….no birds and no squirrels to hear around. Snow is falling. The table for the Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis) finally is beautifully covered with snow. This gives great pictures from the Northern Goshawk – if he is coming. After a while, the first Chicadees are to be seen. First Blue Tits (Cyanistes caeruleus) and Great Tits… Continue reading Patience for a G(h)ost-Hawk
Category: Rare Bird sightings
Specialities
A night in Brandenburg heath: The Eurasian Nightjar
The late sun of the day still shines through some pine trees. The sun stays already very low, but is not yet set. A discreet purring is suddenly heard from a wood right in the heath landscape in front of me. The calls of the Eurasian Golden Oriole (Oriolus oriolus) are still much more dominant.… Continue reading A night in Brandenburg heath: The Eurasian Nightjar
Female Northern Goshawk at nestsite near Tegel airport
Sun rays are breaking through the foliage and the twigs of an inner-city park in Northern Berlin. Just 3 km distant to Berlin-Tegel airport, some of the most reliable sites for Northern Goshawk (Accipter gentilis) can be found. A hint in the birding community, “…. look for trail behind the hill, then 100m to the… Continue reading Female Northern Goshawk at nestsite near Tegel airport
A Vagrant in Brandenburg: Greenish Warblers
After excellent observation chances for the Greenish Warbler (Phylloscopus trochiloides) – or Gruenlaubsänger in german –in the Siegerland on the edge of the state of North-Rhine Westfalia in 2012, now even more observations in Germany are possible. Whereas the indivudual in 2012 could be seen on the 10th of June 2012 along a stream near… Continue reading A Vagrant in Brandenburg: Greenish Warblers
Pallid Harrier: First-summer individual in post-juvenile moult in Havelland
Described in old literature as a rare vagrant, the Pallid Harrier (Circus macrourus) is much less rare in NW Europe nowadays. It is not yet clear, whether this is due to the numbers of birders in the field, increasing knowledge of the immature and adult female plumage, migrations watchpoints or due to a change in… Continue reading Pallid Harrier: First-summer individual in post-juvenile moult in Havelland
Snowy Owl on snow-covered plateau in Nordkyn/ Norway
Having booked a snowmobile-trip with Nordkyn Nordic Safari AS to the fjell-region south of Mehamn (the most northern fishing town of the world) to enjoy the snow-covered nature of this beautiful nordic countryside and to have a look for the first arrivals, arrivals of birds coming back to their breeding grounds. Already before starting the… Continue reading Snowy Owl on snow-covered plateau in Nordkyn/ Norway
Great Grey Shrike – a winter surprise in Lapland
During a trip to see the first spring birds in Lapland and Finmark in northern Norway, I discovered a Northern Shrike (Lanius excubitor) which is called Great Grey Shrike, too. The bird was remoteless sitting in a snowstorm in a low birch wood along a road. It was still early May and the landscape was… Continue reading Great Grey Shrike – a winter surprise in Lapland
A sacrifice for a Goshawk – winter photography in Norway
In the depths of Norwegians winter forest I stroll in the pitch darkness over a small path. It is just 6:00 am. I woke up early to visit a Goshawk photography hide with Ole Martin Dahle. During a very successful Eagle photography session in November 2013 I made my first attempts to shot the Goshawk… Continue reading A sacrifice for a Goshawk – winter photography in Norway
Greater Spotted Eagle on Northern Sea coast of Germany
Today a Greater Spotted Eagle (Clanga clanga) has been recorded again near the mouth of the river Eider in Schleswig-Holstein. The Eagle strays around in the so-called Moetjenpolder with the nearest village Hemme not far away. The bird was seen in the Moetjenpolder by a photographer who took images more by accident. Some observations could… Continue reading Greater Spotted Eagle on Northern Sea coast of Germany
Yellow-billed Loon between the archipelagos of Flatanger
Yellow-billed Loons or Yellow-billed Divers (Gavia adamsii) are highly thought-after species for the serious birdwatcher of continental Europe. And it is a big event, with lots of hot telephone wires, if a Yellow-billed Loon is observed inland in Europe. This happened recently due to a Yellow-billed Loon which was observed near the small city of… Continue reading Yellow-billed Loon between the archipelagos of Flatanger
Forster’s Tern, Sterna forsteri, as a vagrant for the Western Palearctic
Terns in general are excellent fliers, which may, from time to time, appear as vagrants outside of their home range. Forster’s Tern, Sterna forsteri, are no exception in that. Only some days ago, a Forster’s Tern was found on the coast of Ireland. An adult winter Forster’s Tern could be observed at Corronroo along with… Continue reading Forster’s Tern, Sterna forsteri, as a vagrant for the Western Palearctic
Bugun Liocichla in Eaglenest – Winter in North-east India 2008
It is January. Winter in the Himalayas of India. We made our way from Bomdila back to Tenga. In between, I slept in the car despite the many abrupt stops because of land slides or upcoming cars. Finally we came to Tenga, where the intersection is scheduled to depart to our new location. The journey… Continue reading Bugun Liocichla in Eaglenest – Winter in North-east India 2008