Tag Archives: Eurasian Coot

Bird Behaviour, Birds of Western Palaearctic, Rare Bird sightings

White-tailed Eagles on an icy coot hunt

Leave a comment

The night was cold, so that a layer of ice had formed on the vast lake. Already 70 percent of the lake area was frozen over. The ice layer was strong enough to carry the White-tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla). After a few days of snowing, it didn’t get any drier, but it was significantly colder. Temperatures below -5 ° C were possible. A few days later I went on to Lake Blankensee from an excursion to Potsdam.

A morning excursion to the Blankensee not only gave the birder a wonderful water landscape on an impressive winter morning with minus temperatures and fog, but also a remarkable bird-watching of a sea eagle on its icy coot hunt. Obviously the White-tailed Eagle had just captured a Eurasian Coot (Fulica atra) that have run carelessly on the ice. The Eagle immediately tried to leave the ice surface with the coot it had captured, but was attacked by a conspecific as well as some Hooded Crows (Corvus cornix) because of the prey. The struggle dragged on for a while. When the successful White-tailed Eagle had just scared away the Hooded Crows, another hungry White-tailed Eagle came flying in.

The well-developed reed areas of the Blankensee southwest of Berlin are a very good photo area and, among other things, known for the Bearded Tits or Bearded Reedlings (Panurus biarmicus) found in the reeds. A boardwalk affords a very nice view of the lake from the east. The boardwalk can be reached either from the parking lot at the exit of Blankensee in the direction of Schönhagen or from the parking lot in the middle of Blankensee (near Blankensee Castle) on a short walk. It is the only way to observe birds up close on the Blankensee, as the lake is otherwise completely surrounded by wide siltation zones with reed beds and alder break.

Adult female eagles can weigh up to 7 kg, while males remain significantly below that, but still weigh up to 5 kg. So it is no wonder that the imposing birds have a wingspan of up to 2.5 meters. White-tailed Eagles also feed on fish. But also (larger) waterfowl up to the Continue reading White-tailed Eagles on an icy coot hunt →

Bird Behaviour, Birds of Western Palaearctic

Dancing in the Rain: a Coot

Leave a comment

There are only remnants of the former alluvial forest belt along the Rhine between Bonn and Düsseldorf. Thick clouds stand over the Rhine near Cologne-Porz. A humid temperature, as it is not unusual for the Cologne Bay in summer. Reluctantly at first: drizzle. Then a rain shower pelts the relics of an alluvial forest in Porz-Zündorf, south of Cologne. A family of Eurasian Coot (Fulica atra) were already noticed, among the other water birds like Llittle Grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis), Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea), Mute Swan (Cygnus olor) and above all Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos). The adult Eurasian Coot raised at least 3 young already. The young look well-fed, but are still a bit whimpering and continue to beg their parents. The most independent young ventures further out into the lake area. It climbs on a floating piece of wood and from there tries to take in food from the surface of the water. When the rain falls, it looks irritated at first. When the rain increases in intensity and thick raindrops make the water “boil”, it can no longer contain itself. It stands up, taps up with its disproportionately large webbed feet and then even lifts its wings and flaps them up and down again and again. An enthusiastic dance for the rain!

There are only remnants of the former alluvial forest belt along the Rhine between Bonn and Düsseldorf. Above all, the old arms are only present in meager remnants. The former arm of the Rhine – the Groov – forms an extensive Rhine meadow landscape, characterized by trees, some of which are centuries old. Originally the Groov was Continue reading Dancing in the Rain: a Coot →

Bird Behaviour, Birds of Western Palaearctic, Where to watch birds

Great Crested Grebe in breeding season

Leave a comment

HaubentaucherA Great Crested Grebe (Podiceps cristatus) sits upright on its nest and hatches the cubs. Elegant feathers adorn the head on the long, thin neck.

At the beginning of spring, harsh screams came from the reeds. On silent days one could hear the deep cries far over the smooth water of the lake. A couple of Great Crested Grebes had settled on the edge of the lake.

At the end of February / beginning of March, at the courtship time of the grebes, there is a busy time on the lake. The males argue loudly about their territories. In courtship, males and females face chest to breast, shake their headdress, present each other nesting material and align themselves with each other with lowered beaks. Early in the morning at dawn, the spectacle begins and only after the sun has set, action calms down at the lake.

Once a couple has found each other, they start to build a nest that they either hide in the reeds or in the middle of the water. For several days they build together on the floating raft of reeds, leaves and water lilies. They then eagerly haul plant material and swim up Continue reading Great Crested Grebe in breeding season →

Verhalten, Vögel der West Paläarktik

Haubentaucher im Brutgeschäft

Leave a comment

HaubentaucherEin Haubentaucher (Podiceps cristatus) sitzt aufrecht auf seinem Nest und hält die Jungen warm. Elegante Federn zieren den Kopf am langen, dünnen Hals.

Zu Beginn des Frühlings kamen durchdringende Schreie aus dem Schilf. An stillen Tagen hörte man die tief-klingenden Schreie weit über das glatte Wasser des Sees tragen. Ein Haubentaucher- Paar hatte sich am Ufer des Sees niedergelassen.

Ende Februar / Anfang März, zur Balzzeit der Haubentaucher, ist viel los auf dem See. Die Männer streiten laut um ihre Territorien. Bei der Paarung stehen sich Männchen und Weibchen von Brust zu Brust gegenüber, schütteln ihre Kopfbedeckung, präsentieren sich gegenseitig Nistmaterial und richten sich mit abgesenkten Schnäbeln gegeneinander. Früh am Morgen im Morgengrauen beginnt das Spektakel und erst nachdem die Sonne untergegangen ist, beruhigt sich der See wieder.

Sobald ein Paar sich gefunden hat, fangen sie an, ein Nest zu bauen, das sie entweder im Schilf oder in der Mitte des Wassers verstecken. Für mehrere Tage bauen sie zusammen auf dem schwimmenden Floß aus Schilf, Blättern und Seerosen. Dann transportieren sie eifrig Pflanzenmaterial und schwimmen häufig zu ihrem im Bau befindlichen Nest, bis es stabil genug ist.

Da die Haubentaucher häufig in Ufernähe brüten, finden sie hier auch genügend Nistmaterial. Das dauert normalerweise eine Continue reading Haubentaucher im Brutgeschäft →

Bird Migration, Birds of Western Palaearctic, Rare Bird sightings

Pygmy Cormorant (Phalacrocorax pygmaeus) in Germany

Leave a comment

ZwergscharbeIn size between a Eurasian Coot (Fulica atra) and a Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) and black as well. Pygmy Cormorants are increasingly a sighting in Germany.  Right now, a Pygmy Cormorant has been reported from Stotternheimer See near Erfurt. Several images show, as the Pygmy Cormorant swims, rest and starts from the water in front of reeds on this lake in Thuringia. Before, this species – maybe the same bird – was reported from the southern bay of Sulzer Lake which is also close to Erfurt. The bird was always good to see from the 3rd  to the 11th of December 2018. Pygmy Cormorants found in Thuringia fit very well into the picture of a more frequent occurrence of the bird species in Central Europe starting from the years 2000, as reports from the Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, from the Bodensee and from Germany. Scientists suspect that this phenomenon can be explained by the large increase in the breeding population in the Hortobágy in Hungary. The species seems to occur increasingly in Germany in the second half of the year – especially in late autumn and winter.

Pygmy Cormorants are in fact small relatives of the European Continue reading Pygmy Cormorant (Phalacrocorax pygmaeus) in Germany →

Beste Beobachtungsgebiete für Vögel, Vögel der West Paläarktik

Harter Winter – gute Vogelaufnahmen

Leave a comment

ZwergsägerJe härter der Winter, desto schwieriger ist die Futtersuche. An der Ostseeküste gilt das für die Vogelwelt besonders dann, wenn auf dem Blankensee, an den Havelseen oder gar der Ostsee das Wasser zufriert und offene Stellen selten werden. Dann überwinden die Vögel ihre natürliche Scheu und versuchen, in den Häfen auf Beutefang zu gehen. Für Fotografen ist das eine gute Gelegenheit, zu reizvollen Motiven zu kommen.

Vor einigen Jahren hatte der lang anhaltende Frost die Ostsee in eine arktische Winterlandschaft verwandelt. Viele seltene und dem Menschen gegenüber eher scheue Vogelarten hatten ihre Zurückhaltung aufgegeben und waren in den windgeschützten Häfen aufgetaucht. Dort gab es noch einige wenige eisfreie Wasserflächen, an denen die Vögel an Nahrung gelangen konnten.

Nach angenehmen Temperaturen um Weihnachten sorgten ab Sylvester Temperaturen von bis zu – 20 ° Grad Celsius für eine kältestarre Eiswüste. Zwangsweise fand sich eine vielfältige Vogelwelt in den Häfen ein. Pfeifenten (Anas penelope) und Stockenten Continue reading Harter Winter – gute Vogelaufnahmen →

Beste Beobachtungsgebiete für Vögel, Verhalten, Vögel der West Paläarktik

Brutgeschäft bei Graureihern in Stuttgart

Leave a comment

GraureiherDie Brutvorbereitung der Graureiher (Ardea cinerea) am Max-Eyth-See, einem bekannten Erholungssee direkt bei Stuttgart, findet Anfang bis Mitte Februar statt. Dann besetzen die Graureiher ihre Horste. Die Nester werden ausgebessert oder neu gebaut. In dieser Zeit Ist es sehr lebhaft in der Kolonie. Unermüdlich suchen die Vögel auf dem Boden und in den Baumkronen nach abgebrochenen Zweigen. Haben sie dabei einen etwas dickeren erwischt, fliegen sie schwerfällig wieder zu den Horsten. Es werden auch Zweige von Bäumen abgerissen oder von anderen Horsten stibitzt. Diese Phase im Jahresablauf der Graureiher, eignet sich gut, um schöne Verhaltensbeobachtungen zu machen.

Der Max-Eyth-See ist Continue reading Brutgeschäft bei Graureihern in Stuttgart →