Bird photography in your backyard: What to consider

20 small birds are constantly on the move between a garden bush and the nearby birdhouse. Right away I can identify Great Tits (Parus major), Blue Tits (Cyanistes caeruleus), Nuthatches (Sitta europaea), Greenfinches (Chloris chloris), Goldfinches (Carduelis carduelis) and House Sparrows (Passer domesticus). While Great Tits and Blue Tits prefer to fly to the feeder,… Continue reading Bird photography in your backyard: What to consider

Bramblings in preparation for migration

Polyphonic, high-pitched calls resound from the dense tops of a pine forest at the edge of a sports field in southern Brandenburg, only 50 km away from Berlin. The calls can be heard from far away and are characterized by their rather squawking pitch. The birds can be heard from different directions. It must be… Continue reading Bramblings in preparation for migration

My backyard, garden bird photography near Berlin

I’m really enjoying my garden bird photography at the moment. Since October I have had a feeding place for the birds in the garden. The feeding site is quite busy. But there are many birds of prey here on the outskirts of the village. I think the most dangerous is the resident male Eurasian Sparrowhawk… Continue reading My backyard, garden bird photography near Berlin

Eichelhäher im handfesten Streit im Winter

Eine ausdrucksstarke, dynamische Szene der sich im Flug vehement streitenden Eichelhäher (Garrulus glandarius) ist kein Kinderspiel. Die beiden Streithähne sind großartig mit offenen Flügeln und den schönen Farben vor der offensichtlich winterlichen Kulisse in Szene gesetzt. Ein echter Tanz der Häher. Ein wunderbar dynamisches und lebendiges Bild! Die technische Umsetzung heißt in erster Linie beide… Continue reading Eichelhäher im handfesten Streit im Winter

Great Tit inspects Hoopoe-nest

With spread wings, the Great Tit (Parus major) swoops towards a hole in a wooden wall. The Tit inspects the large round hole for a good 3 seconds during the approach, flying sometimes less than 10 cm from the entrance.   The pair of Great Tits has been doing gymnastics around an open shelter or… Continue reading Great Tit inspects Hoopoe-nest

Bramblings in autumn forest

It prevails, wonderfully calm autumn weather. Otherwise, autumn is associated with rain and storm. It promises to be a sunny October day. In the morning I set off for a longer walk in the Brandenburg quarry forests. The sun penetrates the haze, over which is a steel-blue sky spread. After the first few meters, a… Continue reading Bramblings in autumn forest

Eurasian jays feeds on songbird

Since October I have had a feeding place for the birds in the garden. There are many birds of prey here on the edge of the village. where the most dangerous I think is the resident female Eurasian Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus). In any case, it is clear to the rest of the birds that it… Continue reading Eurasian jays feeds on songbird

Sparrowhawk feeding on a House Sparrow

If you operate a winter bird feeder, you can easily make beautiful and interesting nature observations from the window. For this reason I also feed, and not because I expect it to have a nature conservation effect. Many of our endangered birds aren’t there in winter anyway. They are in the warm south and would… Continue reading Sparrowhawk feeding on a House Sparrow

Jay at the feeding place

Usually this bird rarely comes within shooting range. When it comes to winter feeding, it can also be seen from a shorter distance: the Eurasian Jay (Garrulus glandarius). The most colorful raven bird in our latitudes. Usually it is a cautious fellow which is only occasionally seen up close. You can hear its voice there… Continue reading Jay at the feeding place

Buntspecht an verkohlten Kiefernstamm

Dort wo im Sommer die Flammen bei einigen der größten Waldbrände in Brandenburg der vergangenen Jahre wüteten, sind rund 90 Prozent der Bäume nicht mehr zu retten. Dort, wo die angekohlten Stämme bereits entfernt wurden, sieht man bereits jetzt Grün wachsen. Dazwischen stehen noch verkohlte Kiefernstämmchen, die der Harvester wohl übersehen hat. Da ein Großteil… Continue reading Buntspecht an verkohlten Kiefernstamm

Sperber: der unsichtbare Greif

Nach einem langen Winter treiben mich die ersten Frühlingstemperaturen im März nach draußen. Zwischen den Feldern und über einem Wald läßt mich ein Geräusch aufhorchen. Es ist eine Art pulsierendes, primitives, hohes Kreischen. Fast kein Vogelruf. Durch die noch nackten Baumkronen sehe ich die Quelle des Geräuschs direkt über mir am grauen Himmel. Mein erster… Continue reading Sperber: der unsichtbare Greif

Where and how to photograph Hawfinches

Right now, there is a large invasion of Hawfinches (Coccothraustes coccothraustes) recorded for Great Britain. The peak took place in fall 2017, and good numbers have remained during the winter months. With fewer than 1,000 breeding pairs in Britain, Hawfinch populations are critically low and the bird is Red-listed as a Bird of Conservation Concern,… Continue reading Where and how to photograph Hawfinches