A sunny day in the forest and at the lake near Strzalowo in Masuria. Arriving at the parking lot at 3pm we see a Common Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) being chased through the canopy of a large Linden tree at high speed by a songbird. We want to take the signposted circular hiking trail in the… Continue reading Cuckoo on fight on robin’s nest
Tag: Fieldfare
Pink-footed Goose in Rudow-Altglienicke/ Berlin
This time there was no need to patiently monitor flocks of geese with a spotting scope in windy weather and sleet and snow showers. It was cool and wet, but the Pink-footed Goose (Anser brachyrhynchus) in the Landschaftspark (landscape park) Rudow-Altglienicke could be seen quickly in flocks with Greylag Geese (Anser anser) and 2 Greater… Continue reading Pink-footed Goose in Rudow-Altglienicke/ Berlin
Dusky Thrush near airport Berlin-Brandenburg
Around 11:30 a.m. the sun sent the first tentative rays through thick clouds which contained heavy rain only minutes before. In the afternoon of the previous day, a Dusky Thrush (Turdus eunomus) was sighted in a flock of Fieldfares (Turdus pilaris). In a 3rd attempt and after a good 2 hours of waiting the salvation… Continue reading Dusky Thrush near airport Berlin-Brandenburg
Goldregenpfeifer auf dem Frühjahrszug im Fläming
Ein Goldregenpfeifer rastet in einem Trupp während des Frühjahrs-Vogelzugs auf einem Stoppelfeld. Das auf Anhieb monochrom erscheinende Bild des bräunlichen Vogels auf dem im Herbst abgeernteten Feld lässt erst im zweiten Blick die wunderschöne Gefiederzeichnung seines Schlichtkleides erscheinen. Richtig schön ist es aber als der Trupp auffliegt und die gelb-gold-braunen Vögel vor dem blauen Himmel… Continue reading Goldregenpfeifer auf dem Frühjahrszug im Fläming
Thrushes feeding on fruits in winter
A beautiful Redwing (Turdus iliacus) roam on the lichen-covered branches of the Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) to enjoy the red berries in thick fog. A bush of the European Holly (Ilex aquifolium) – also simply called Ilex – in the back of my front yard has been glowing full of red fruits since autumn, too. But… Continue reading Thrushes feeding on fruits in winter
Dusky Thrush as rare vagrant in Germany
It was a bit of a sensation. A Dusky Thrush (Turdus eunomus) was sighted in a flock of Fieldfares (Turdus pilaris) in the middle of the Erzgebirge (Iron Mountains) near Stollberg, south-west of Chemnitz in south-eastern Germany. A Dusky Thrush discovered 4 years ago on Helgoland was the only report that I was able to… Continue reading Dusky Thrush as rare vagrant in Germany
Redwing on icy shore
The snow is already high and flakes are still falling from the icy-cold sky in eastern Germany. Only the flowing waters still have open water. A refuge not only for water birds. Other surface waters in the area have long been covered by a thick layer of ice. The Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) do not seem… Continue reading Redwing on icy shore
Weißrückenspecht in Park in Estland
Nach einem erfolgreichen Foto-Shooting der Doppelschnepfe (Gallinago media) will ich mich zum Abschluß dem Gutspark des Haeska Manor House widmen. Der zur Pension umgebauten Gutshof weist einen weitläufigen Park mit vielen alten Bäumen auf. Neben einen paar schönen alten Eichen gibt es auch alte Linden. In alten Parkanlagen soll – wie mir einheimische Naturschützer sagten… Continue reading Weißrückenspecht in Park in Estland
Vogelzug in Nordjütland
Stumm stehen in der Morgendämmerung frierende Birder mit spektakulär aufgebauten Spektivkombinationen auf den Dünen und anderen exponierten Stellen am äußersten „Zipfel” von Vendsyssel im Norden Dänemarks. Im Westen die Nordsee, im Osten die Ausläufer der Ostsee. Hier treffen Kattegat und das Skagerrak aufeinander. Von Küste zu Küste sind es nur 4 bis 5 Kilometer, aber… Continue reading Vogelzug in Nordjütland
Ungeheuerwiesen in winter
This winter wildlife heaven is often full of birds. Probably the most spectacular (and noisy) are the thrushes and European Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) to feast on the unfrozen meadows. Northern Harrier (Circus cyaneus) winter out on the remote parts of the meadows, but will regularly hunt the lakes and wetland down to the shores of… Continue reading Ungeheuerwiesen in winter
Observation site for spring migration on the river Oder
After having presented protected nature areas in the Havellaendisches Luch or the Guelper See, a recent blog was dealing with the Oder valley in general and The National Park Lower Oder especially. The National Park protects a flood plain, the last still intact in large parts of the estuary of Central Europe. A rainy, cloudy… Continue reading Observation site for spring migration on the river Oder
Graveyard Blackbirds in the snow
It is cold in Germany. There had been snow the last few nights before. But now it thaws again. The air is cold and clear. The main part in a vast park cemetery is still as packed with a 5 cm thick layer of snow. Only the paths are cleared temporarily by a snow plow.… Continue reading Graveyard Blackbirds in the snow