A male Mountain Peacock-Pheasant (Polyplectron inopinatum) enhances his performance with subtle feather vibrations. By shaking his tail feathers, he produces a rustling sound that adds an auditory dimension to his courtship ritual.The courtship display of the Mountain Peacock-Pheasant is a meticulously choreographed performance designed to captivate the female. 2 hours before: At 6:00 I’m already… Continue reading Mountain Peacock-Pheasant in a spectacular mating display
Category: Rare Bird sightings
Specialities
A Wryneck presenting its tongue
A Eurasian Wryneck (Jynx torquilla) sits on a branch of Black Elder (Sambucus nigra) in the first light of morning. He sunbathes and yawns. He opens his beak wide. An extension shoots out like a dagger. The wryneck shows his tongue! The tongue of a Eurasian Wryneck is surprisingly long when fully extended. It’s pointed… Continue reading A Wryneck presenting its tongue
Spoonbills at Lake Neusiedl
Feeding by sweeping their bills back and forth through the water like a rake, a Eurasian Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia) is catching food by trapping small prey with their special bill. A spoonbill is a type of wading bird that can be found in shallow water. These birds have a long, spoon-shaped bill that is used… Continue reading Spoonbills at Lake Neusiedl
Grey Partridges under attack
2 Grey Partridges (Perdix perdix), male and female, let themselves be lured to the mowed meadow by the calls of a rival. They are very open. Suddenly, they haven’t been that open for a minute, a Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo) comes flying low. The Grey Partridges immediately take off in a brilliant flight for cover.… Continue reading Grey Partridges under attack
Stephen’s Place: a paradise for Barbets in Bukit Fraser
On the edge of a green mountain forest, right in the heart of Malaysia, stands a large tree whose branches are laden with an abundance of ripe treasures of red fruits. An almost unlimited number of fruits dangle in the canopy between dense emerald green foliage. A lively spectacle unfolds here for a few days… Continue reading Stephen’s Place: a paradise for Barbets in Bukit Fraser
Hard Birding Taman Negara
Right at the entrance to the Taman Negara National Park in the middle of Malaysia you have the chance to experience an early bird show. So one morning I was standing with a group of bird watchers near the campsite between construction vehicles and looking into a fruiting tree. Undeterred by the hotel staff and… Continue reading Hard Birding Taman Negara
Hoopoes in the Kaiserstuhl
Almost everyone knows the Hoopoe (Upupa epops) with its unusual headdress and friendly face. But there are only a few places in Germany where you can observe it quite easily. The Kaiserstuhl in the south-western corner of Germany is one of these special places, with one of the highest population densities in Germany. But that… Continue reading Hoopoes in the Kaiserstuhl
Mecklenburg´s Switzerland: a true paradise for woodpeckers too
The high drum rolls gave the early morning a special sound. The imitation of the drum quickly brought the author to the observation tower. It was a male Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos minor). I was able to photograph him very nicely here. My journey to Mecklenburg Switzerland began well before dusk. The drive through the… Continue reading Mecklenburg´s Switzerland: a true paradise for woodpeckers too
Bluethroat in willow bush
The first Bluethroats (Luscinia svecica) were recorded in northern Germany. One location seemed to be a particularly reliable location. The journey wasn’t that far either. But first I stood with a few other observers and saw: Nothing! But after just 20 minutes of waiting, a colleague murmured from the left: “There it is.” The bird… Continue reading Bluethroat in willow bush
A Special at Green Mubazzarah: Leucism in Desert Lark
After a successful morning in first light and 2 hours afterwards in the Green Mubazzarah, at the foot of the Hajar Mountains, I’ve just come back from a photo tour of both the Plain Leaf-Warbler (Phylloscopus neglectus) and a pair of Hume’s Wheatears (Oenanthe alboniger). I walk over the thick pebbles that make the Wadi… Continue reading A Special at Green Mubazzarah: Leucism in Desert Lark
Vagrant Egyptian Nightjar on Fuerteventura
A Egyptian Nightjar (Caprimulgus aegyptius) was found on March 29, 2007 near La Lajita Beach on Fuerteventura. The Egyptian Nightjar was ringed and released the next day. After the onset of south-easterly winds and sandstorms from the Sahara, a Egyptian Nightjar was caught on the island of Fuerteventura at the end of March 2007, probably… Continue reading Vagrant Egyptian Nightjar on Fuerteventura
Andean Cock-of-the-rock at Tunquini Field Station from a camouflage tent
A beautiful day announces itself with a perfect starry sky. So I can really throw myself into the adventure. First I try my luck with the Nikon Nikkor AF-I 4.0/ 600 on the Nikon F 5 set up on the fruiting single tree on the slope where I couldn’t find anything yesterday. I’ve barely taken… Continue reading Andean Cock-of-the-rock at Tunquini Field Station from a camouflage tent