Wright's Wanderings: February 2018

Saturday, 3 February 2018

Batumi Raptor Count, Georgia, August-October 2017

My fourth consecutive count at Batumi and just when you think you have seen everything it can offer it surprises you. This autumn will be remembered for the astonishing Pallid Harrier count, around 1800 with 400 on one day. Other highlights were migrating Pallas's Gulls, Eleonora's Falcons, Black Vulture and some breath-taking Honey Buzzard migration.
As usual I witnessed some harrowing raptor killing including Honey Buzzards being stoned to death, some of these digi-scoped videos I will post at some point. As in previous years the count ended with appalling weather. Check out www.batumiraptorcount.org/ for the full count total.

Honey Buzzard

Juveniles

This juvenile has met a Georgian on it's way south from the Caucasus mountains.

2nd cy female, 17th September. One of the highlights of this autumn's Batumi count. Juvenile outer four primaries and nearly all secondaries still juvenile apart from outer two. Striking tail shape with new and old feathers. The dark head and breast had been moulted and the underparts were in the process of being moulted. Iris was pale yellow and the bill base was pale also.

Adult male, 6th September

Adult male, 27th August

Barring in remiges could fit both sexes but brown primaries and trailing edge like female. Broad wings make it a female.

Adult female, 27th August

Adult female, 11th September

Adult male with white forewings.

Adult male

Adult male, 27th August

Adult male

Adult female. A broad winged individual with lightly marked carpal patches and a slightly protruding P5. Possibly some distant Crested Honey Buzzard influence?

Adult male and female.

Same as female three photos above..

Certainly an interesting female. Broad wings and tail made it stand out from the other Honey Buzzards.

Adult male

Adult female, 27th August

Adult male with a long stick attached to it's legs. The only explanation that I can think of is that it was some kind of trap set by hunters which resulted in the bird escaping.

I saw a second male carrying or attached to a long stick. It arrived from the sea during a strong migration which resulted in about 3,000 HB's making landfall from the sea. I presume this birds predicament was like the above bird.