Heath-moor landscape: spring awakening

Dusk falls over the high moor. A burring sound is suddenly heard over the bulbs and pines. A Eurasian Woodcock (Scolopax rusticola)  is on its territorial flight. She can also be seen briefly. A little later, the long-eared owl (Asio otus) reports with its typical call from an oak stand. In spring, life awakens in… Continue reading Heath-moor landscape: spring awakening

A Plain Leaf-Warbler – winter visitor at the Hajar Mountains – UAE

In the early morning light we go to Green Mubazzarah, which is located at the foot of the Hajar Mountains. Green Mubazzarah is a true paradise in the morning. Green Mubazzarah is a picnic area with streams, grass and chalets at the north foot of Jebel Hafeet before the road begins to climb to the… Continue reading A Plain Leaf-Warbler – winter visitor at the Hajar Mountains – UAE

Vögel in Eis und im Schnee

Tiefe Temperaturen und hoch liegender Schnee bedeuten für viele Tiere, dass sie sich die Nahrung nicht auf vertraute Weise suchen können. So sind bei hoher Schneelage manch ungewöhnliche Verhaltensweisen zu beobachten. Manchmal fallen auch Spuren der Nahrungssuche und der Ernährungsgewohnheiten der Tiere bei einem Spaziergang auf. Unter der Schwarz-Erle (Alnus glutinosa) ist der Schnee schwarz… Continue reading Vögel in Eis und im Schnee

A little Dwarf : the Firecrest

You are in a coniferous forest and you hear a high “ziziziziit”, practically always on the same pitch. You cannot go wrong in this combination. Singing is the hallmark of the Firecrest (Regulus ignicapilla). If you have discovered the Firecrest e.g. by imitated the “singing”, you quickly see a bright orange-red crest, which is raised… Continue reading A little Dwarf : the Firecrest

Wintergoldhähnchen im Schnee

Eisiger Ostwind treibt Schneewolken über das weite Feld. Trotzdem sind feine Rufe schon aus einiger Entfernung zu hören. Wintergoldhähnchen (Regulus regulus) machen ihrem Namen alle Ehre. Ein kleiner Trupp trotzt dem Schnee und findet sich an den tief hängenden Zweigen der am Waldrand stehenden Kiefern ein. Trotz der Kälte von -7 °C sind die kleinen… Continue reading Wintergoldhähnchen im Schnee

Redwing on icy shore

The snow is already high and flakes are still falling from the icy-cold sky in eastern Germany. Only the flowing waters still have open water. A refuge not only for water birds. Other surface waters in the area have long been covered by a thick layer of ice. The Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) do not seem… Continue reading Redwing on icy shore

Firecrest, Regulus ignicapilla, in coniferous forest

Coniferous forest and a high-pitched ziziziziit, practically always at the same frequency. You cannot go wrong in the combination. The song is the best field mark for the Firecrest (Regulus ignicapilla). If you made the Firecrest approach you closer, for example by imitated the “song”, you quickly see a bright orange red crest, which is… Continue reading Firecrest, Regulus ignicapilla, in coniferous forest

Sommergoldhähnchen im Nadelwald

Nadelwald und ein hohes ziziziziit, praktisch immer auf derselben Tonhöhe. In der Kombination kann man nicht viel falsch machen. Der Gesang ist das Kennzeichen des Sommergoldhähnchens (Regulus ignicapilla). Hat man das Sommergoldhähnchen entdeckt, indem man z.B. den „Gesang“ imitiert hat, sieht man schnell einen leuchtend orangeroten Scheitelfleck, der bei Erregung aufgestellt wird. Beide Geschlechter haben… Continue reading Sommergoldhähnchen im Nadelwald

Goldcrest, bathing under waterfall on Flores

Walking a steep trail in search of North-American vagrants under the high cliffs near the little village of Ponta da Fajã on the west coast of Flores eventually I came to a waterfall right beside the hiking trail. I took a rest and was surprised to notice some movement close to the constant shower of… Continue reading Goldcrest, bathing under waterfall on Flores

Spring migration along the Baltic Sea coast

Sunrise over the southern shore of the Baltic Sea. Grey dots swinging in the air reveal themselves as migrating songbirds. And there were masses of grey dots. One flock after another passed the steep cliff of the island of Usedom in the morning of eastern. A fresh wind blowing from the south obviously pushed the… Continue reading Spring migration along the Baltic Sea coast

Siberian Vagrants: The Yellow-browed Warbler

Soft evocative calls in tall herb. Every year there is a pronounced migration of Goldcrest (Regulus regulus). But it is worth to risk a closer look. In the mixed flocks sometimes there are representatives of small Phylloscopus-Warblers. One of them, the Yellow-browed Warbler (Phylloscopus inornatus), comes from the forests of the taiga between Sea of… Continue reading Siberian Vagrants: The Yellow-browed Warbler