The first European Bee-eaters (Merops apiaster) will soon be seen again. Then these colorful birds will demonstrate their flying acrobatics a few meters away. With their high, distinctive call, their brilliant, exotic colors and their sociability, they are wonderful to observe and very nice to photograph. Like all Meropidae, the European Bee-eater is characterized by… Continue reading European Bee-eaters: Spontaneous life artists
Category: Birds of Western Palaearctic
Vagrant Blue-cheeked Bee-eater at Capo Murro di Porco in Sicily
I’m standing at Capo Murro di Porco, the southern edge of Sicily, where – quite close to Syrakus – the land gives way to open sea and the wind never really settles. I’ve come here for seawatching, scanning the horizon for shearwaters, but something unexpected pulls my attention closer. Near the parking area, a vagrant… Continue reading Vagrant Blue-cheeked Bee-eater at Capo Murro di Porco in Sicily
Goshawks as idols
I catch only a glimpse at first, a shadow slipping between trunks, fast and silent. It vanishes almost as soon as it appears. Moments later, the forest reacts, small birds scattering in alarm. Encounters like this are what make the Eurasian Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis or Astur gentilis) so compelling. It feels less like observing a… Continue reading Goshawks as idols
White-tailed Eagles in Spring Courtship Flight
A clear, cloudless spring day with only a few high clouds against a steel-blue sky. Your gaze is involuntarily drawn. If you stop, look up, and suddenly spot two large birds circling seemingly effortlessly, your curiosity is piqued. At first, it seems like chance, but then it becomes clear: something special is happening here. Two… Continue reading White-tailed Eagles in Spring Courtship Flight
Black Grouse in the Czech Mountains of Rudne Hory
The roaring of the cocks can be heard from the edge of village, high on the Ore Mountains ridge. You don’t have to travel far to witness the wild spectacle of Black Grouse on their courtship display. Every spring, before and about two hours after sunrise, something wild happens in Europe’s remaining natural open moorlands.… Continue reading Black Grouse in the Czech Mountains of Rudne Hory
Beethoven´s inspiration: The Song of the Yellowhammer
As Beethoven brooded over his Fifth Symphony, nothing quite came to him. He scratched his ear, listlessly sharpened his quill pen. Suddenly he jumped up and opened the window. There he heard—he could still do that back then—the song of a Yellowhammer. The melody, consisting of several short notes ending in a long one, would… Continue reading Beethoven´s inspiration: The Song of the Yellowhammer
Hazel Grouse in the Czech Mountains of Rudne Hory
In the spring, as I was wandering with binoculars through species-rich, moist spruce forests near Nové Hamry (Neu Hammer), about 8 km south of the German border near Breitenbach, I suddenly noticed a gentle rustling in the undergrowth. Suddenly, a buzzing sound of takeoff. A brown-gray bird began its flight from an area of low… Continue reading Hazel Grouse in the Czech Mountains of Rudne Hory
1st European Stonechat in the Fläming: Spring is coming
It started with a flicker of movement on a low shrub. For me as a birdwatcher in the Fläming region south of Berlin, the sight was both quite unexpected —a European Stonechat (Saxicola rubicola), a species which is commonly observed later in the year in this area, perched confidently against the early spring landscape. This… Continue reading 1st European Stonechat in the Fläming: Spring is coming
Common Cranes gather on ice
A single patch of open water holds its ground on the lake. Around it, winter tightens its grip. Early in the morning, a light haze drifts across the wide ice surface, softening edges and muting sound. For weeks, temperatures did not rise above freezing. The cold feels settled, confident it will not be chased away… Continue reading Common Cranes gather on ice
Bramblings over sunflower fields – a winter spectacle
Winter turns the landscape into a canvas for bird artwork, and few sights are as mesmerising as flocks of Bramblings (Fringilla montifringilla) soaring and descending over sunflower fields. These striking birds, with their orange plumage and intricate patterns, bring life and colour to the muted tones of the season. On a cool morning, the fields… Continue reading Bramblings over sunflower fields – a winter spectacle
Visiting eastern Turkey: Bird migration at Cildir Lake
It is dawn when I have circled the Cildir Gölü, the Cildir Lake halfway. Not far from the border with Georgia I am driving. At the sign for Akçakale I drive into a sleepy town and pass a tourist restaurant with a few seagulls and above all 2 young – probably tame – Dalmatian Pelicans… Continue reading Visiting eastern Turkey: Bird migration at Cildir Lake
An Ornithological Excursion to Boltenhagen at the Baltic Sea in Winter
I arrive early. The wind is cold, blowing in from the sea, and my first glance across the bay reveals exactly what I expect. The long sandy beach of the spa town of Boltenhagen on the Baltic coast is bustling with tourism, even in winter. Nevertheless, I’m confident I have a good chance of spotting… Continue reading An Ornithological Excursion to Boltenhagen at the Baltic Sea in Winter