A clear winter day. The alders and willows along the small stream are covered with hoarfrost. Wafts of mist rise from the slow-flowing water in the cold air. But then a whistle permeates the silence, and suddenly an azure flash of lightning rushes just above the surface of the water, once more a whistle, and… Continue reading Feeding with fish: Kingfisher´s wedding gift
Category: Nature Conservation
Great Bittern back on stage in Great Britain
Great Bittern (Botaurus stellaris) has experienced its most successful year for breeding in Great Britain in 2016. At least, an annual national survey carried out by RSPB mentioned this. This is pointed out in an article in birdguides about the breeding success in the UK. This breeding success is welcome news for these bulky brown-streaked… Continue reading Great Bittern back on stage in Great Britain
Common Swift and Northern House-Martin: a bad year in Germany?
You could read in May several times in the media that there were fewer Common Swifts (Apus apus) and Northern House-Martins (Delichon urbica) this year than in previous years. For example, a conservation organization reported on the results of the “Stunde der Gartenvogel”, which is equivalent the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch number of these fast-flying… Continue reading Common Swift and Northern House-Martin: a bad year in Germany?
Great snipe on a lek in Estonia
To photograph a male Great Snipe (Gallinago media) displaying on a lek in the wide-stretched lowlands of northern Middle Europe, was the target. In a project in collaboration with scientists from Estonian University of Life Sciences is was possible to perform this task in one of the remaining habitats which used to be so typical… Continue reading Great snipe on a lek in Estonia
Waders at Lake Neusiedl
Most people thinking about Austria have immediately snow, mountains and hiking in mind. A very different, but extremely interesting picture, is offered for the birder in Burgenland, in the area around the lake Neusiedl. The question is, however, is a bird paradise at the same time also a photographer´s paradise? The landscape in the easternmost… Continue reading Waders at Lake Neusiedl
Mount Kupé Bushshrike – some aspects on equipment & logistics
I had been very successful in the Bakossi Mountains with the Mount Kupe Bushshrike (Telophorus kupeensis) – also known as Serle’s Bushshrike. After an unsuccessful first day on an expedition in these Afrotropic mountains, my indispensable guides and me encountered a total of 7 individuals of the Mount Kupe Bushshrike until the end of the… Continue reading Mount Kupé Bushshrike – some aspects on equipment & logistics
Swifts over Sanager River/ Cameroon
Swifts (Apodiformes) in the family Apodidae are small birds which spend the majority of their lives flying. These birds have very short legs and never settle voluntarily on the ground, perching instead only on vertical surfaces. Many swifts have long swept-back wings which resemble a crescent or boomerang. There are 13 species occurring in Cameroon.… Continue reading Swifts over Sanager River/ Cameroon
Pochard: a bird population in decline
The fate of the Common Pochard is discussed intensively in the relevant forums. Scientific research suggests that the sex ratio of the populations of Common Pochard (Aythya ferina), a medium-sized diving duck, in Europe and North Africa has changed. This could play a role in the decline of the species in the Western Palearctic. Sex… Continue reading Pochard: a bird population in decline
Bird photography in the rainforests of Peru
As the name suggests high precipitation characterizes the rainforests. Photographing animals during the rain is a real challenge to people and material. But this particular weather situation gives many motifs an additional charm. An extensive downpour is always a great moment to spot birds in an extraordinary situation. But also the small representatives of the… Continue reading Bird photography in the rainforests of Peru
Newly discovered wintering location for Spoon-billed Sandpiper
Spoon-billed Sandpipers (Calidris pygmaea) are one of the big megas in birding space. This charismatic species is listed as Critically Endangered because it has already an extremely small population. Population distribution is limited for the breeding range from the Chukotsk peninsula south to Kamchatka. The bird migrates from north-eastern Russia down the western Pacific coast… Continue reading Newly discovered wintering location for Spoon-billed Sandpiper
Ringed Gull-billed Terns on the coast of the Northern Sea
In the only colony in North Western Europe, in Schleswig-Holstein on the Dithmarsch Elbe estuary in the Neufeld polder, Gull-billed Terns (Gelochelidon nilotica) had a good breeding success in 2014 and about 30 breeding pairs in the colony in Neufeld / Schleswig-Holstein and the one in Lower Saxony probably get roughly 40 young birds fledge.… Continue reading Ringed Gull-billed Terns on the coast of the Northern Sea
Dippers – photography along streams and rivers
Photographing White-throated Dippers (Cinclus cinclus) in the natural habitat normally means to shoot on a black bird with partially white underparts with nesting material in the beak for the nest building. These are the classic photos that you see of dippers. They fly preferably to and from exposed spots, as stones outstanding on the water.… Continue reading Dippers – photography along streams and rivers