The planted pine grove is surprisingly productive. In the car, I patrol the edge of the forest, which is now in the morning sunlight. This draws out the resting migratory birds in masses. I patiently park my car a short distance from the pines and just wait. Several (5) Spotted Flycatchers (Muscicapa striata), a Willow… Continue reading Songbird migration at Cildir Lake in eastern Turkey
Category: Where to watch birds
Eurasian Jackdaw of subspecies soemmerringii along Caspian coast
Heavy migration can be observed on the side facing the Caspian sea at the Besh Barmag Bottleneck. Between Rooks (Corvus frugilegus) there are also flocks of Eurasian Jackdaws of the eastern subspecies. Corvus monedula soemmerringii occurs from eastern Europe through Iran to northwestern India. I had seen this race of Eurasian Jackdaws before in northern… Continue reading Eurasian Jackdaw of subspecies soemmerringii along Caspian coast
Whiskered terns and waterfowl at estuary on the Caspian Sea of southern Azerbaijan
The view of the shallow bay is just great. We are en route to explore the lagoons and coastal habitats between Liman, Narimanabad and Baliqcilar in southern Azerbaijan. The huge bay of Kizil Agach (another spelling: Qizilagach or Ghizil-Agaj) is the largest wetland in Transcaucasia. It is easily accessible from the causeway between Liman and… Continue reading Whiskered terns and waterfowl at estuary on the Caspian Sea of southern Azerbaijan
Pied Wagtail at sewage plant north of Berlin
Normally, the Pied Wagtail (Motacilla alba yarrellii) occurs in Germany in winter as a vagrant in the north-west, especially at the North Sea. In 2021, for example, the species was found on Hohe Klint near Oxstedt in the district of Cuxhaven, on the island of Borkum, on the salt marshes of Juist or (on several… Continue reading Pied Wagtail at sewage plant north of Berlin
Caucasian Grouse in the pontic mountains near Sivrikaya/ Türkiye
Suddenly a male Caucasian Grouse (Tetrao mlokosiewiczi) flies up at our feet. The Caucasian Grouse lifts itself out of the rhododendron with powerful wing beats but without any audible noise, gaining only slightly in height and then gliding down the sparsely overgrown slope with wings held horizontally and wing tips hanging down. The first Caucasian… Continue reading Caucasian Grouse in the pontic mountains near Sivrikaya/ Türkiye
Corn Crake, a shy inhabitant of the Warta river in Poland
Drops of dew hang on the sloping blades of grass in the wide floodplain of the Warthe in the early morning. It’s summer and the sun rises very early. A fat, red ball has pushed itself over the horizon. But the sun has not yet sent out its rays to banish the last remnants of… Continue reading Corn Crake, a shy inhabitant of the Warta river in Poland
White-backed Woodpeckers in Durmitor National Park/ Montenegro
For some time we had fought our way up the hiking trail, interrupted again and again by ankle-deep fields of snow. Then, at about 1,650 m above sea level, a woodpecker squeaking can be clearly heard. That can only be the White-backed Woodpeckers (Dendrocopus leucotos)? I play the calls and the drumming from the tape.… Continue reading White-backed Woodpeckers in Durmitor National Park/ Montenegro
Birds at Garganta del Diablo-Falls
When approaching the falls „Garganta del Diablo“, one feels with every meter more and more with which power the waterfall thunders over many meters into the depth. Already from some distance we get an impression of what would still expect us at the Iguaçu waterfalls. At the Iguaçu waterfalls one has the possibility to feel… Continue reading Birds at Garganta del Diablo-Falls
White-eared Puffbird in Chapada dos Guimaraes/ Brazil
Leaves at the edge of the dusty track are covered thick with rusty-looking dust. After a cool night, the early morning drives the birds into the first rays of sunlight. So also a White-eared Puffbird (Nystalus chacuru). The bird sits just at the roadside in a bush equipped with leathery leaves. I photograph the Puffbird… Continue reading White-eared Puffbird in Chapada dos Guimaraes/ Brazil
Caspian Tern on southern shores
„Among the vast hordes of sea birds nesting in the great colonies of the southern Atlantic and Gulf coasts, this king of all the terns may be seen climbing into the air on its long, strong wings, its big red bill wide open, yelling out its loud raucous cry of defiance. As the dominant, ruling… Continue reading Caspian Tern on southern shores
Capercaillie in wildlife enclosure
Old and weakened trees have not been felled and removed from the forests for years, but remain there until they are knocked over by the wind or pushed down by the snow. Insects such as the bark beetle, which are seen as pests in commercial forests, are allowed to make their natural contribution to forest… Continue reading Capercaillie in wildlife enclosure
Spot-throated Hummingbird in the Marañon valley
A complex series of high chirping sounds and rolling, wheezing, humming or rollovers in one song let me take a closer look at the shadow of a bush. It is the Spot-throated Hummingbird (Leucippus taczanowski) that sings at the spot. I am on the way from the small town of Chamaya in the wider area… Continue reading Spot-throated Hummingbird in the Marañon valley