Serbia Long Eared Owls Trip Report December 2023

Serbia Long Eared Owls Trip Report December 2023

 
“Until this trip I’d only ever seen one Long eared Owl in my long birding/photography life. With Paul’s knowledge and using a great English speaking local wildlife specialist we were able to locate and see around 600 of these spectacular birds. His guidance on technique and in-depth photographic skills helped me get many quality shots of this gorgeous species – I’m proud of them, with wonderful photos to add to my portfolio. Thank you Paul.”
 
Ian Tilden: Long eared Owl Tour, December 2023
 

This year I met with my 2 clients, Ian and Dawn, at Heathrow – to travel to Belgrade together. As we exited the airport we were greeted by heavy snow – something I haven’t seen in Serbia in quite some time! As we travelled north it continued to come down and we could see just how much was lying, both on the ground and in the trees. It’s hard to put into words my excitement… Long eared Owls in snow is something of a dream shot for me.. so perhaps it would become reality this time? Unfortunately when we arrived at our hotel the snow was pretty much gone (there was much more down south) and I had to accept that ‘Snowy Owl’ images were probably out of the question..!

Over the next 3 days, with our guide (my good friend David), we visited a number of urban locations to photograph the roosting Long eared Owls. David is part of a research group, which includes ringing Owls and monitoring winter roost sites. He’s also incredibly knowledgeable on Serbian wildlife and always happy to answer any questions about his country. We visited some reliable roost sites where I’ve previously photographed and also some new ones which I hadn’t seen before. This is part of the appeal of this tour – whilst some roosts largely do stay put, some can move from year to year – offering brand new opportunities for photography. Roosts can be smaller, around 50 or so (yes, that’s right) whilst in some places they can easily be 200 or more. At some of the best roost sites it is not unusual to find 20 or even 30 owls in one tree. Hint: there are always way more Owls than you think!

(If you’d like to see some Video Footage of the Long Eared Owls in Serbia – Watch my YouTube Video from a 2018 trip)

We visited roosts by main roads, public parks, around churches.. and by blocks of flats! The Long eared Owls shelter where they can. Not only does it keep them out of the elements, but I suspect it is also warmer due to the heat from nearby buildings.

Whilst we were always looking up to the Owls, there were a couple of occasions where we found birds lower down. One great site was a public park where we found a small group in a conifer tree. This was much lower and I’d estimate around 15 feet high. With low light levels I really had to push my ISO.. not great when I was using a Canon R7! This image was taken with an RF 600mm attached.

One of the great things about the Owls is that you have plenty of time to experiment and try things out. It also means I can work closely with each client, as we’re shooting, to make the most of each opportunity.

The weather wasn’t particularly kind and it was cloudy almost all of our time there. But there was almost no rain, and the winds were never strong. On the last day there was an incredible hoar-frost and a thick fog that lasted for most of the day. We were lucky to see a few owls flying; this is uncommon in the day but the birds do sometimes shift their position in the roost. I managed to react quickly to get this – my one and only flight shot!

Unlike my Summer Serbian Tour, the days are short. We returned each day around 4pm and had plenty of time to review our images. This is something I always offer on this trip – in the evenings I will look at your images and see where we can make improvements, whether it’s Exposure, Lighting, or Composition.

On our last morning we had one of my favourite photo sessions. This roost proved to be excellent last year.. and it delivered again this time. Here the Owls roost in Birch trees – and the leaves had barely fallen. The yellow colour made for some beautiful images, both as wider shots and close ups. We experimented with our compositions, including using the leaves as blurred foreground.]

The Long eared Owl Winter Tour was a successful trip. Lots of Owls (there always is!), Serbian hospitality and some wonderful food! We also saw plenty of Buzzards, a flock of Common Cranes, Kestrels and Sparrowhawk. Most winters we do see Hen Harriers too, but we didn’t really dedicate the time to that on this trip. Thanks to my wonderful clients who really enjoyed the Owls and were willing to experiment with their photography. We had lots of fun and a lot of laughs!

I’ll be running this tour again in December 2024 and 2025 and I only take 2 Clients at a time. If you’d like to join me, send me an Email: paul@naturephotographycourses.co.uk 

It really is the best place to go for these magnificent birds!

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Serbia Trip Report June 2023

Serbia Trip Report June 2023

Due to the pandemic, the last time I used these hides in Serbia was in 2019 so I was eager to get back. It was a wonderful feeling to be back here again and I can honestly say the hides were as good as ever – in fact, this year I’d say they delivered some of the best opportunities I’ve ever seen. I met my 3 clients, Mike, Karen and Ray at Belgrade Airport before taking our transfer north to Vojvodina.

The next morning we had our first photo session – a beautiful setting for Hoopoe. Both parents were bringing food back to the chicks – my clients worked largely on capturing flight shots whilst I concentrated on video. We also got images of the youngsters peeking out of the nest hole! This hide is one-way glass, situated at ground level, with a wild flower meadow as the backdrop. It also doubles up as a White Tailed Eagle hide in the winter months.

hoopoe perched with food for chick in a flower meadow in serbia

hoopoe chick peering out of nest hole in a tree in serbia

The Tower Hide is always a busy place for photography. Here Red footed Falcon, Common Kestrel and European Roller all nest in close proximity. At times the action can be a little crazy – with so much going on that you don’t know where to point your camera! It often pays to concentrate on a specific species, or focus on a pre-visualised image. I’ve always struggled with flight shots here in the past; this time I managed my best flight shots of both Kestrel and Roller. The Red footed Falcons are always a challenge – their speed can be incredible!

male common kestrel calling on a perch in serbia

female common kestrel in flight in serbia

male red footed falcon perched in a tree in serbia in evening light

I tried a suggestion from one my clients, Ray, switching to a larger rectangular box for my autofocus. I was amazed how well it worked and I captured one of my best ever flight shots of a Roller as it swooped up to its perch. The Canon R6 auto-focus had locked on incredibly well and from 6 images, 4 were pin sharp on the head. Happy days!  Everyone enjoyed the Tower Hide very much and we did another session later in the week.

european roller in flight with food in serbia

The Water Hides are some of my favourites in Serbia. There are currently 2 in action, whilst a third one is being built for 2024. The main Water Hide is situated amongst the reed-beds with a beautiful view across the water. The background colours are beautiful and with low winds the reflections are very appealing. From our sessions here we photographed Grey Heron, Night Heron, Squacco Heron, Purple Heron, Little and Great Egret. The light here can be stunning – early in the morning the sun starts to break over the reeds and the quality of both sunlight and reflections is spot on.

squacco heron on lake in serbia
black crowned night heron with reflection on water in serbia in morning light

 

purple heron in flight in serbia

grey heron coming into land in reed beds in serbia

In our last session at the hide we had quite a surprise. Out of nowhere a White Stork landed, right in front of us and began to fish. We all took many, many images as the bird danced around, striking numerous poses and catching its prey. This was an absolute delight and something I had never seen from this hide before!

white stork stood in water on one leg scratching head in serbia

white stork feeding on fish in water in serbia

 

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The second water hide is a low down affair. Lying in a 4 foot high tube for hours on end is never comfortable… but I really like the aspect of this hide. Completely at ground level we had close up views of a range of birds that were naturally foraging in the shallow waters. Lapwing, Redshank, Great Egret and Purple Heron all came reasonably close for photography. It pays to keep turning over now and again (a bit like a spit-roast) to relieve tension in both your neck and back. Still, it might help to incorporate a little pilates into your life for moments like these…

redshank walking low down in grass in serbia

Some of my favourite images from this session were of a Pygmy Cormorant. The light was always flat and at times there was a little rain in the air. It was nice to get something different, a little atmospheric – the bird even did a nice shake for me at one point!

pygmy cormorant shaking off water in rain in serbia

There’s one bird I’d always wanted to capture in the past but never been successful – the Black winged Stilt. I think these birds are beautiful. Dainty and elegant.. although they can look a little too ridiculous at times when you realise just how long their legs are. As I’d hoped, a few of these birds slowly wandered in our direction and we managed some pleasing shots, often with blurred foregrounds.black winged stilt feeding in shallow water in serbia

black winged stilt feeding in shallow water in serbia

We did a solid 4 hours in that hide and, despite the discomfort, I really enjoyed my time in the there. And there’s always a sense of achievement at the end!

This year conditions for the Bee-eaters were fabulous. Shooting in the afternoon can give incredible light, particularly as the sun begins to set behind us. We shoot from a pop-up hide, which the birds readily accept. The bubbling sound here is just incredible, something that can’t be conveyed in the images – but you can listen to it in my Serbian Photo Tour Video

european bee-eater calling on perch in evening light in serbia

european bee eater food pass on branch in serbia

Simple portraits aren’t difficult to capture and even the food pass is relatively easy. So, with such great light, and favourable winds, I set about capturing some decent landing shots as birds came to alight on the perches. It’s often trial and error, but after a few attempts I managed some images I was really happy with.

european bee-eater coming into land on branch in serbia

european bee-eater coming into land with wings outstretched on branch in serbia

Without doubt, one of the highlights for me was our new location for Birds in Flight Photography. This site allows us to shoot at eye level and with such good activity we had numerous attempts at our flight shots. In just a short space of time we had photographed 4 species of Heron, 2 species of Egret and 2 species of Cormorant, not to mention the many Gulls – all from the same place!

night heron in flight with blue sky in serbia

Over the week we photographed at a second Hoopoe Hide, a Penduline Tit nest, and enjoyed ‘in the field’ photography with the help of our knowledgeable Serbian guides. We photographed Spoonbill, Great Reed Warbler, Moustached Warbler, a family of Bearded Tits and numerous Marsh Harriers! We had sightings of Red backed Shrike, Saker Falcon and Little Bittern. The species we saw reached impressive numbers – we counted around 50.. just in one morning! We finished our tour with a morning trip to Subotica, with a local guide, for a little sight-seeing and to learn about the history of the town.

two bearded tits perched in reeds in serbia in summer

It was a great week with some truly memorable moments. As always a big thank you must go the hide operators who work extremely hard. And a massive thanks to my clients for making it such a fun trip, great company to have!

Watch my video of this years’ Serbian Bird Photography Tour on YouTube

 

Join me on a Tour in Serbia (Places are limited)

Email me: paul@naturephotographycourses.co.uk

 

Photograph the Famous Roosting Long Eared Owls of Serbia

 

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Full Bird List for this Tour

I’ve done my very best to list everything we saw and heard, but there were so many species I may have missed something!

Farmland / grasslands: Red footed Falcon, Common Kestrel, European Roller, Jackdaw, Collared Dove, Common Starling, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Hooded Crow, European Bee-eater, Common Cuckoo, Saker Falcon, Hobby, Stonechat, Turtle Dove, Golden Oriole, Woodpigeon, Corn Bunting

Water Birds: Grey Heron, Black-crowned Night Heron, Squacco Heron, Purple Heron, Great Cormorant, Pygmy Cormorant, Great Egret, Little Egret, Little Bittern, Spoonbill, Black winged Stilt, Mute Swan, Coot, Mallard, Pochard, Red crested Pochard, Ferruginous Duck, Tufted Duck, Greylag Goose, Redshank, Northern Lapwing, Marsh Harrier, Black headed Gull,  Mediterranean Gull, Black Tern, Whiskered Tern, Kingfisher

Reed beds / Wetlands: Bearded Tit, Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler, Great reed Warbler, Moustached Warbler, Penduline Tit, Sand Martin

Woodland and Scrub: Whitethroat, Red backed Shrike, Lesser grey Shrike, Long eared owl, Little Owl, Great spotted Woodpecker, Syrian Woodpecker, Green Woodpecker, Jay, Great Tit, Chaffinch, Blackcap, Whitethroat

Other Wildlife: Otter, Roe Deer, Brown Hare, Water Snake, Frogs, Lizards, Butterflies, Damselflies & Dragonflies

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Serbian Owls Images

serbianowls

A number of my images from my Serbian Owl project made it into BBC Wildlife this month, December 2018. I’ve been visiting Serbia, and in particular Kikinda, for a few years documenting the remarkable owls roosts.

serbianowls

Every winter huge gatherings of these birds arrive across towns and villages of Vojvodina. It’s an incredible experience and I’ve been lucky to spend time with these fascinating birds. Check out my Blog Post on Long eared Owls including my twilight images. If you’re interested in joining me for a winter bird watching and photography tour in Serbia Click Here 

Watch the video below on my Serbian Owl project.

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Serbian Birds Photo Tour Trip Report

Serbian Birds Photo Tour Trip Report

I’ve just returned from a successful Bird Photography Tour in Serbia with my two clients Ian and Alec. During the seven night all inclusive tour we used some excellent hides which really delivered, and we experienced incredibly consistent weather. We all managed some ‘firsts’ including the extravagant looking Hoopoe.!

A late night flight to Belgrade meant a quick stop over before being picked up the next morning. We were soon on the road, heading towards Subotica in the province of Vojvodina. Subotica is the most Northern city in Serbia, with many Hungarian influences. After checking into Hotel Galleria we were soon taken for our first hide session: the Tower Hide. Situated in flat, largely agricultural land this hide overlooks a number of small trees used by various breeding birds. This is a one-way glass hide which helps to reduce disturbance; the disadvantages are in loss of light – you lose around a stop. And yes, it can reduce sharpness a little, but with good light and good equipment I think it really is negligible. Nest boxes close to the hide allow amazing views of European Roller, Common Kestrel and Red footed Falcon. Perches have been expertly positioned, giving stunning backgrounds at a good distance for the majority of ‘wildlife’ lenses. During our first session we captured beautifully lit portraits and I managed to bag a decent flight shot of a Roller…  after failing miserably last year.! The hide gets very hot, but such is the nature of wildlife photography – it is a case of suffering for your art. The results are worth it! You can see some Roller Video Footage on my YouTube Channel

Shooting during this time of year means early starts and  the next morning we were out for 5.00am to try the Hoopoe hide. This was a real bonus, having only been set up this year by our hosts. I wasn’t too sure what to expect but it turned out to be one of my favourite hides. Myself and Alec settled into the bigger hide whilst Ian had a pop up hide to himself – both positioned at the same distance from the nesting Hoopoes. Between us we shot with a mixture of 400mm, 500mm and 600m  – all Canon gear.! The setting is just beautiful; perfect for the early morning light with a mixture of background colours and some semi-shade. After taking portraits we all had a go at flight shots, such was the frequency of the returning parent birds.

After a midday break and some lunch we headed for our next photography hide – the drinking pool. This is essentially a reflection pool situated within a woodland site, regularly used by a good selection of birds. The light here is best in the afternoon when the sun is directly behind. The great thing about this type of hide is you never know what’s going to turn up.! The record is around 15 species in one session and we did pretty well – reaching about 12. Both male and female Hawfinch were a delight as they came to drink and bathe; other birds included Tree pipit, male Blackcap, Jay and the beautiful Turtle Dove. The real highlight was when a juvenile Sparrowhawk came in!

After teasing us in the branches it finally dropped down and began to splash in the pool – just yards away! A magical encounter. The visit was a prolonged one… the longest I’ve ever watched a Sparrowhawk for. Whilst this is great if you’re a huge Sparrowhawk fan (like me!) it doesn’t help to attract the smaller birds.! Eventually the bird left and we got a few more images of various species before the light levels started to drop. Light levels aren’t really an issue for filming so I made sure to get some Video footage including this Bathing Jay!

Another early start and this time for pop-up hides at the Bee-eater colony. If you want to photograph colourful birds then you can’t do much better than a Bee-eater! Our host set up the hides, positioned strategically towards the slim perches and then we prepared ourselves. After a bit of a wait the birds were back, landing on the perches and dazzling us in the morning sun. The light was extraordinary – bright, but somehow with a different quality that didn’t seem quite as harsh as in the UK. We photographed a number of food passes, including one with a beautiful blue dragonfly.! The sounds of these birds were beautiful too – a lovely relaxed bubbling as they whizzed around the nest site. I also captured some Bee-eater Video Footage of the food passing.

Towards the end of the tour we visited Palic Lake. This area, designated as a protected nature reserve, is a tranquil haven for birds. Palic is home to a huge Pygmy Cormorant roost, a very interesting subject to photograph, with the dark shapes dotted around the white-washed trees. The tranquillity was only broken by the calls of Egrets and Herons that constantly flew past us over the reedbed. Unlike some reserves in the UK, here there is no struggling for tripod space – in fact, we barely saw a person during three hours. Great Reed Warblers were everywhere and we all managed to get something of this vocal bird.

The long days do take their toll so I had factored in a rest morning half way through. This was a good time to explore Subotica – a beautiful and relaxing city with friendly locals and some superb food.! During the week long trip we visited each hide twice, trying to capture something different. Me and Alec visited the drinking pool again and were quite taken aback when a huge Buzzard bungled itself in by the pool – one of the highlights of the week! On the last day, I went for back-lit Hoopoe shots whilst Alec and Ian tried the drinking pool again. This time they were treated to a male Sparrowhawk. I was gutted!!

This Serbian Photography Tour will run again in mid-May 2018. You can see more Serbian Wildlife on the Gallery Page at www.paulmiguel.co.uk  If you’re looking for a different destination with quality hides and a top class hotel, then this is the trip for you. Serbia really does offer very good value all round. Any questions about these bird holidays please feel free to email on paul@naturephotographycourses.co.uk or ring me on 07759485791. You may be interested in my other Small Group Nature Photography Tours

I’m looking forward to taking next years group already!

Paul Miguel

 

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Long Eared Owl Photography

Long Eared Owl Photography

It was a few short words in a travel magazine that began it all: my obsession with Long eared Owls. I had never heard of the owl roosts in Serbia, but after researching on the net I decided to try my luck at photographing the Long eared Owl roosts that occur each winter in Serbia.

long eared owl

My first visit was in November 2015. After researching other locations for bird photography I spent my last day in the northern town of Kikinda, famed for its owl roosts. The day was wall to wall sunshine; glorious. At first the owls were barely noticeable, but then I suddenly spotted my first one – perched on a clear branch overlooking a well used path. It’s then that you begin to see what’s really there. As I walked under the trees I could make out another, slightly hidden behind the foliage – and then another, and then… well, when you really start to look you realise there’s actually about six all sat within a few feet of each another! I found one conifer tree and counted around twenty, all sat quietly above me. That day I barely stopped, shooting as much as I could. Most images were taken with a Canon 400mm and a 1.4x extender but sometimes it was possible to shoot with the 400mm alone.

longearedowl photography

owlphotography

howtophotographowls

Long eared Owls have been roosting in Kikinda for years – in huge numbers. The surrounding farmlands are perfect for hunting, providing the owls with a high number of voles. With virtually no surrounding trees, the town makes the perfect (and only) roosting site. The streets are lined with both deciduous and evergreen trees, ideal for owls to roost during the day. The added heat of the town also helps the birds to avoid the harsh temperatures of the Serbian winter.

serbianowlphotography

photographyowls

twilightowls

Seeing the owls in such numbers in this fascinating urban habitat had really got under my skin. I just had to go back! February 2016 saw my second visit, but with poor weather it proved to largely a recce trip. I was introduced to two new owl roosts though – both with photographic potential.

owlroostphotography

longearedowl roosts

It was December 2016 when I made my third visit. Through new Serbian contacts I was granted access to higher floors of buildings; enabling me to get to the same level as the owls! With a spell of settled weather forecast I booked my flight with literally two days notice. This trip was undoubtedly the best so far. It also drew the attention of Serbian TV who Filmed me in Kikinda! During this trip I was able to get to eye level with a number of owls and explore more locations for future visits. Things were looking good..how to photograph owls

owlphototour

One of the most exciting aspects was the possibility of capturing images at twilight. This would be virtually impossible had it not been for the nearby street lights. The result was images of Long Eared Owls with twilight skies lit purely by a mixture of natural and artificial light. Magical!

twilight owl photo

owlphototwilight

This type of photography sure does test your long lens technique.! The only way to achieve pin sharp results with my newly acquired Canon 500mm lens was to rest a beanbag on top of an empty tripod head. Shutter speeds were insanely slow… and ISOs high. But.. it was possible – and the results… absolutely stunning! I really doubt it’s possible to do this anywhere else on the planet. It truly is unique.

nightphotoowls

longearedowl night

owlroostserbia

There’s no doubt the Long eared Owl roosts of Serbia are a true spectacle. Watching them sat in the trees peering down at passers by is quite bizarre. Its urban wildlife at its best!

If you’re interested in this unique experience why not book yourself onto one of the Serbian Owl Photography Tours in December. Serbia is a country full of surprises and this surely is one of its best.

owlphototour

 

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