I just spent a week visiting my older son who has lived here for 19 or so years.
I generally do a little low key "year listing" round the city parks, and like to compare the differences in the seasons. I realized that in 20 or so visits, I had never actually been here in May before.
Black Kites are a relatively common summer visitor and at one point I had 4 overhead together, and indeed, as remarked upon by Ian on a different thread, one of these was in primary moult; (is it an "age" related thing with some of them at this time of the year, - I really don't know)?
On a run out from the city on Saturday, we pulled into a filling station and I noted three largish raptors overhead, a Common Buzzard, a Black Kite and and a rangier larger more impressive Red Kite, all making a rather nice trio for comparison.
Early evenings high over the garden, 2 or 3 Alpine Swifts were regularly on show with the many Common Swifts, and a Black Redstart hung about near the garden furniture, though rather shyly, under the shade of the trees.
Last Thursday, I found a new park, (Belvoir Park) on the south side of Zurichsee (where I noted the Red-crested Pochards had young), and crept in along a quiet path beneath some conifers. I gave a few gentle squeaks to see what, if anything, might respond. The usual Great Tits shot out from nowhere, and to my delight several Crested Tits, which all but landed on me. perching quite boldly within 4 feet. Never satisfied, I deftly picked up a dead twig and held it out hopefully, but they thought better of landing on it.
About 30 feet along the same path I squeaked again, and out popped another "year tick" a rather tatty tired looking Firecrest, carrying food, obviously raising a family, so I left it in peace and moved on.
Down on the ornamental pools Broad- bodied Chasers were cavorting, males chasing around, a pair in tandem flight, and then a female ovipositing right in front of me. - brilliant! -one of my favourite species, and good enough to be a bird!
The bird highlight of my week was my first Marsh Warbler for some 8/9 years, and indeed a "Swiss tick," singing and showing quite well in some marginal vegetation bordering a reserve approach near Usnacht, just east of Zurich, where White Storks are nesting on many of the roofs and towers. (My Swiss list, I hasten to add, is even more modest than my Manchester list, so I have plenty of scope for new discoveries).
Switzerland is probably not generally thought of as a destination for a focused birding holiday, there are so many other attractions about the place, but I have generally found good birds there whilst doing other things, like skiing ( stopping to ogle at Nutcrackers and Citril Finches half way down a run), or enjoying Goulashsuppe and a beer at a high level ski station restaurant, with an Alpine Accentor grubbing around under the table, and as often as not several Snow Finches foraging for crumbs on an adjacent table, and an audience of Alpine Choughs perched on a balcony rail perhaps 6 feet away. Add in the view and it doesn't get much better!