Stumbling out of the cabin you will be enchanted by the expansive view looking out over the valley below. A blue-grey carpet of clouds is normally lying over the lowlands. In the half light of dawn, Cliff Flycatchers (Hirundinea ferruginea) are already gathering on the roofs of cabins nearby. A first priority should be a… Continue reading Photographing Tanagers at Itatiaia NP/ Brazil
Category: Bird Trips (Pictures & Stories)
What could be seen, what to see, the landscape…
Rufous Hornero on a termite mound
The Rufous Hornero (Furnarius rufus) is so common in the Pantanal, that you hardly think of taking a picture, as you think, that you will do it next day. Ok, this time some pictures were shot, when the bird was standing on a termite mound. There is some examination ungoing to study the interaction between… Continue reading Rufous Hornero on a termite mound
Rusty-fronted Tody-flycatcher at the nest
A trip during a scientific excursion in the northern Pantanal between the 20th of December 2012 and the 10th of January 2013 showed a lot of excitement. One day I perceived a movement right along the path I was walking. A small bird with a transversely lying blade of grass quickly disappeared in the thicket.… Continue reading Rusty-fronted Tody-flycatcher at the nest
Red-legged Kittiwake on the Pribilofs
A sticky grey fills the sky. Fog lays over the sea. Only a shade of white on the water is visible when the waves crush to the rocky coast. A narrow trails gives way to the cliffs – called bluffs – on the southern edge of the island of St. Paul. St. Paul, the biggest… Continue reading Red-legged Kittiwake on the Pribilofs
Andean Cock-of-the-rock in Manu/ Peru
The spectacular Andean Cock-of-the-rock (Rupicola peruviana) suddenly sits on a branch in the middle of the thicket. In the middle of a pristine Cloud Forest lies the legendary spot, where you can photograph the most beautiful orange bird full-frame. Whether you travel in the mist forest of Manu or into the wilderness of Amazonia, starting… Continue reading Andean Cock-of-the-rock in Manu/ Peru
Vagrant Mongolian Plover: seawatching surprise on St. Lawrence Island
Seawatching along the arctic coasts of north-west Alaska – with Siberia on the horizon – was the thrill at the end of May till the first days of June 2016. Along the edges pf St. Lawrence Island seabirds are living and migrating not only in the Nearctic region but also to the Palearctic. Migration was… Continue reading Vagrant Mongolian Plover: seawatching surprise on St. Lawrence Island
Bird Migration in Eilat/ Israel
Birding in Israel in general is unique. But the observation of the spring migration of thousands of raptors is literally breathtaking. The Steppe Buzzard (Buteo buteo vulpinus) is one of the first raptors, you can observe migrating. On good days, migration starts as early as before 8 am. Then the birds pass the city of… Continue reading Bird Migration in Eilat/ Israel
Shalatayn – birding in the south-east corner of the WP
The main target of the trip was the Lappet-faced Vulture (Torgos tracheliotus). This uncommon resident breeder of the south-east corner of Egypt can be found sporadically from Gebel Elba down to the Somali border. The best place to see the species is at Bir Shalatayn. Here a dozen of these vultures can be seen feeding… Continue reading Shalatayn – birding in the south-east corner of the WP
Sooty falcons – killers on the islands of the Red Sea
A blast from the blue evening sky. Brown feathers in the air. The collision does take only a fracture of a second. Then the spectacle is already over and gone and a bird of prey with long, slender wings and a long tail has disappeard in the stands of low mangroves. Another migratory songbird has… Continue reading Sooty falcons – killers on the islands of the Red Sea
Grey-cheeked Thrush as a vagrant in the WP
This medium-sized thrush with its brownish-grey upperparts and tail, its pale underparts with heavier spotting on the breast, a plain grey face with some light streaks but no eye-ring would be a real mega – if identified as such in the Western Palearctic. Grey-cheeked Thrushes (Catharus minimus) are rare vagrants to the WP, with only… Continue reading Grey-cheeked Thrush as a vagrant in the WP
Kittlitz’s Murrelet between glaciers in Alaska
The big push for the last days of the birding tour in Alaska was to search for the Kittlitz’s Murrelet (Brachyramphus brevirostris). Kittlitz’s Murrelet is a rare member of the Alcid family of diving seabirds that includes the puffins, auklets and murres. This was one of the birds highest on my list, as it is… Continue reading Kittlitz’s Murrelet between glaciers in Alaska
Passerine vagrants on St. Paul – Pribilof Islands
As the plane gets closer to the barren island of St. Paul, the first impression is Brown und Olive-green. Later we see that there are not only brown and olive colors on the island. Metre-high waves of a dark blue sea are breaking against the rugged, rocky coast which is shimmering black. As we land,… Continue reading Passerine vagrants on St. Paul – Pribilof Islands