The roosting Red-backed Shrikes (Lanius collurio) are all juveniles. One has taken a long morning bath and is now shaking its wet feathers on a stick in the morning sun. Again and again the wings are spread, shaken and then placed one on top of the other. In particular, a tiny garden with runner beans… Continue reading Songbird migration along the southern Black Sea coast
Tag: Red-backed Shrike
Corn Crake, a shy inhabitant of the Warta river in Poland
Drops of dew hang on the sloping blades of grass in the wide floodplain of the Warthe in the early morning. It’s summer and the sun rises very early. A fat, red ball has pushed itself over the horizon. But the sun has not yet sent out its rays to banish the last remnants of… Continue reading Corn Crake, a shy inhabitant of the Warta river in Poland
Corn Crake: Photography at Ujście Warty National Park
Early morning in the Ujście Warty National Park, only 80 kilometers away from Berlin. This is the perfect hour and the perfect place to find and photograph the Corn Crake (Crex crex). And soon I hear the calls of a Corn Crake (Crex crex) in the background of a densely overgrown meadow not far from… Continue reading Corn Crake: Photography at Ujście Warty National Park
Kuckuck wird aggressiv von Neuntöter attackiert
Vehement greift der kleine Singvogel den Kuckuck (Cuculus canorus) auf seiner Warte an. Scheinbar furchtlos greift das Weibchen des Neuntöters (Lanius collurio) an. Einen Schmarotzer, der ihre Brut gefährdet, kann sie nicht akzeptieren. Ende Mai ertönt im ersten Dämmerungslicht ein vielfältiges und beeindruckendes, ja geradezu ohrenbetäubendes, Stimmenkonzert aus den weiten Absetzbecken der Schwemmteiche bei… Continue reading Kuckuck wird aggressiv von Neuntöter attackiert
Female Red-backed Shrike aggressively attacks Cuckoo
The little songbird vehemently attacks the Common Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) on its perch. Seemingly fearless, the female of the Red-backed Shrike (Lanius collurio) attacks. She cannot accept a parasite that endangers her brood. At the end of May, in the first twilight, a diverse and impressive, almost deafening, concert of voices can be heard… Continue reading Female Red-backed Shrike aggressively attacks Cuckoo
Newly fledged Red-backed Shrike in Spruce
High, soft but intense calls sound from an old clearcut that is now reforesting itself with European Spruce (Picea abies). Between emerging Sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus) and Rowan (Sorbus aucupariaeinem), I walk up a slope on a carpet of Blueberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) and follow the calls. Right next to a hunter’s perch amidst man-sized spruce trees,… Continue reading Newly fledged Red-backed Shrike in Spruce
Photography without disturbing: the Red-backed Shrike in Germany
In June, the females of the Red-backed Shrike (Lanius collurio) are still sitting on their eggs. But towards the end of the month, they should start feeding the young birds. Then the nature photographer is already very excited. Over time, you get to know the pairs in an area quite well. One, of the total… Continue reading Photography without disturbing: the Red-backed Shrike in Germany
Zaunammer am Rand des Schwarzwalds
Der schnarrende Gesang der Zaunammer (Emberiza cirlus), die Reihe von etwas heiser klingenden Pfeiftönen des Wendehalses (Jynx torquilla), das kurze, dreiteilige Liedchen mit seinen rauen gequetschten Tönen des Hausrotschwanzes (Phoenicurus ochruros), meist von Warte aus gesungen. Alle Brutvögel tragen eine Strophe zum Konzert der Vögel hier in den Offenlandflächen am Nordhang des Schönbergs, nur wenige… Continue reading Zaunammer am Rand des Schwarzwalds
Gartenrotschwanz füttert Junges
Mit den ersten Sonnenstrahlen steht das Männchen des Gartenrotschwanz (Phoenicurus phoenicurus) auf einem Ast der Echten Walnuss, auch Nussbaum (Juglans regia) genannt. Schon zuvor war ein hart angeschlagenes „hüit“ aus einer Fliederhecke (Syringa sp.) zu hören. Damit wollte der Vater wohl ein Junges locken. Eine wunderschöne Maskenzeichnung ziert den Kopf. Gesichtsfeld und Kehle sowie die… Continue reading Gartenrotschwanz füttert Junges
Souza’s Shrike in Brachystegia dry forest / Malawi
In the morning we are already a while on the road in the sparse savanna forest with lots of brachystegia, the typical tree of the African wooded savannah. Now is dry season. Between the trees are tall grasses, which are usually dried up. Suddenly you can see a shrike. Immediately I remember the Red-backed Shrike… Continue reading Souza’s Shrike in Brachystegia dry forest / Malawi
Grauschnäpper: hungriges Junges lässt sich füttern
Die Brutzeit ist vorbei. Nun sammeln sich die Eltern mit ihren Jungen, um diese in das Geheimnis des Nahrungserwerbs einzuweihen. So jagt wohl ein ganzer Familienverband von Grauschnäppern (Muscicapa striata) immer wieder aus einem Eichenhain aus Stieleichen (Quercus robur) hinaus auf eine Pferdeweide. Besonders die Drähte der Weide wurden gerne als Warte genommen. Von den… Continue reading Grauschnäpper: hungriges Junges lässt sich füttern
A gourmet among woodpeckers: a Wryneck in Estonia
Hi-pitched callings are coming out of nowhere. Even the direction is not clear. In the poor light of the dawn I see a bird in flight. First I think of a Barred Warbler (Sylvia nisoria) or maybe a small female shrike like a Red-backed Shrike (Lanius collurio). Suddenly a Eurasian Wryneck (Jynx torquilla) hops around… Continue reading A gourmet among woodpeckers: a Wryneck in Estonia