Sichler als Irrgast

Wir fahren über die sattgründe Insel, durch das kleine Dorf Ponta Delgada und hinter einer Straßenbiegung bemerken wir sofort einen dunklen, schlanken Vogel mit einem langen Schnabel, der in einem Graben stand, der von einem Wasserloch für Rinder gebildet wurde. Ohne Zweifel: ein Sichler (Plegadis falcinellus). Widerwillig beginnt der Vogel zu fliegen. Mit deutlichen Rufen… Continue reading Sichler als Irrgast

R’as al-Khor: a paradiese for Waterfowl

Nowhere else in Europe or the Middle East can you get so close to Greater Flamingos (Phoenicopterus phoenicopterus) or Western Reef-Herons (Egretta gularis schistacea) as in the R’as al-Khor. Many waders fish in the shallow waters just meters from tourists armed with binoculars and cameras. The Western Reef-Heron´s plumage shows two color phases. There is… Continue reading R’as al-Khor: a paradiese for Waterfowl

Cayenneibis: ein geheimnisvoller Urwaldflußbewohner

Gemächlich stakst ein geheimnisvoller Urwaldbewohner aus dem Schatten des Galeriewaldes in Richtung Flußmitte. Ein gedrungener Vogel mit einem gebogenen, gelblich-grünlichen Schnabel, kurzen grünen Beine und einem dunkelbronzegrünen Gefieder kommt zum Vorschein. Es ist ein Cayenneibis (Mesembrinibis cayennensis).   Er stochert, dabei langsam schreitend, mit seinem langen Schnabel in Schlamm, Schmutz und seichtem Wasser. Der Cayenneibis… Continue reading Cayenneibis: ein geheimnisvoller Urwaldflußbewohner

A mysterious Ibis of jungle rivers in South America: Green Ibis

A mysterious jungle dweller leisurely stalks out of the shadows of the gallery forest toward the middle of the river. A squat bird with a curved, yellowish-greenish bill, short green legs and dark bronze-green plumage emerges. It is a Green Ibis (Mesembrinibis cayennensis).   It pokes, striding slowly, with its long beak in mud, dirt… Continue reading A mysterious Ibis of jungle rivers in South America: Green Ibis

Nationalpark Pilanesberg: a heaven not only for Kingfishers

In the surrounding bushes of the Tidodi Dam there is  loud bustle already. In the gallery forest around, numerous birds such as the Grey-headed Kingfisher (Halcyon leucocephala) enjoy the first sun beams. Haze floats above the water. It is morning shortly after sunrise. The surrounding trees of the dam form a small gallery forest, which… Continue reading Nationalpark Pilanesberg: a heaven not only for Kingfishers

Vagrant Glossy Ibis on Flores

In the north of the island of Flores, there are some excellent birding locations. Basically these sites are between the village Ponta Delgada to the east and the lighthouse on the edge of Ponta do Albernaz on the west. The lighthouse at Ponta do Albernaz is the most powerful lighthouse of the Azores. The view… Continue reading Vagrant Glossy Ibis on Flores

Next Rarity for Noord Holland – a Glossy Ibis

According to a report from waarneming.nl a Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus), a species from the birds family of the Ibises and Spoonbills (Threskiornithidae) could be observed on July 1st 2014 near Heemskerk in the Heemskerker Noordbroekpolder than in Heemskerk in the Waterberging Noorderveldjust south of Castricum. After the Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes) at the coast… Continue reading Next Rarity for Noord Holland – a Glossy Ibis

Caspian Seashore & Volga delta in May

Bird richness on the northern shore of the Caspian Sea is amazing. Caspian Sea is counted the largest inland body of water in the world. More than 100 rivers provide inflow to the Caspian, with the Volga River being the largest. Pristine floodplain forests, flooded grasslands to the horizon, eagles on almost every tree. A… Continue reading Caspian Seashore & Volga delta in May

Wolgadelta im Mai – Erfahrungen von Zug- und Brutvögeln

Weite ursprüngliche Auenwälder, überschwemmte Wiesen bis zum Horizont, Seeadler auf jedem Baum. Wo gibt es das – noch dazu in Europa? Dazu fährt man entweder ins Donaudelta oder noch viel weiter. Eine Gruppenreise führte in der ersten Hälfte des Monats Mai 1998 ins Wolgadelta südlich von Astrachan im südlichen Russland. Danach wurden die Hügel-Seen-Region und… Continue reading Wolgadelta im Mai – Erfahrungen von Zug- und Brutvögeln

Resultate 2013; Results of Euro BirdWatch in Switzerland

On the weekend of 5/6 October 2013 BirdLife International and its national partner institutions organized the pan-european Euro BirdWatch. Migratory birds on their way south were observed in 33 European and some countries in central Asia. In total 2,509 visitors were inspired by the natural phenomenon of bird migration in spite of bad weather.  In… Continue reading Resultate 2013; Results of Euro BirdWatch in Switzerland

Keoladeo National Park, a paradise also for Western Palearctic birds

Is it possible to combine business and birding in India? The country is large, the distance too and most business is performed in a metropolitan area – New Delhi. Although supposedly in the area of New Delhi only 250,000 people live after the Indian census of 2011, but there are at least several million in… Continue reading Keoladeo National Park, a paradise also for Western Palearctic birds

Top Birds at Romania´s Black Sea Coast

South of the Danube Delta is a wide stretch of a sandy shoreline with shallow lagoons. This is part of Romania´s Black Sea coast. May is Migration and early breeding time. Whereas the association of the east Romanian countryside is normally with the core Danube Delta with its speciality birds like Pelicans, Black-necked and Red-necked… Continue reading Top Birds at Romania´s Black Sea Coast