Bean Geese on their wintering grounds near Berlin. The Havelaue west of Hohennauen – north of Rathenow – is a vast plain of the North German lowlands. In January, the landscape was – at temperatures around 0 ° Celsius – under a thick blanket of foggy clouds. The air was humid and cold, and the… Continue reading Taiga Bean Goose in Havelland near Berlin
Category: Bird Identification Aid
Forster’s Tern, Sterna forsteri, as a vagrant for the Western Palearctic
Terns in general are excellent fliers, which may, from time to time, appear as vagrants outside of their home range. Forster’s Tern, Sterna forsteri, are no exception in that. Only some days ago, a Forster’s Tern was found on the coast of Ireland. An adult winter Forster’s Tern could be observed at Corronroo along with… Continue reading Forster’s Tern, Sterna forsteri, as a vagrant for the Western Palearctic
Least Tern for the Western Palearctic
Closely related bird species occurring in different continents are always a special challenge for keen birders. It is not too long ago, that ornithologists found out, that a Least Tern (Sterna antillarum) was found in East Sussex. This was new to Britain and the Western Palearctic. Also on other sites along the western coast of… Continue reading Least Tern for the Western Palearctic
Pulli – young birds on Northern Sea Coast
Spending the yearly vacation this time in the Netherlands, it was possible to look for birds as well. Besides an observation of an adult Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes) north of Callantsoog in the newly established nature reserve “The Nollen van Abbestede”, I could see a lot of young birds – the so-called pulli – of… Continue reading Pulli – young birds on Northern Sea Coast
Buff-barred Warbler in the Himalayas
The Buff-barred Warbler (Phylloscopus pulcher) or Orange-barred Leafwarbler is an arboreal bird of conifers of the middle strata in the Himalayas which could be observed on various expeditions’ trips along mountain roads in India and in China. As you can see in the image, the bird occurs above tree-level in juniper and rhododendron scrub, too.… Continue reading Buff-barred Warbler in the Himalayas
The Dupont‘s Lark at Las Almoladeras in Spain
Although recent research and an action plan by SEO regards the Dupont‘s Lark (Chersophilus duponti) as highly on risk in Almeria, this area is still worth a try. This Lark is probably one of the highly thought-after bird species if travelling to and birdwatching in southern Spain. I photographed it in mid May 2002. First… Continue reading The Dupont‘s Lark at Las Almoladeras in Spain
Brown Shrike still in Gelderland/ NL
The vagrant but long-staying Brown Shrike (Lanius cristatus) – a first for the Netherlands – can still be found on the same location. As you can see on the website of the birding community in the Netherlands “waarneming.nl” this 1st winter Shrike near the German border between Doetinchem and Emmerich still attracts twitchers and ornithologists. The… Continue reading Brown Shrike still in Gelderland/ NL
Parrot Crossbills drinking in a pond in Mulderskop/ Limburg
Parrot Crossbills (Loxia pytyopsittacus) close-up in a puddle while bathing. The photos on the website of the birders in the Netherlands “waarneming.nl” were really sensational. The Sunday before, I had made already for a short trip to an area nearby for the long-staying Brown Shrike (Lanius cristatus). The Brown Shrike was a first sighting for… Continue reading Parrot Crossbills drinking in a pond in Mulderskop/ Limburg
Bullfinches: White-red-black balls in action
Eurasian Bullfinch, Pyrrhula pyrrhula, are usually thought-after species for the wintertime photographer. These colorful finches are now increasingly observed at the feeding tables when wintertime proceeds. Last year they could be seen with other wintering birds at the feeding sites, too. The favorite food of the birds observed in recent winters is a product made… Continue reading Bullfinches: White-red-black balls in action
Albino Eurasian Oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus) in Devon
During a visit to the hides im Dawlish Warren National Nature Reserve I was lucky to observe a partly albinotic Eurasian Oystercatcher. This was on the afternoon of 22nd of August 2013. The website of the reserve refers to abnormalies in plumages with oystercatchers which occur with some regularity most years. Otherwise, this wader is… Continue reading Albino Eurasian Oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus) in Devon
The Northern Goshawk – aerial shots and more
When scanning images of the portfolio of bird-lens.com it was noticed that the Northern Goshawk is still significantly under-represented . Therefore locations were actively scanned which are known to be frequented regularly by Goshawks. For this purpose sites near wetlands were visited especially in late summer or fall, where many (larger) birds rest and /… Continue reading The Northern Goshawk – aerial shots and more
Kumlien’s Gull (Larus glaucoides kumlieni) on Varanger, Norway
During observations to the northern part of Norway from February 28th – 3rd of march 2013 I shot images of a very pale gull, what I thought at that time was a regular adult Iceland gull. But I showed the image – more by accident – in the BirdForum and one of the experts asked… Continue reading Kumlien’s Gull (Larus glaucoides kumlieni) on Varanger, Norway