A White Wagtail (Motacilla alba) perches in the top of a Willow tree just in front of the bird watching tower. With a thick package in its beak consisting of small small Diptera such as Flies (Brachycera) and Mosquitoes (Nematocera), Caddisflies (Trichoptera) and small Dragonflies (Odonata), it waits patiently in front of the bird observation… Continue reading Making of „White Wagtail with nestling food“
Category: Reviews
How to photograph Hoopoes? Part II
I already discussed shortly the limits and possibilities of remote photography at the Hoopoe’s nest in the blog “How to photograph Hoopoes? Part II” described. At the beginning of June the Eurasian Hoopoes (Upupa epops) are so far advanced that 3 young are waiting begging for food in the nest. Whether you photograph the approaching… Continue reading How to photograph Hoopoes? Part II
How to photograph Hoopoes? Part I
It’s the beginning of June. The Eurasian Hoopoes (Upupa epops) successfully reared the nest with 3 young in a shelter for the first few days. Due to the size of the garden plot, the nest and the approaching Eurasian Hoopoes could be photographed both from the car and from a camouflage tent. Just half an… Continue reading How to photograph Hoopoes? Part I
Nikon Super CoolScan 5000 ED operated with VueScan
Compared to my previous Nikon Super CoolScan IV ED, the Nikon film scanner Super CoolScan 5000 ED definitely got a higher speed and also more scanner resolution. The Super CoolScan IV ED only had 2,900 dpi instead of 4,000 dpi. The problem with both, however, was that Nikon discontinued support a long time ago. My… Continue reading Nikon Super CoolScan 5000 ED operated with VueScan
Photographing flying birds with slow shutter speed
A flying Common Merganser (Mergus merganser) low over the Blankensee in Brandenburg only 20 km south of Berlin. It was a gray day and the foggy clouds did not allow really short exposure times with acceptable ISO despite the Canon EF 400mm f / 2.8L IS II USM camera lens. A few duck birds flying… Continue reading Photographing flying birds with slow shutter speed
Feeding at a breeding cave: a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker family
While the male of the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos minor) usually approached the breeding cave in a lean Alder tree (Alnus sp.) approx. 10 cm below the lower edge and then took action a little later, i.e. to hatch, the female more often first flew first to a dry branch above the cave and then… Continue reading Feeding at a breeding cave: a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker family
Blackbird with a thick maggot in the beak
A thick, fat maggot has been washed out of the earth on the former compost heap. The male Eurasian Blackbird (Turdus merula) had only briefly scratched the surface with its yellow beak and had already very skillfully removed a thick maggot – probably a large beetle larva – from a dark-black layer of earth. It… Continue reading Blackbird with a thick maggot in the beak
Pallid Harrier on early migration south of Berlin
At least since Sonday, March, 29, 2020, the Niedere Flaeming, a hilly contryside south of Berlin, is home to a male Pallid Harrier (Circus macrourus). The Niedere Flaeming near Jueterbog is roughly 60km distant from downtown Berlin. This adult male Pallid Harrier braved the onset of winter in the Lower Fläming very well. With measured… Continue reading Pallid Harrier on early migration south of Berlin
Flight photography of the Red Kite
It takes no special effort to see a Red Kite (Milvus milvus) in Brandenburg. But to be successful with more than a photograph of proof takes more. It is of little interest to scan a Red Kite at a distance or high up in the sky. The straight-forward search flight can go seamlessly into a… Continue reading Flight photography of the Red Kite
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
A Birdwatching Guide to Brandenburg and Berlin: a new field guide
The east of Germany, especially Brandenburg and Berlin is one of the »hotspots« for birdwatching in Germany with a rich variety of birds and many rare species. Until recently, trips has to be fully based on the birding guide for North-east Germany (Vögel beobachten in Ostdeutschland; Wagner and Moning 2009, Franckh-Kosmos Verlag). This splendid book… Continue reading A Birdwatching Guide to Brandenburg and Berlin: a new field guide
Cameroon: bird photography on a guided birding tour
The Birdlife of West Africa was on the schedule for April 2017. I decided for the Africa specialist Rockjumper. Cameroon is a vast and diverse land; lying just north of the equator. This bird-rich nation forms the inter-grade between West and Central Africa and harbors a wide range of habitats, ranging from steamy lowland rainforest… Continue reading Cameroon: bird photography on a guided birding tour