A female Montagu’s Harrier (Circus pygargus) from southern Brandenburg – just 60 km south of Berlin – was found a few days ago as a breeding bird on the nest in Plzensky Kraj about 10 km west of Plzen. The Montagu’s Harrier was ringed 2021 when it was a nestling together with its 3 nest… Continue reading Female Montagu’s Harrier from southern Brandenburg in the Czech Republic
Category: Birds of Western Palaearctic
Grey Partridges under attack
2 Grey Partridges (Perdix perdix), male and female, let themselves be lured to the mowed meadow by the calls of a rival. They are very open. Suddenly, they haven’t been that open for a minute, a Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo) comes flying low. The Grey Partridges immediately take off in a brilliant flight for cover.… Continue reading Grey Partridges under attack
A hole in a birch for the Willow Tit
Only a stump of the once proud birch has remained since the last storm. Even before that, drought had caused the birches in the area to die off. Now there are many birch stumps next to one that has already peeled off the bark. It’s hard to believe that an this stump can still be… Continue reading A hole in a birch for the Willow Tit
Peregrine Falcon on a viaduct in the Zschopau valley
Few sounds in nature are more captivating and exciting to an ornithologist’s ear than the clear, hard-hit raucous cackle of a Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) in courtship mode. The calls trot far across the distant landscape. A Peregrine Falcon has obviously chosen one of the viaducts in the valley of the Zschopau as a perch,… Continue reading Peregrine Falcon on a viaduct in the Zschopau valley
Hoopoes in the Kaiserstuhl
Almost everyone knows the Hoopoe (Upupa epops) with its unusual headdress and friendly face. But there are only a few places in Germany where you can observe it quite easily. The Kaiserstuhl in the south-western corner of Germany is one of these special places, with one of the highest population densities in Germany. But that… Continue reading Hoopoes in the Kaiserstuhl
Mecklenburg´s Switzerland: a true paradise for woodpeckers too
The high drum rolls gave the early morning a special sound. The imitation of the drum quickly brought the author to the observation tower. It was a male Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos minor). I was able to photograph him very nicely here. My journey to Mecklenburg Switzerland began well before dusk. The drive through the… Continue reading Mecklenburg´s Switzerland: a true paradise for woodpeckers too
Bluethroat in willow bush
The first Bluethroats (Luscinia svecica) were recorded in northern Germany. One location seemed to be a particularly reliable location. The journey wasn’t that far either. But first I stood with a few other observers and saw: Nothing! But after just 20 minutes of waiting, a colleague murmured from the left: “There it is.” The bird… Continue reading Bluethroat in willow bush
Große Rosin: Northern Shoveler after heavy hailstorm
A hailstorm sweeps across the countryside. Just after the thunderstorm ceased a male Northern Shoveler (Anas clypeata) flies particularly beautifully in front of us on the watch tower. From the observation tower it can be admired in flight at eye level with its bright blue and green wings and the brown belly. Although it is… Continue reading Große Rosin: Northern Shoveler after heavy hailstorm
Heath-moor landscape: spring awakening
Dusk falls over the high moor. A burring sound is suddenly heard over the bulbs and pines. A Eurasian Woodcock (Scolopax rusticola) is on its territorial flight. She can also be seen briefly. A little later, the long-eared owl (Asio otus) reports with its typical call from an oak stand. In spring, life awakens in… Continue reading Heath-moor landscape: spring awakening
Spring fever not only for migrating Waders
At the end of February and beginning of March, life slowly but surely begins to pulsate again everywhere. The first birds return from the wintering grounds and the males of the meadow birds, such as the Northern Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus), the Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa) or the Eurasian Curlew (Numenius arquata), try to impress the… Continue reading Spring fever not only for migrating Waders
The Cunning Magpie: A Feathered Hunter’s Encounter with a Serpent in Romania
In the wilderness, nature stages captivating dramas that unfold in completely unexpected ways. Today the scene is in Bucharest. Unfortunately, Stirbey Park is filled with horrible, loud gypsy music. It’s a shame, nowhere is you safe from it. We check out different places. But nothing to see. In the heart of the park, which features… Continue reading The Cunning Magpie: A Feathered Hunter’s Encounter with a Serpent in Romania
Vagrant Egyptian Nightjar on Fuerteventura
A Egyptian Nightjar (Caprimulgus aegyptius) was found on March 29, 2007 near La Lajita Beach on Fuerteventura. The Egyptian Nightjar was ringed and released the next day. After the onset of south-easterly winds and sandstorms from the Sahara, a Egyptian Nightjar was caught on the island of Fuerteventura at the end of March 2007, probably… Continue reading Vagrant Egyptian Nightjar on Fuerteventura