Late November - Early December 2023
We spent a week carrying out river surveys between Berat and Korçë — the third and final expedition of this particular HCMR project in Albania. As always, we were in good hands. Met with generous hospitality, nice people, and interesting landscapes.
Although most of my time was spent coordinating and overseeing fish surveys along the rivers, I still managed to submit 11 checklists and record 36 species on eBird. This time, others handled most of the wet work.
I also enjoyed two memorable walks around Berat Castle and discovered a hidden trail descending below the flagstaff. The path zigzags across the cliffside, revealing interesting microhabitats, crumbling rocky cliffs and phrygana. The rocks had a family of Rock Nuthatch, Ravens sat nearby for a sec. Experiencing all this just before sunset time, under gloomy and humid skies, made it quite atmospheric — and absolutely worth it.
Chaffinch on Black Poplar by the Shkumbini River.
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| Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, by the Shkumbini River. |
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| Osumi River, downstream of Berat. |
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| Goritsa neighbourhood, Berat. |
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| Eurasian Collared-Dove, Berat. |
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| Black Redstart, Berat. |
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| In Berat. |
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| Parsimons! (or Kakis), juicy winter treat in Albania; Berat Castle. |
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| Black Redstart, Berat Castle. |
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European Blackcap, Berat Castle.
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| Raven, Berat Castle. |
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| These are some of the most interesting birds for me. |
Despite working and overlooking fish surveys, I did manage to submit 11 checklists and log 36 species on eBird. Warmest thanks to eBird for providing this service (https://ebird.org/tripreport/176295)
