Feeding by sweeping their bills back and forth through the water like a rake, a Eurasian Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia) is catching food by trapping small prey with their special bill. A spoonbill is a type of wading bird that can be found in shallow water. These birds have a long, spoon-shaped bill that is used to filter out small aquatic animals like crustaceans, insects, and mollusks. They have long legs and webbed feet that allow them to walk through shallow water and mud.
In the middle of the Pannonian lowlands in the border area of Austria and Hungary lies a paradise for bird watchers, Spoonbills, Storks and other birds: the Lake Neusiedl – or Neusiedler See as it is written in german. The meadows and salt lakes of the steppe landscape are teeming with bird, magnificent butterfly species, Ground Squirrels (Spermophilus citellus) and rare orchids. All find a suitable habitat here.
The “Neusiedler See – Seewinkel National Park” is located 50 km south-east from Vienna, the capital of Austria, and is bounded in the west by the Leitha Mountains. East of it begins the Hungarian lowlands. The landscape of the Seewinkel is a typical Puszta landscape with numerous, small, shallow salt lakes, the so-called Lacken, and the Neusiedler Sec, which is only a little over a meter deep. With an area of approximately 320 km², which is almost half overgrown with high reeds, it is considered the largest steppe lake in Europe and has a significant influence on the climate in this area. It is very mild in this region – even in May, temperatures sometimes exceed 30°C. Luckily there is almost always a light breeze, because when it doesn’t, the heat becomes unbearable. Despite the usually pleasant temperatures in spring and autumn, a warm sweater or jacket should not be missing in your luggage. Strong winds can sometimes drop the daytime temperature significantly, and the cold then goes through your bones and bones. It’s in season practically all year round. Nature photographers visited Lake Neusiedl in spring, summer and autumn and found that that the months of April to mid-July are particularly productive for animal photography.
Spoonbills are most commonly seen in coastal wetlands, estuaries, and mudflats. Spoonbills are mainly solitary birds that feed during low tide to take advantage of more food sources. Spoonbills are usually found in areas with plenty of shallow water, so they can easily find their food. They are often seen in large groups and can be quite fascinating to watch. They are an important part of the ecosystem, providing food for other animals and helping to keep their habitat healthy.
If you are looking to spot a spoonbill in the wild, keep an eye out for them in shallow water or mudflats of Lake Neusiedl. You can also find them in areas where there is plenty of vegetation, as they like to use reeds and other plants to hide and nest. Spoonbills are known to be quite vocal and can be heard making loud, low-pitched calls during the nesting season.
To cope with the growing demand for top shots of the rarer species of the Palearctic Bird-Lens is keen to enrich the range of pictures of birds you can find in the western palearctic. Trips to remote places like this one to capture images not only of rare birds of western palearctic were very successful. The nice image of the blog is only a first impression, what you will find in the gallery in the “Picture Shop” very soon. Just give bird-lens.com a message, if bird-lens.com could serve you with an image needed before the new pictures are online.