I headed to Stožecká Luka in Šumava National Park with one main target in mind: the Ural Owl. I wanted to spend a good part of the day in the field and hopefully get a chance to see this beautiful owl. In the end, it turned into an almost full-day trip, covering more than 8 km on foot and recording a total of 35 bird species.
The weather was pretty good. We had a mix of partly cloudy and cloudy skies, making it comfortable to spend the day outdoors. There were several highlights along the way. I managed to spot a Eurasian Three-toed Woodpecker, Jack Snipe, Grey-headed Woodpecker, Woodlark and Common Crossbill. I also recorded six different species of tits, along with several other birds that made it onto my daily list.
The landscape around Stožecká Luka is a mix of open meadows and woodland. This means you have to keep changing your approach while birdwatching. In some places, it’s worth scanning the skies and open areas, while elsewhere you need to pay more attention to the sounds coming from the trees. Sometimes it’s simply a matter of spotting a bird before it disappears back into the vegetation.
The Ural Owl will have to wait
And what about my main target? Unfortunately, I didn’t manage to find the Ural Owl. Despite spending several hours in the field, I neither saw nor heard one, so this time I had to leave without ticking it off my list.
Still, I came away with 35 recorded species, some really nice sightings and almost a full day spent outdoors. The Ural Owl remains high on my list of birds I’d love to see in Šumava. Maybe next time I’ll finally get lucky!
