^ebelarje so na hrva{kih otokih `e opazovali, vendar so se pojavljali v ve~jih skupinah [Bordjan, D. (2003): ^ebelar Merops apiaster. Iz ornitolo{ke bele`nice / From the ornithological notebook 55 – Acrocephalus 24 (119): 154; Bordjan, D. (2004): ^ebelar Merops apiaster. – Acrocephalus 25 (120): 40]. [pela [krajnar, Privoz 4, SI–1000 Ljubljana, Slovenija, e–mail: spela2xs@yahoo.com Mestna lastovka Delichon urbica House Martin – three chicks observed in the same nest with substantial age difference of approx. 5 – 6 days at Stari grad on the island of Hvar between 1 and 5 Aug 2005 Letos sem prvi teden v avgustu pre`ivel poletni dopust na otoku Hvaru v mestecu Stari grad. V starem mestnem jedru gnezdi ve~ sto parov mestnih lastovk. Eno izmed gnezd je bilo pripeto pod kamnit balkon samo pribli`no 3 m visoko, tako da je bilo opazovanje krmljenja mladi~ev zelo preprosto. Toda potem sem presene~en opazil, da se na vhodni odprtini gnezda izmeni~no pojavljajo trije mladi~i razli~nih starosti! Najstarej{i je bil le nekaj dni pred tem, da zapusti gnezdo. Drugi najve~ji je bil 5 – 6 dni mlaj{i, tretji pa {e 5 – 6 dni mlaj{i od drugega. Iz gnezda je ve~ino ~asa zvedavo gledal najstarej{i, druga dva mladi~a pa sta se ob njem pojavljala izmeni~no. Kar nekajkrat sem mlaj{a mladi~a opazil skupaj na vhodni odprtini; najstarej{i je bil takrat v ozadju. Med njimi ni bilo videti rivalstva. Vhodna odprtina gnezda je bila dovolj velika, da sta se na vhodu lahko pojavljala dva mladi~a. Nad tem svojim odkritjem sem bil tako presene~en in navdu{en, da sem gnezdo hodil opazovat 5 dni zapored (1. – 5.8.2005). V meni dostopni literaturi [npr. Turner, A. & Rose, C. (1989): A Handbook to the Swallows and Martins of the World. – Christopher Helm, London] {e nikoli nisem sli{al ali prebral, da ima mestna lastovka mladi~e tako velikih starostnih razlik. Starost mladi~ev sem ocenil glede na njihovo velikost in operjenost. Imam zelo veliko izku{enj s kme~kimi lastovkami Hirundo rustica. Veliko mladi~ev kme~kih lastovk sem obro~kal na gnezdu, tako da lahko z gotovostjo podajam oceno o njihovi starosti. Po analogiji sem dolo~il tudi starost mladi~ev mestne lastovke. Aleksander Pritekelj, Ulica Ivanke Ko`uh 6, SI–1210 Ljubljana–[entvid, Slovenija, e–mail: aleksander.pritekelj@mobitel.si ^rno~eli srakoper Lanius minor Lesser Grey Shrike – 1 individual observed in mid July 2000 near the village of Grama~e (44° 40' N, 14° 50' E; island Pag, N Dalmatia) Med 15. in 22.7.2000 sem pre`ivljal dopust na hrva{kem otoku Pagu. Med enim izmed {tevilnih izletov sem sredi dopusta obiskal tudi polotok Lun na severnem delu otoka. Tu sem ob glavni cesti pri vasi Grama~e opazoval en osebek ~rno~elega srakoperja. Opazoval sem ga samo enkrat in {e takrat ~isto na kratko, morda kak{no minuto. To je bilo doslej moje edino opazovanje ~rno~elega srakoperja na hrva{kem Jadranu, ~eprav tam pre`ivljam dopust `e desetletja, vsako leto po 1 – 4 tedne. Na samem Pagu sem dopustoval pet let, med letoma 2000 in 2004. Toma` Jan~ar, DOPPS–BirdLife Slovenija, p.p. 2990, SI–1001 Ljubljana, Slovenija, e–mail: tomaz.jancar@dopps–drustvo.si Srbija (Srbija in ^rna gora) / Serbia (Serbia and Montenegro) Short–toed Eagle Circaetus gallicus Ka~ar – opazovan na selitvi blizu vasi Rti (UTM DP44, Z Srbija); prvi podatek za Draga~evsko obmo~je On 14 Aug 2002, accompanied by Jovan Pantovi}, we visited Rti village (UTM DP44) in the Draga~evo region (W Serbia). The village is famous for its R}anska cave, the cliffs above it, and the unique Plato (plateau) on top of the cliffs. As the entire area was ornithologically unknown, we decided to spend an afternoon researching birds around the cliffs. On that perfect summer day we observed, for several times, a family of Peregrine Falcons Falco peregrinus in flight around the cliffs, three Goshawks Accipiter gentilis and a Common Buzzard Buteo buteo in territorial flight, several families of Red–backed Shrikes Lanius collurio, Common Swifts Apus apus on migration, and a Lesser– spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos minor. We left the cliffs and proceeded to the main road, from where we had a splendid view of the huge limestone blocks. At about 17.10 h, a large raptor showed up gliding at the top of the cliffs and soon landed on a dead tree on the very edge of the cliffs. We clearly saw the brown head, back and wings and whitish belly of an adult Short– toed Eagle. The eagle gave us a wonderful opportunity to look at it for about 10 minutes when it disappeared in low flight over the Plato. This is the first record for the Draga~evo region. The same locality was again surveyed in 2003, 2004, and 2005, but as no data Acrocephalus 26 (124): 47 – 62, 2005 56 about the presence of Short–toed Eagles during the breeding season were obtained, we believe that the observed bird was on migration. Milan Ru`i}, Ul. 8/8 N. N. Atenica, 32000 ^a~ak, Serbia and Montenegro, e–mail: milruzic@yahoo.com Uro{ Pantovi}, Takovska 5, 3200 ^a~ak, Serbia and Montenegro, e–mail: pantovic_uros@yahoo.co.uk Red Kite Milvus milvus Rjavi {karnik – opazovanje v gnezditvenem obdobju dne 26.6.2004 v vzhodnem Banatu (UTM DR58, V Banat, Vojvodina) ob reki Tami{ pri vasi Opovo On 26 Jun 2004, I inspected riverside habitats along both banks of the river Tami{ between Opovo and Sefkerin (E Banat, Voivodina). I walked from Opovo through the alluvial forest towards the south, and after crossing the bridge over the river at Sefkerin I started my way back towards Opovo on the embankment. At this section river is canalized and indigenous forests in remaining narrow inundation area have been mainly replaced by fast-growing poplars. However, the stands are quite old with White Willows Salix alba in some places and patches of old White Populus alba and Black Poplars P. nigra, or just solitary trees. On the opposite side of the embankment, spacious and intensively managed agricultural landscape spreads, intersected by groups of trees or bushes and melioration canals. I did not observe many birds of prey on that day: a Hobby Falco subbuteo at Opovo, several Common Buzzards Buteo buteo throughout the day, a female Goshawk Accipiter gentilis near Opovo and one near Sefkerin, and an adult White–tailed Eagle Haliaeetus albicilla in its suspected breeding territory. The only unexpected raptor was an adult Red Kite standing very still on the branch of a large Black Poplar near the left bank of the river, but outside the inundation zone, near the Dunavac Canal, which connects the Tami{ with the Danube (UTM DR58). Immediately next to the bird I noticed an empty crow–type nest. I was able to observe the bird and the nest for almost 15 minutes, but noticed no movements or other Red Kites around the site. After it almost disappeared from the country in the second half of 20th century, observations of this species on migration, wintering and even in the breeding period in Serbia have become more frequent after 1997. It is interesting that all new observations within the breeding period in Voivodina originate form the forested wetlands along the Danube, Bosut and Begej rivers [Puzovi}, S. (2002): Nova posmatranja crvene lunje Milvus milvus u Srbiji tokom reproduktivnog perioda. – Ciconia 11: 136–139]. My observation may suggest that the species breeds there, although I have not visited this place again. Marko Tucakov, Marka Ore{kovi}a 9, 25275 Ba~ki Breg, Serbia and Montenegro, e–mail: mtucakov@eunet.yu Pintail Anas acuta Dolgorepa raca – dne 9.3.2003 je bila opa`ena velika jata pribl. 100 osebkov na reki Tisi v bli`ini Ba~kega Gradi{ta (UTM DR34, V Ba~ka, Vojvodina); v prvi polovici marca je vi{ek preleta za raco dolgorepko v Vojvodini On 9 Mar 2003, I observed a flock of around 100 very vocal Pintails flying upstream the Tisa river on Biserno ostrvo near Ba~ko Gradi{te (UTM DR34, E Ba~ka, Voivodina). Eventually, one part of the flock landed on the river surface, while a smaller part flew back downstream. The birds appeared at 11.38 h and were present on or above the river until 12.05 h, when they continued to fly upstream. In this particular locality only a few Pintails have been recorded several times in late winter during the 2000 – 2005 period. Although such numerous flocks are rare (and only present during spring migration) in Voivodina [[oti, J. & Dimitrijevi}, S. (1974): Prilog poznavanju ornitofaune Vojvodine (Gaviiformes, Podicipediformes, Pelecaniformes, Ciconiformes i Anseriformes zapadnog dela Banata). – Zbornik Matice srpske za prirodne nauke 46: 127–160], a flock was observed on the nearby Be~ej fishpond on 1 Mar 1991, when 99 birds were counted [Luka~, [. & Luka~, A. (1992): Ornitofauna ribnjaka Be~ej. – Ciconia 4: 4–17], and more recently on Lake Mezgarica near the village of Kru{evlje, where 150 – 200 individuals were observed on 13 Mar 2004 [\api}, D. (2004): Pintail Anas acuta. – Acrocephalus 25 (122): 169]. This makes the first half of March the peak for Pintail migration in northern Serbia. Marko [}iban, Bate Brki}a 18, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia and Montenegro, e–mail: sciban@eunet.yu Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca Kostanjevka – dne 24.3.2003 opazovan par na jezeru Petnica pri Valjevu (UTM DQ11, Z Srbija), dva samca opa`ena tudi 20. in 21.3.2005; vrsta je redek preletnik v okolici Valjeva On 24 Mar 2003, a pair of Ferruginous Ducks was observed on artificial Lake Petnica near Petnica Research Centre in the vicinity of Valjevo (UTM Iz ornitolo{ke bele`nice / From the ornithological notebook 57 DQ11, W Serbia). The birds were seen feeding and hiding in a small belt of reeds in the lake’s western part, together with 3 pairs of Garganey Anas querquedula. On 20 and 21 Mar 2005, two males together with a male Wigeon Anas penelope were observed in the same part of the lake. In spite of the regular research throughout the years and seasons, the species has not been recorded in other months between 2001 and 2005, which so far makes March the only month for the occurrence of this species on Lake Petnica. Ferruginous Duck is a very rare migrant on the nearby Dokmir fishpond, which at the same time happens to be the only breeding place of the species in west Serbia [Rakovi}, M. & Novakovi}, B. (2003): Avifauna of Dokmir fishpond. – Ciconia 12: 121–129]. Marko [}iban, Bate Brki}a 18, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia and Montenegro, e–mail: sciban@eunet.yu Dimitrije Radi{i}, Mom~ila Tapavice 12, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia and Montenegro, e–mail: becko@ib.ns.ac.yu Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius Mali de`evnik – potrjeno gnezdenje na reki Zapadna Morava, 20 km SZ od Kraljeva (UTM DP74, Z Srbija); prvo potrjeno gnezdenje za okolico Kraljeva On 1 Jul 2005, the Little Ringed Plover’s nest containing 3 eggs was found on the gravel bank of the Zapadna Morava river about 20 km NW from Kraljevo, near the village of Bapsko Polje (UTM DP74). On this particular occasion, the eggs were also photographed. On 15 Jul 2005, during our next visit to the Zapadna Morava river, we found 3 nestlings from the same nest running and feeding together with the adults on the same part of the sandbank. This is so far the first evidence of the Little Ringed Plover’s successful breeding around Kraljevo. This species has been proved to breed upstream, in the vicinity of ^a~ak [[}iban, M. & Ru`i}, M. (2002): Findings of Little Ringed Plover in breeding period in valley of Zapadna Morava. – Ciconia 11: 161 – 162]. Milo{ Radakovi}, Drak~i}i, 36000 Kraljevo, Serbia and Montenegro, e–mail: maxkv@ptt.yu Marko [}iban, Bate Brki}a 18, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia and Montenegro, e–mail: sciban@eunet.yu Wren Troglodytes troglodytes Str`ek – dne 5.5.2005 v skladi{~u pri Ba~u (UTM CR53, SV Ba~ka, Vojvodina) najdeno gnezdo v starem gnezdu kme~ke lastovke Hirundo rustica On 25 May 2005, during my inspection of the “Ristova~a” pheasant farm and hunting grounds with forest habitats surrounded by agricultural fields and saline meadows situated near Ba~ (UTM CR53, SE Ba~ka, Voivodina), I entered the room used as a storehouse for pheasant – transportation boxes. In previous years, I had already found active Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica nests in it. This time, three were active. I noticed a pair of Wrens bringing material inside an old Barn Swallow nest, which had been active in 2004. The nest was situated on a wall, supported by electricity cables, some 2.5 m high (see photo). Ten days later, on 6 Jun 2005, when I had a look at the nest for the last time, I found 7 Wren eggs in it. Nemanja Risti}, Balzakova 67, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia and montenegro, e–mail: rile_87@yahoo.com Bluethroat Luscinia svecica Modra ta{~ica – avtor je med 12.8. in 18.9.2004 opazoval jesensko selitev na evtrofnem »Jezeru«, severno od vasi Stani{i} (UTM CR59, SZ Ba~ka, Vojvodina) In autumn 2004, during the intensive bird ringing at the euthrophic pond “Jezero” situated to the north of Stani{i} (UTM CR59, NW Ba~ka, Voivodina), I was able to follow the intensive migration of Bluethroats. On 12 Aug, I ringed one young (1y) individual, on 17 Aug three (out of which two were adult males), on 18 Acrocephalus 26 (124): 47 – 62, 2005 58 Aug 1 ind., on 1 Sep 3 ind., on 2 Sep seven ind. (three young among them), on 6 Sep five ind. (including one adult male), on 11 Sep one and on 18 Sep two, including one 1y individual. This 20 ha large pond, overgrown by reed throughout the year (contrary to some previous years, when reedbed was dry) was filled with water. Since the area is the only site covered by reed in otherwise agricultural local landscape with just solitary trees or tree – lines, it is possible that “Jezero” is an important stopover site for this species during its migration in northern Serbia. Bluethroat is a breeder at the same site [@uljevi}, A. & \api}, D. (2002): Prvi podaci o fauni ptica bare «Jezero» kod Stani{i}a. – Ciconia 11: 123–126], and has been observed during the spring migration as well. Dejan \api}, Vuka Karad`i}a 134, 25284 Stani{i}, Serbia and Montenegro, e–mail: cbraaa@tippnet.co.yu Red–breasted Flycatcher Ficedula parva Mali muhar – dne 27.9.2003 ujeta samica v okolici Valjeva (UTM DQ11, Z Srbija); drugi podatek za ni`avje v okolici Valjeva On 27 Sep 2003, a female Red–breasted Flycatcher was caught during the bird ringing camp held in Petnica Research Centre near Valjevo (UTM DQ11, W Serbia; see picture). The bird, which flew into our mist net set in hedges next to the corn field, was identified and photographed in the company of Nikola Stojni}, Vesna Obradovi}, ^aba Matovi} and Dimitrije Radi{i}. So far, this is only the second record of the species in the lowlands surrounding the town of Valjevo. Previously, three birds had been observed and video–taped (on 13 Aug 2001) near the swimming pool about 1 km north of the Centre. Red–breasted Flycatcher is a possible breeder of the neighbouring Iz ornitolo{ke bele`nice / From the ornithological notebook Maljen Mt. [Gruba~, B. (2001): First recorded nest of Red–breasted Flycatcher in Serbia. – Ciconia 10: 150 – 152; Novakovi}, B. & Rakovi}, M. (2004): Status and analyse of the bird fauna of Mt. Maljen. – Ciconia 13: 99–104]. Marko [}iban, Bate Brki}a 18, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia and Montenegro, e–mail: sciban@eunet.yu Marko Rakovi}, Radni~ka 8, 14000 Valjevo, Serbia and Montenegro, e–mail: markorakovic@mail.com Rock Bunting Emberiza cia Skalni strnad – dva osebka opa`ena dne 16.11.2003 v predmestju ^a~ka (UTM DP55 Srbija); prvi podatek za dolino zahodne Morave Rock Bunting is a rare breeder of the mountainous area surrounding the town of ^a~ak [Gruba~, B. (2003): Ptice podru~ja Ov~arsko–Kablarske klisure. – Bele`nik Ov~arsko–Kablarske klisure lit. 2: 81 – 95; own data]. There are few data on the local population’s winter movements and habits. Around 7.00 on 16 Nov 2003, I stepped out of our family house in Atenica (UTM DP55) in the suburb of ^a~ak. The temperature was about 0°C and thick fog covered the entire town. I heard an unusual and quiet call from my neighbour's garden. Because of the fog I had to approach the site very close to see what bird was calling, and to my surprise there were two Rock Buntings sitting in a Cultivated Apple Malus domestica tree. They let me to approach them to about 3 m and showed no fear at all. One of them, probably 1st year male, was calling quietly virtually in front of me. The other bird was an adult female. I visited the same spot at 9.00 on the same day, but found no sign of them. This is the first record of this species in the Zapadna Morava valley. It is known that in Serbia Rock Buntings spent the winter or migrate through its lowlands [Matvejev, S. (1976): Pregled faune ptica Balkanskog poluostrva. I: detli}i i ptice peva~ice. – SANU, Beograd]. Rare records are also known even from Voivodina [Purger, J.J. (1990): Pitanje statusa planinske strnadice, Emberiza cia cia L., 1766 u Vojvodini. – Glasnik Prirodnja~kog muzeja u Beogradu B45: 169–170]. Milan Ru`i} Ul. 8/8 N. N. Atenica, 32000 ^a~ak, Serbia and Montenegro, e–mail: milruzic@yahoo.com 59 Bolgarija / Bulgaria Booted Eagle Hieraaetus pennatus Mali orel – dva para opa`ena v primernem okolju med gnezditvenim obdobjem na zahodni Stari Planini (UTM FP32 in 14, Z Bolgarija), prvi 10.7.2005, drugi 28.7.2005 During the 2005 breeding season, Booted Eagles were recorded within two areas of Zapadna Stara Planina Mountain. On 10 Jul 2005, a pair (dark phase) was observed in UTM square FP32. On 28.07.2005, another pair of Booted Eagles (light phase) was observed in UTM square FP14. For the first region we have unconfirmed data that the pair had nested there for a period of about 10 years. The two regions, in which the Booted Eagles were recorded, are rather similar in their natural characteristics. Namely, these are deciduous forest massifs at the foot of Zapadna Stara Mountain, which are in immediate proximity of vast open grasslands. The slopes are mainly facing east, the altitude of the region is about 350 – 500 m a.s.l. For the described regions of Zapadna Stara Planina Mountain, there are some old data regarding the observation of the species during the breeding season [Donchev, S. (1970): The Birds of Zapadna Stara Planina Mountain. pp. 45–92 In: Donchev, S. (1970): The Birds of Zapadna Stara Planina Mountain. – Periodical of the Museum of Zoology, BAS 21: 45–92]. Puzovi} [Puzovi}, S. (2000): Atlas ptica grabljivica Srbije. – Zavod za za{titu prirode Srbije, Beograd] also states that he observed single birds of this species during the breeding season, twice in two regions of the Serbian part of Stara Planina Mountain, one of which is adjacent to both Bulgarian zones, where the species was observed. Georgi P. Stoyanov, Centre for Conservation and Support of the Wild Fauna “Durrell”, Golyam Bratan Str. No. 23, BG–1618 Sofia, Bulgaria, e–mail: g.p.stoyanov@mail.bg, georgips@abv.bg Emil Djuninski, Assen Balkanski Str. No 43, v. Chuprene 3950, Region Vidin, Bulgaria, e–mail: chuprene@abv.bg Eleonora’s Falcon Falco eleonorae Sredozemski sokol – trije osebki opa`eni v gnezditvenem obdobju v vzhodnih Rodopih (UTM LF48, JV Bolgarija); opazovanja sredozemskega sokola so v Bolgariji v zadnjih letih redna, gnezdenje pa {e ni potrjeno On 25 Aug 2005, I observed three Eleonora’s Falcons (dark morph) near Dobromirtsi village in the Eastern Rhodopes (UTM LF48, SE Bulgaria). The observation took place between 16.00 and 17.00 hrs. The birds were seen flying over the rocky formations near (1 km) the Vurbitsa River. The landscape is an open country with separate rocks and fields. One of the birds made a successful attack, catching some prey and consuming it. In the Eastern Rhodopes, the species had been previously observed near the villages of Silen (UTM LG91) and Dolna Kula (UTM LF89) in 1984, Egrek (UTM LF87) and Strazhets (UTM MF08) in 1987 [Iankov, P. (1991): The birds of the Eastern Rhodopes. Time of presence and dynamics of the ornithofauna. – Ecology, Sofia 24: 26 – 43]. It has still not been proved that the species actually breeds in Bulgaria. The observed birds are possibly vagrants, feeding in the area. In recent years, observations of this species have become more regular in Bulgaria. Nevena Trifonova Kambourova, Central Laboratory of General Ecology–BAS, Gagarin Street no. 2, BG–1113 Sofia, Bulgaria, e–mail: nevena@ecolab.bas.bg, larus@abv.bg Terek Sandpiper Xenus cinereus Sabljasti martinec – opa`en dvakrat v SV Bolgariji: v Shabla Tuzli (UTM PJ22) dne 2.6.2001 in na jezeru Durankulak (UTM PJ23) dne 27.6.2002 During the census carried out at Shabla Tuzla, a small brackish to hypersaline wetland on the coast in northeastern Bulgaria (part of IBA BG049; UTM PJ22), an adult Terek Sandpiper was observed on 2 Jun 2001. The bird, which was in breeding plumage, was identified using a telescope. Other observers present there were the BSPB members Viktor Vassilev and Christo Gurdov. Another observation of the species took place on 27 Jun 2002 at the Eagle Marsh of the Lake Durankulak complex (IBA BG050; UTM PJ23; for the map of the area see [Petkov, N. (2003): Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca breeding population development and habitat selection at Durankulak lake, Bulgaria. – Acrocephalus 24 (118): 87–96]) on the west bank when I and Valentin Katrandgiev observed a bird in breeding plumage foraging along the shallow grassy bank of the marsh. The bird was observed with binoculars from a distance of 30 m through the car window. Subsequently we approached the bird by the car to a distance of 15 – 20m. The species had been recorded in the 1980s in both wetlands [Nankinov, D., Simeonov, S. & Ivanov, B. (1997): Fauna of Bulgaria, Vol. 26 Aves – part II. – “Prof. M. Drinov” publishing house, Sofia]. In recent years, there have Acrocephalus 26 (124): 47 – 62, 2005 60 been more regular observations of the species in Bulgaria mostly around the Burgas wetlands. Nikolai Petkov, BSPB/BirdLife Bulgaria, PO Box 50, BG–1111 Sofia, Bulgaria, e–mail: nicky.petkov@bspb.org Red–necked Phalarope Phalaropus lobatus Ozkokljuni liskono`ec – dne 15.5.2002 opa`en 1 osebek v zimskem perju; gre za redek podatek za notranjost Bolgarije (UTM FN74) On 15 May 2002, during the national breeding distribution mapping of Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca, me and Boris Krustanov observed a Red– necked Phalarope in non–breeding plumage at Peturch fishponds (UTM FN74) to the northwest of Sofia. The species is known to migrate through Bulgaria, mostly along the Black Sea coast [Nankinov, D., Simeonov, S. & Ivanov, B. (1997): Fauna of Bulgaria, Vol. 26 Aves – part II. – “Prof. M. Drinov” publishing house, Sofia]. However, records from inland areas are scarce, and till that day the species had not been recorded in this particular wetland. Nikolai Petkov, BSPB/BirdLife Bulgaria, PO Box 50, BG–1111 Sofia, Bulgaria, e–mail: nicky.petkov@bspb.org Syrian Woodpecker Dendrocopos syriacus Sirijski detel – dne 21.5.2001 opa`en osebek v rezervatu Srebarna (UTM NJ08, SV Bolgarija) med nenavadnim prehranjevanjem z `u`elkami, ki jih je nabiral s starega trsti~ja, le 50 – 60 cm nad vodo Unusual foraging behaviour of Syrian Woodpecker was observed on 21 May 2001 in Srebarna Managed Reserve, northeastern Bulgaria (UTM NJ08). The bird was picking insects from the old and dead reed stems (50 – 60 cm above the water). Syrian Woodpecker is more mobile than the Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major [Cramp, S., ed. (1985): Birds of Europe the Middle East and North Africa. Vol. 4. – Oxford University Press, Oxford]. This perhaps enables it to search for food not only in trees but also in more unstable substrates such as old reed stems. This may be a single individual behaviour utilizing the new foraging microhabitat. Nevena Trifonova Kambourova, Central Laboratory of General Ecology–BAS, Gagarin Street no. 2, BG–1113 Sofia, Bulgaria, e–mail: nevena@ecolab.bas.bg, larus@abv.bg Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica Kme~ka lastovka – opazovana med nenavadno igro lovljenja peresa, ki je sicer `e opisano v literaturi, pri samostanu Lopu{anski, dne 16. in 17.6.2005 (UTM FP60, SZ Bolgarija) On 16 and 17 Jun 2005, an adult Barn Swallow was observed during its aerial play with feathers in the yard of Lopushanski monastery, Montana region, NW Bulgaria (UTM FP60). This unusual behaviour was recorded on two occasions, the second time involving a larger – sized white feather. The bird was continuously circling around, dropping the feather and catching it at lower height after making 1 or 2 circles around it. During the first observation, it was repeated 6 – 7 times (16 Jun), on the next day only 3 – 4 times. The second feather was finally carried away by a male House Sparrow Passer domesticus. This Barn Swallow was from a pair having a nest with six 7 – 9 days old young. Although some other Barn Swallow pairs also bred in the monastery, none of them was seen performing the above mentioned tricks. The behaviour of dropping and catching feathers is widely known for the Barn Swallow [Brown, C.R. & Brown, M.B. (1999): Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica). In: Poole, A. & Gill, F. (eds.): The Birds of North America, No. 452. – The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA] and for the Tree Swallow Tachycineta bicolor [Lincoln, C.W. (1956): Tree Swallows playing with a feather. – Wilson Bull. 68 (2): 156–57; Robertson, R.J., Stutchbury, B.J. & Cohen, R. R. (1992): Tree Swallow. In: Poole, A., Stettenheim, P. & Gill, F. (eds.): The Birds of North America, No. 11. – The Academy of Natural Sciences, The American Ornithologists’ Union, Washington]. Observation of Brown–throated Sand Martin Riparia paludicola, which took place in South Africa on 3 Jul 2005, involved about 30 birds fighting for the possession of a relatively large (6 – 8 cm long) white feather, (A. Welz unpubl.). Acknowledgements: We would like to thank Adam Welz for sharing his unpublished observations (posted in South African Bird Net on 10 Aug 2005). Boris P. Nikolov, Bulgarian Ornithological Centre, Institute of Zoology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 1 Tsar Osvoboditel Blvd., BG–1000 Sofia, Bulgaria, e–mail: bnikolov@poshta.net Iva P. Hristova, Climatech Engineering Ltd., 51 Prof. Kiril Popov Str., BG– 1700 Sofia, Bulgaria, e–mail: fotobiota@abv.bg Rosen L. Aleksov, Regional Inspectorate of the Ministry of Environment and Water–Blagoevgrad, 1 Svoboda Str., BG–2700 Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria, e–mail: rioskata@yahoo.com Radoslav H. Stanchev, Executive Environmental Agency, 136 Tsar Boris III Blvd., Sofia, Bulgaria, e–mail: radoslav_stanchev@hotmail.com Iz ornitolo{ke bele`nice / From the ornithological notebook 61 Waxwing Bombycilla garrulus Pegam – ve~ opazovanj med februarjem in aprilom 2005 v Z Bolgariji (Vratza, UTM GN08; Sofia, FN82/92; Komshtitza, UTM FN67) On 4 Feb 2005, two Waxwings were registered in a park of Vratza (UTM GN08), the town situated close to the north slopes of Vrachanska Mountain, feeding on seeds from the nuts of Oriental Plane Platanus orientalis (I. Petkov pers. comm.). At about the same time, 5 birds were observed in Sofia near its Festival Hall (UTM FN 82/92), foraging on fruits of Guelder Rose Viburnum opulus (D. Dimitrov pers. comm.). On 4 Mar 2005, a flock of about 45 birds was registered 3 km north of Komshtitza town (UTM FN67). On 1 Apr 2005, a flock of 17 waxwings was observed in the park next to the National Palace of Culture in the very centre of Sofia (NDK; UTM FN 82/92). The birds stayed there till 26 Apr 2005. During this period, the maximum number of birds reached 28. The Waxwings in this park fed mainly on the Juniper Juniperus sabina fruits (D. Dimitrov pers. comm.). They also pecked blossoms in different decorative orchards, as well as fresh leaves of Canadian Poplar Populus deltoides, Ash Fraxinus excelsior, Sycamore Acer pseudoplatanus, and Lime Tilia sp. On separate days, the birds were also seen drinking sap from bark of the Common Silver Birch Betula pendula. The birds drank water and bathed in the park’s small pool or in puddles formed by rain. A few times during the sunny days, 2 – 4 males were singing, and separate formed couples were observed with males feeding the females. The Waxwings were tame and ignored the huge number of pedestrians passing by. On 17 Apr 2005, an unsuccessful attack by a Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus on a flock of Waxwings near NDK took place. On 17 Apr 2005, about 10 Waxwings were observed in the area of Sofia’s “Vassil Levski” National Stadium (UTM FN 82/92) (T. Lazarova pers. comm.). Acknowledgements: We would like to express our gratitude to Dimitar Dimitrov, Tamara Lazarova and Ivaylo Petkov. Georgi P. Stoyanov, Centre for Conservation and Support of the Wild Fauna Durrell, Golyam Bratan Str No 23, BG–1618 Sofia, e–mail: g.p.stoyanov@mail.bg, georgips@abv.bg Andrey Ralev, Mila Rodina Str 22 B, BG–1408 Sofia, e–mail: andrey@tradel.net Lachezar Spasov, Benkovski neighbourhood, Edinstvo Str. No 8, BG–1278 Sofia, e–mail: ares1@abv.bg Acrocephalus 26 (124): 47 – 62, 2005 Woodchat Shrike Lanius senator Rjavoglavi srakoper – dne 15.5.2003 je bilo v rezervatu Tissata v soteski Kresna (UTM FM72, SZ Bolgarija) kakih 15 – 17 m visoko najdeno gnezdo v rogovili debla topola Populus sp.; gnezdi{~e je neobi~ajno, {e posebno za sredozemsko regijo, ki ji obmo~je pripada On 15 May 2003, a female Woodchat Shrike was found lying in its nest situated in a Poplar Populus sp., in the trunk’s fork near the top of the tree at a height of about 15 – 17 m, in the buffer zone of Tissata Nature Reserve in the Kresna Gorge (UTM FM72, SW Bulgaria). The tree was located near the riverbank and next to the highway. A week later we found that the nest was destroyed and abandoned. In Europe, this species breeds in trees, especially fruit and olive trees [Snow, D. & Perrins, C. (1998): The birds of the Western Palearctic. Vol. II. – Oxford Univ. Press, Oxford, New York], most often between 3 and 10 m above the ground [Hagemeijer, E.J.W. & Blair, M.J., eds. (1997): The EBCC Atlas of European breeding birds: their distribution and abundance. – T & AD Poyser, London; Makatsch, W. (1976): Die Eier der Vögel Europas. II. – Radebeul]. In Georgia, the nests are situated lower than at 2.,35 m, as 75% of them are made in Pistachio Pistacia sp. and Christ’s Thorn Paliurus spina – christi [Gusev, V. & Bednyi, S. (1961); Trudy Inst. Zool. Akad. Nauk Gruzinskoy SSR, 18: 41–51]. In Europe, their nests are most often situated on thick horizontal branches and only 9% in the trunks’ forks [Ullrich, B. (1971): Untersuchungen zur Ethologie und Ökologie des Rotkopfwurers (Lanius senator) und Neuntoter (L. collurio). – Vogelwarte 26: 1–77]. The Woodchat Shrike’s nest we found was not typical of the Mediterranean region to which the Tissata Reserve belongs [Dimitrov, D. (1966): Climatic division of Bulgaria. pp. 262–293 In: Geography of Bulgaria, Vol 1. – BAS, Sofia; Stanev, S. (1991): Climatic zones and areas in Bulgaria. pp. 53–89 In: The climate of Bulgaria. – BAS, Sofia; Bondev, I. (1997): Geobotanical zoning. pp. 238–304 In: Geography of Bulgaria, Vol. 1. Physical geography. – BAS, Sofia]. Actually, it looked more like the Lesser Grey Shrike’s L. minor nest that is often situated in fork and generally at good height above the ground (3 – 20 m) and not so rarely in Poplars Populus sp. [Cramp, S. & Perrins, C.M. eds. (1993): Handbook of the Birds of Europe the Middle East and North Africa. Vol. 7 62 – Oxford University Press, Oxford]. In the study area, all Woodchat Shrike’s nests were in Christ’s Thorn or in short Oaks Quercus sp. not higher than 7 m above the ground. So far, no similar Woodchat Shrike’s nest site has been described in Bulgarian literature. Stoyan Ch. Nikolov, Central Laboratory of General Ecology (Bulgarian Academy of Sciences), Str. Gagarin 2, BG–1113 Sofia, Bulgaria, e–mail: snikolov@ecolab.bas.bg Svetoslav D. Spasov, Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds / BirdLife Bulgaria, BG–1111 Sofia, P.O. Box 50, Bulgaria, e–mail: svetoslav.spasov@bspb.org Ventzislav Delov, Faculty of Biology (Sofia University “St. Kl. Ohridski”), e–mail: ventzi@biofac.uni–sofia.bg Iz ornitolo{ke bele`nice / From the ornithological notebook