A high level of noise prevails especially in the breeding season on a typical bird cliff. Right in the middle an attentive observer might discover a colorful, stocky fellow with bright orange feet and beaks. Resting on the edge of the cliff, as if it is not concerned of all the fuss. This is the… Continue reading Puffins, the black-red-white clowns of bird rocks
Category: Where to watch birds
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
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
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
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
Sandhill Cranes in Bosque Del Apache NWR at Sunset
Every evening a very special spectacle occurs in this beautiful Wildlife Refuge in the south of New Mexico. Sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis) arrive at the “crane pools” at the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge each evening. Having spent the day feeding in nearby corn fields, they will overnight standing in the shallow pools of… Continue reading Sandhill Cranes in Bosque Del Apache NWR at Sunset
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
Taiga Bean Goose in Havelland near Berlin
Bean Geese on their wintering grounds near Berlin. The Havelaue west of Hohennauen – north of Rathenow – is a vast plain of the North German lowlands. In January, the landscape was – at temperatures around 0 ° Celsius – under a thick blanket of foggy clouds. The air was humid and cold, and the… Continue reading Taiga Bean Goose in Havelland near Berlin
New Natura 2000 bird sanctuary: Bergstrasse Dossenheim – Schriesheim
On 11 December 2014, the first information boards for the Natura 2000 bird sanctuary “Bergstrasse Dossenheim – Schriesheim“were presented to public by the Chairman of the BUND Dossenheim, Dermot O’Connor. The press is coming soon. When designing the images for the info panel – inter alia the Wryneck (Jynx torquilla), Middle Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos medius),… Continue reading New Natura 2000 bird sanctuary: Bergstrasse Dossenheim – Schriesheim
Eiders in the Frozen
Photographing the most colorful ducks of the world in 10-minus-degree temperatures in February at the northern tip of Europe sounds crazy. Well, whether it is crazy or just stupid is a matter of your point-of-view. But all can agree, that it is real Arctic Adventure. The one or the other vagrant Eider might arrive in… Continue reading Eiders in the Frozen
Birding around Berlin: former lignite mining lakes in southern Brandenburg
Lignite mining has a high impact on bird habitats and during the process of mining vast areas are devasted. After exploitation, the question how to deal with the moon-like landscape is often answered by filling the holes with water. Some of these waterbodies represent valuable habitat for endangered bird species as well as for other… Continue reading Birding around Berlin: former lignite mining lakes in southern Brandenburg