Some you see and some you do not

An early morning around our local village was very profitable.  Hawfinches were flying around everywhere and in almost every garden.  Crossbills also frequented pines and we found White and Grey Wagtails easily.  A small group of Siskins fed on an area of grassland and 2 Dippers of the Black-bellied race were in the stream.

Hawfinches were the commonest bird on our early morning walk.

After breakfast we moved on down the Valley of Roses and took a walk over a landscape of grassland and forest.  We noted a Great Spotted Woodpecker and Crested Lark before a superb Eastern Imperial Eagle soared overhead.  Heading back a lone Chiffchaff flew by and 66 White Storks passed overhead before we boarded the bus to head off for our main quarry.

The Black-bellied Dipper

Using a four-wheel drive we went up very high to the edge of the snowline.  We began a walk in the dramatic hills but found little.  A group of 12 Wild Boar running beneath us pumped the adrenalin.  We found a splendid male Ring Ouzel after a while and then paused by beech woodland to obtain great views of a Black Woodpecker before finding a couple of Willow Tits.  Try as we could we found no sign of the elusive Rock Partridge.  Then just after lunch a heavy and prolonged snow shower arrived and we gave up for the day.  We will be back tomorrow.