Bird Trips (Pictures & Stories)

Radde’s Accentor in Turkish Ski resort in eastern Turkey

A spring, well hidden by willow bushes, seems to be a very good bird attraction here in the barren landscape. Again and again dripping wet birds come out of a thicket of willows, shake their feathers and dry themselves. So they bathe in the hiding place of the willow. A Red-backed Shrike (Lanius collurio) is… Continue reading Radde’s Accentor in Turkish Ski resort in eastern Turkey

Finsch’s Wheatear at Gobustan museum and visitor center

Unfazed by the passing coaches, a male Finsch’s Wheatear (Oenanthe finschii) stands on a rock. On the way down from the famous Gobustan rock paintings in the south of the Azerbaijani capital, Baku, I want to give the male Finsch’s Wheatear a chance for a photo. In fact, the male cannot be seen at first.… Continue reading Finsch’s Wheatear at Gobustan museum and visitor center

R’as al-Khor: a paradiese for Waterfowl

Nowhere else in Europe or the Middle East can you get so close to Greater Flamingos (Phoenicopterus phoenicopterus) or Western Reef-Herons (Egretta gularis schistacea) as in the R’as al-Khor. Many waders fish in the shallow waters just meters from tourists armed with binoculars and cameras. The Western Reef-Heron´s plumage shows two color phases. There is… Continue reading R’as al-Khor: a paradiese for Waterfowl

Giant Otters in Manu

A tropical thunderstorm is just unloading; when the murmur of the rain fades, we continue on a muddy path through the forest. Then we go by boat on a curici, a lake that consists of a truncated oxbow lake. “Lobo,” Luis suddenly calls into the unreal silence. “Lobo de Rio”, wolf of the rivers, as… Continue reading Giant Otters in Manu

Saih al-Salam, paradise in the midst of semi-desert and acacia savannah in the Emirates

The first chains of Sandgrouse appear early in the morning. Still, it is remarkably cool. But very soon, the air will be heatened up to the highest degrees. Sandgrouses do not only arrive quenching their thirst on the extensive waters. Species such as the Arabian Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse (Pterocles exustus erlangeri) and Pin-tailed Sandgrouse (Pterocles alchata)… Continue reading Saih al-Salam, paradise in the midst of semi-desert and acacia savannah in the Emirates

Wet Wagtail shaking its feathers

Completely soaked, a black and white bird stands on a beam. Here, at the corner of a settlement, I can photograph a Wagtail (Motacilla alba), which stands on a beam after a band and shakes and dries itself extensively. The feathers are completely soaked. It is not known whether the bird is a non-swimmer; In… Continue reading Wet Wagtail shaking its feathers

Bird paradise at Lions Bluff Lodge/ Kenya

Thick clouds and fog are hanging over the plain. The sun have just risen over the horizon – but on the other side of the hill. Twilight disappears fast. Just great. We sit down on the porch and enjoy the morning with a cup of coffee. The first calls are immediately to hear. An Impala… Continue reading Bird paradise at Lions Bluff Lodge/ Kenya

Juvenile Goshawk in Anatolian sky

An Accipiter hawk does fly low over the nicely constructed road south of Erzurum. I jump out of the car and keep on shooting with my Canon EF 400mm 1:4 DO IS II USM on a Canon EOS R 5. At home, I sort out the images. When viewing in Lightroom, my first thought is:… Continue reading Juvenile Goshawk in Anatolian sky

Kestrel: young male in Durmitor National Park/ Montenegro

A hovering Eurasian Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) is a frequent sight over the open, higher reaches of the alpine meadows of Durmitor National Park. Above 1,600 m above sea level, it can look for its prey in the open landscape. Here, too, it is probably primarily Voles (Microtus agrestis) that can account for up to 90%… Continue reading Kestrel: young male in Durmitor National Park/ Montenegro

Rotbrustfalke – Paar im Pantanal

Ein Paar Falken sitzt hoch in einer kahlen Baumkrone und genießt offensichtlich das Nachmittagslicht. Es sind Rotbrustfalken (Falco deiroleucus), die im englischen Orange-breasted Falcon genannt werden. Der Rotbrustfalke ist ein Greifvogel der Neotropis, dessen Verbreitungsgebiet sich früher von Südmexiko bis nach Nordargentinien erstreckte. Heute ist er in seinem ausgedehnten Verbreitungsgebiet nur noch lokal anzutreffen,… Continue reading Rotbrustfalke – Paar im Pantanal

Photographing Herons from a boat on Rio Pixaim

I was excited to see all the animals that would show up during our boat trip in the Pantanal. Maybe a Giant Otter (Pteronura brasiliensis)? And what about Jabirus (Jabiru mycteria) or a Pied Lapwing (Vanellus cayanus) or/and other birds? To cut to the chase: I was able to see them all and photograph many… Continue reading Photographing Herons from a boat on Rio Pixaim

Birds at Garganta del Diablo-Falls

When approaching the falls „Garganta del Diablo“, one feels with every meter more and more with which power the waterfall thunders over many meters into the depth. Already from some distance we get an impression of what would still expect us at the Iguaçu waterfalls. At the Iguaçu waterfalls one has the possibility to feel… Continue reading Birds at Garganta del Diablo-Falls