Frankfurt Airport (FRA) is the gateway to continental Europe. Many airlines use the Airport as a hub for connecting flights all over the world. If you have spare time between two flight and you are a birdwatcher, you might be interested to know, where you can find good places to stretch your legs, enjoy fresh… Continue reading Birding around Frankfurt Airport – Kuehkopf-Knoblochsaue
Category: Birds of Western Palaearctic
Observations of a Great Reed-Warbler in the Rhine Valley
Based on a message in Ornitho.de in the beginning of May I when visited the Schiersteiner water works in the vicinity of Wiesbaden in the Rheingau region. This area is about 50 km west from the Frankfurt city center. A singing Reed Warbler had been seen. Maybe a nice photo opportunity. Shortyl after arrival at… Continue reading Observations of a Great Reed-Warbler in the Rhine Valley
Lowland birds in and around Kuehkopf
The nature reserve Kuehkopf-Knoblochsaue (in German: Naturschutzgebiet or NSG Kühkopf-Knoblochsaue) is one of the best sites of riparian forest along the river Rhine. The reserve is the largest protected area in Hesse, with 2,369 hectares. It is located on the right bank of the upper Rhine. Towns nearby are Leeheim, Erfelden, Stockstadt and Biebesheim all… Continue reading Lowland birds in and around Kuehkopf
Birds in courtship and singing behaviour
With the beginning of spring, the days get longer and the birds awaken to seemingly new life. For the males now the time of the highest activity begins. Everyone is keen to conquer a territory and find a mate. For this purpose, the birds have developed a variety of optical and acoustic methods, and specific… Continue reading Birds in courtship and singing behaviour
Hazel Grouse: the results
In total we visited 5 different locations where the local guides had encountered several individuals of the Hasezl Grouse the last weeks or even years. The last encounter sometimes was only 3 days before. 4 of the locations were locations like a lek – where you could hear the mating song and the mating
Hazel Grouse: the hide
Additionally finding Hazel Grouse means knowing the behavior of the Hazel Grouse. E.g. the Hazel Grouse is – although a shy bird – quite responsive or even aggressive during the mating season which has a first peak in September and then again in March/ April. In this time you can hear the mating call or… Continue reading Hazel Grouse: the hide
Hazel Grouse: the habitat
Finding Hazel Grouse is equivalent of knowing the habits of the Hazel Grouse which means also knowing and recognizing the habitat of the Hazel Grouse. The search for the right habitat is not eased by the fact, that the Hazel Grouse has at least 3 different habitat requirements during the year in the different seasons.… Continue reading Hazel Grouse: the habitat
Finding Hazel Grouse in the Carpathians
Hazel Grouses (Bonasa bonasia) are certainly one of the most thought-after bird species for naturalist and bird photographers in western Palearctic. This is in parts due to the fact, that this bird is one of the few autochthon representatives of the Phasianidae family in Middle Europe. And: actually it is a very beautiful bird. Unfortunately… Continue reading Finding Hazel Grouse in the Carpathians
Caspian Seashore & Volga delta in May
Bird richness on the northern shore of the Caspian Sea is amazing. Caspian Sea is counted the largest inland body of water in the world. More than 100 rivers provide inflow to the Caspian, with the Volga River being the largest. Pristine floodplain forests, flooded grasslands to the horizon, eagles on almost every tree. A… Continue reading Caspian Seashore & Volga delta in May
Little Bustard (Tetrax tetrax) photography in Extremadura
The sun is still high in the sky, although it is almost 6:00 pm. As far as the eye can see : steppe, interrupted now and then by eroded rocks . Above the ground , the air shimmers . In the car there is indescribable heat. After last year’s winter precipitation had failed in the… Continue reading Little Bustard (Tetrax tetrax) photography in Extremadura
Common Black-headed Gull hunted by a Peregrine in the sewage farm near Muenster
While searching for the Green-winged Teal which still can be seen on the pond E1 in the sewage farm Münster, I was also able to observe and photograph a successfully hunting Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) a young Common Black-headed Gull (Larus ridibundus). With binoculars I watched from the hide at the entrance to the E1… Continue reading Common Black-headed Gull hunted by a Peregrine in the sewage farm near Muenster
Green-winged Teal (Anas carolinensis) near Muenster/ North Rhine-Westphalia
After a message on Ornitho.de I decided to visit the sewage farms in the north of Muenster. A Green-winged Teal, a close relative of our European Teal (Anas carolinensis) was said to stay for a few days already in Muenster. The duck was in the area of an old abandoned sewage farm. The species has… Continue reading Green-winged Teal (Anas carolinensis) near Muenster/ North Rhine-Westphalia