On confrontation: the Firecrest (Regulus ignicapilla)

The leaves in the riparian forest are still sparse. The warm spring sun shines beautifully down to the ground. Everything is full of life. Now it is important to find the perfect breeding site and the right territory – and above all to keep it. A Firecrest (Regulus ignicapilla) enters the territory of a conspecific. The high ” si si si see see see seeeh seeeh “, basically always on the same pitch, is the hallmark of the Firecrest and betrays the intruder early. The owner of the territory immediately flies to the intruder to a neighboring branch. The distance is only a few centimeters. In contrast to the Eurasian Nuthatch (European) (Sitta europaea), however, which I saw the day before, the birds do not collide directly with one another or even wedge each other into the ground.

They seem a bit more civilized. But the two Firecrests are also busy with an impressive display, in which they sing repeatedly, then raise the golden cap and, above all, flap their wings wildly. They continue to sing what the beak has to offer. As far as the beak is torn open, the little bird – for its standards – must produce a hell of a noise.

Both birds are so busy with each other that I can approach within 3 meters and take pictures of the Firecrest on branches and even on the litter of last year’s leaves.

An impressive „discussion“ that can be captured in a great series of pictures of the quarreling Firecrests that can be admired in the gallery!

The scene of the dispute is located in the southern part of Brandenburg. The area is crossed by a smaller river. The mix of trees in this floodplain forest is varied. It mainly consists of oak, hornbeam, maple, alder and poplar. The proportion of dead wood is surprisingly high. Many thick trunks lie across the ground and create an impenetrable miniature wilderness. The vegetation of the area on the eastern edge of the NSG Forst Zinna-Jüterbog-Keilberg is one of the remains of natural, rich mixed deciduous forests in the Baruther Urstromtal. While the  moist areas are taken up by tree species of the alder forests, the area is mainly dominated by species of the oak-hornbeam forest (Stellario-Carpinetum). These are characterized by a high proportion of demanding mixed deciduous forest plant species. Liverflowers (Hepatica nobilis) or the Wood Anemone (Anemone nemorosa) bloom particularly well in early spring before the leaves of the trees shoot.

The area is rich in the avifauna as well. Examples include Middle Spotted Woodpecker, (Dendrocopos medius) but also Hawfinch (Coccothraustes coccothraustes), Common Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs) and Eurasian Bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula).

In order to meet the growing demand for top images of the rarer species of Palaearctic Bird-lens.com has specifically made trips to remote places. Additionally every chance is used, if a rare bird is around the homeground. This to do everything to ensure excellent photos of the Birds of the Western Palearctic . The yield of pictures also of rare Western Palaearctic birds is very good. The picture of the blog is just an image of proof. But there are nice images of birds, that what you will find behind the tab “Picture Shop“. Just give a notice if you need a picture of a bird which is not online.

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