You could read in May several times in the media that there were fewer Common Swifts (Apus apus) and Northern House-Martins (Delichon urbica) this year than in previous years. For example, a conservation organization reported on the results of the “Stunde der Gartenvogel”, which is equivalent the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch number of these fast-flying… Continue reading Common Swift and Northern House-Martin: a bad year in Germany?
Category: Bird Migration
Observations of migration birds, aspects of migration
Influx of Rosy Starlings in Middle Europe
Rosy Starlings (Pastor roseus) are sociable and partly nomadic breeding birds of the steppes and semi-deserts of Central Asia and Southeastern Europe. Westward thrusts are usually associated with the mass propagation of grasshoppers. In Germany, Rosy Starlings are rare vagrants with few records per year, which usually affect rather inconspicuous pale-colored juveniles. At the moment,… Continue reading Influx of Rosy Starlings in Middle Europe
Out of area Common Whitethroat in Cameroon
A Common Whitethroat (Sylvia communis) is a common warbler in the Western Palaearctic. But not in February. The same is true, if you see the Common Whitethroat in in the litoral province in southern Cameroon. On a way back from a successful hike on Mount Cameroon, we were lucky to be surprised by this Western… Continue reading Out of area Common Whitethroat in Cameroon
Swifts over Sanager River/ Cameroon
Swifts (Apodiformes) in the family Apodidae are small birds which spend the majority of their lives flying. These birds have very short legs and never settle voluntarily on the ground, perching instead only on vertical surfaces. Many swifts have long swept-back wings which resemble a crescent or boomerang. There are 13 species occurring in Cameroon.… Continue reading Swifts over Sanager River/ Cameroon
Northern Waterthrush on the Poço do Ferreiro in Flores / Azores
A green bird slips through dense vegetation right on the side of a beautiful, silent forest lake. Hiking should go to Poço do Ferreiro, also called Lagoa da Pato. I want to look at an area without tourists, which can be overcrowded during the day. I am a little disappointed. There is already a car… Continue reading Northern Waterthrush on the Poço do Ferreiro in Flores / Azores
Little Egret at Ponta Delgada, Flores
A white bird standing calm near the sea. It is the Little Egret (Egretta garzetta). A small heron. As you would expect from a heron, this bird is beautiful, graceful and shows long legs, neck and beak. A solitary and patient fisherman, the bird is waiting for low tide to make ambushes in still waters… Continue reading Little Egret at Ponta Delgada, Flores
Snow Bunting, a migrating passerine on Flores/ Azores
The Snow Bunting (Plectrophenax nivalis) is one of the few migratory passerines to be found on a regular basis to visit the Azores archipelago in general and Flores in particular. Maybe only the Northern Wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe) of the subspecies leucorhoa, the Greenland Wheatear is recorded as often on Flores, the westernmost island of the… Continue reading Snow Bunting, a migrating passerine on Flores/ Azores
Vagrant Glossy Ibis on Flores
In the north of the island of Flores, there are some excellent birding locations. Basically these sites are between the village Ponta Delgada to the east and the lighthouse on the edge of Ponta do Albernaz on the west. The lighthouse at Ponta do Albernaz is the most powerful lighthouse of the Azores. The view… Continue reading Vagrant Glossy Ibis on Flores
Azores: birding in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean
The Azores are well-known among ornithologists mainly for the fact that many American bird species occur, mainly in fall. Although this group of islands is part of the Western Palearctic (even Europe) on some islands, more Nearctic than Palearctic species have been found. In addition, several endemic taxa breed on the archipelago. The island group… Continue reading Azores: birding in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean
Tree Pipit: back from Africa
A remembrance of a song, beautiful and both familiar and strange. It took a while until I got the clue. It was a Tree Pipit (Anthus trivialis) singing in a woodland in the heath on sunday. Singing now south of Berlin, seen 20 days ago in Cameroon. There the subspecies trivialis was still fairly common… Continue reading Tree Pipit: back from Africa
Observation site for spring migration on the river Oder
After having presented protected nature areas in the Havellaendisches Luch or the Guelper See, a recent blog was dealing with the Oder valley in general and The National Park Lower Oder especially. The National Park protects a flood plain, the last still intact in large parts of the estuary of Central Europe. A rainy, cloudy… Continue reading Observation site for spring migration on the river Oder
Remarks to wintering Solitary Sandpipers (Tringa solitaria) in the Pantanal
During scientific research in the northern Pantanal between the 20th of December 2012 and the 10th of January 2013 I often observe Solitary Sandpipers along the muddy ditches on a farm. Of the two subspecies of the solitary sandpiper recognized the subspecies present probably was Tringa solitaria solitaria which usually has a more well-defined streak… Continue reading Remarks to wintering Solitary Sandpipers (Tringa solitaria) in the Pantanal