EuroBirdwatch 2009

Country

Organisation

No. events

No. participants

No. birds total

Top 3 birds

Special stories and migratory birds

Armenia

ASPB

6

117

962

1. Long-legged buzzard

2. White Stork

3. Common Buzzard

Great contribution was made Peace Corps Volunteers based in Armenian villages that organized bird watching trips and provided data. Unusual sightings: 1 Imperial Eagle, Lesser Spotted Eagle (2), Steppe Eagle (1), Jack Snipe (3) and the Northern Harrier (1).

Azerbaijan

AOS

2

35

2149

1. Coot

2. Cormorant

3. Mute Swan

Very good weather, Majority of participant were members of Students nature Watching Club created with support of AOS. Participants demonstrated very big interest for watching of birds.

Belarus

APB

101

2353

21357

1. Rook

2. Starling

3. Mallard

A woman saw her pearl-hen being attacked by a goshawk (Accipiter gentilis). He already grabbed when two ravens appeared. It seemed that they tried to save the bird. The goshawk dropped her and flew away. The pearl-hen survived.

Belgium

VZW

42

141

23356

1. Meadow pipit

2. Finch

3. Starling

Very stormy. Several observed Merlins Falco columbarius, at sea also a Sabine’s Gull Xema sabini. For the first time contact with Dutch birders as well

Bulgaria

BSPB

15

221

9153

1. Starling

2. Common Pochard

3. Coot

Due to rain many activities were cancelled.  There was coverage on national television. Activities included searches for illegal poaching, together with the ministry of Environment. Special observations incl. Griffon Vulture; Roller;

Short-toed Eagle.

Cyprus

BirdLife Cyprus

6

52

4592

1. Spanish Sparrow

2. Barn swallow

3. House sparrow

Many Yellow wagtails (on 4^th place) and total of 107 species seen.

Czech Republic

CSO

40

1243

38164

1. Starling

2. Mallard

3. Black-headed gull

Estonia

EOS

6

65

112000

1. Chaffinch

2. Widgeon

3. Barnacle Goose

Spotted 147 species. A short clip on Birdwatch aired in evening tv news.

Finland

BirdLife Finland

No specific events

623

492 140

1. Barnacle Goose

2. Fieldfare

3. Widgeon

23 migrating Golden Eagles. 4938 Common Crane (not all left yet!) A visit from two brown bears to a bird watching post.

Germany

NABU

89

> 500

68.854

1. Graylag goose

2. Starlin

3. Mallard

Bad weather in the North. Results are from 39 post only.  Late Swifts (12). 9 White-tailed Eagles.

Gibraltar

GONHS

4

300

700

1. Cory’s shearwater

2. Yellow legged gull

3. Northern Gannet

As for 2008, Northern Gannet, Cory’s shearwater feeding on flying fish (Exocetidae) together with Yellow-legged gulls. Small observable migration of raptors, including Marsh Harrier, Eurasian Sparrow hawk, Common kestrel and Honey Buzzard.

Hungary

NME

137

4393

495453

1. Starling

2. Common Crane

3. Mallard

Sunny and windy. Interesting observations incl. 1 American Golden Plover, 1 Pectoral Sandpiper. Unusual observations Eagle Owl, Red Kite, Roller. Thousands of Barn Swallow and one Sand Martin were ringed.

Italy

LIPU

47

646

148391

1. Starling

2. Mallard

3. Flamingo

Interesting observations incl. Ural Owl

Laughing Dove

Latvia

LOB

60

450

73496

1. Chaffinch

2. Lapwing

3. Great Tit

Bad weather! Rare observations:  7 Purple Sandpipers Calidris maritime. Events incl. opening of two bird watching towers:

Kanieris Lake (funded by CEMEX & Dviete Floodplain Nature Park (funded by Vogelbescherming Nederland)

Country

Organisation

No. events

No. participants

No. birds total

Top 3 birds

Special stories and migratory birds

Lithuania

LOD

24

417

79643

1. Chaffinch

2. Wood Pigeon

3. Coot

Macedonia

MES

3

240

70

1. Rock pigeon

2. Jackdaw

3. Great Tit

Heavy rain and clouds.

Malta

BirdLife Malta

2

36

3068

1. Spanish Sparrow

2. Barn Swallow

3. Yellow- legged gull

Weather not favourable Highlights previous week 6 Black Stork, 1 Egyptian Vulture, 1 Hen Harrier, 2 Pallid Harrier, 3 Lesser-spotted Eagle and 1 Eurasian Spoonbill. Illegal hunting: birds shot:1 Great White Egret, 2 Barn Swallow, Common Kestrel and little egret.  Poachers shooting two Black Storks, a Lesser-spotted Eagle and many Marsh Harriers, Honey-buzzards and falcons.

Netherlands

VBN

130

1500

145450

1. Starling

2. Black-headed gull

3. Greylag Goose

Stormy conditions. Low counts but some interesting species incl. Balearic Shearwater, Richard’s Pipit & White-tailed Eagle. Events incl. 380 km hiking trail with special watch posts from North Sea coast to German border.

Poland

OTOP

 104

1100

94093

1. Sparrow

2. Mallard

3. Starling

Weather terrible. Interesting observations: Yellow-legged Gull, Water Rail

Romania

SOR

 32

125

54178

1. Starling

2. Mallard

3. Coot

Raining and strong winds in most of the locations           

Country

Organisation

No. events

No. participants

No. birds total

Top 3 birds

Special stories and migratory birds

Russia

RBCU

837

15456

896716

1. Blue Rock Pigeon

2. Hooded Crow

3. Rook

Serbia

ORNISS (LOA & BSPSV)

9

137

24071

1. Starling

2. Black-headed gull

3. Coot

Sunny weather! Interesting observations incl. Long-legged Buzzard and Little Grebe.

This year’s EBW marks the start of Common Bird Monitoring into Serbia.

Slovakia

SOS

14

745

5328

1. Mallard

2. Coot

3. Grey Heron

Special observations: Phalacrocorax pygmeus, Numenius arquata. 3 Great White Egrets. 150 Common Crane. Migration of the Wood lark at Žitava meadow. Activities incl. information stands, habitat care activities and nest boxes building.

Slovenia

DOPPS

6

140

2900

1. Wood pigeon 2. Mallard

3. Black-headed gull

Sunny and warm, interesting observations incl. Sanderling and Curlew Sandpiper

Spain

SEO

168

30000

25000

1. House Sparrow

2. Spotless Starling

3. Chaffinch

Kyte fly, Birdwatching- Bike, Moon watching

Sweden

SOF

various

1075

506017

1. Greylag Goose

2. Common crane

3. Bean goose

Storm and heavy rains. Rare birds like Sabine´s Gull, Corys Shearwater, Leach´s Storm-petrel, Manx Shearwater, the 4 species of Skuas.

Best was a Golden Oriole in Norther Sweden (extremely rare this time of the year). Also a Roller and a Woodchat Shrike.

Switzerland

SVS

55

5465

44329

1. Starling

2. Chaffinch

3. Coot

Sunny and windy…Few passerines but rather good migration of raptors: Ospreys, Red-footed falcons, Merlin.

Turkey

DD

9

162

33365

1. Starling

2. Ruddy Shelduck

3. Coot

Ukraine

USPB

45

1062

1. House Sparrow

2. Rook

3. Great Tit

Only part of results. Unusually warm weather and a flock of 45 Common Cranes.

TOTAL

    1.812

67.544

2.876.318