A hailstorm sweeps across the countryside. Just after the thunderstorm ceased a male Northern Shoveler (Anas clypeata) flies particularly beautifully in front of us on the watch tower. From the observation tower it can be admired in flight at eye level with its bright blue and green wings and the brown belly. Although it is… Continue reading Große Rosin: Northern Shoveler after heavy hailstorm
Tag: Sedge Warbler
Northern Shoveler in heavy hailstorm
A hailstorm falls over the ponds of Stangenhagen. While many wading and waterfowl used to stand stoically by the lake, the masses of birds that meet here in late summer to moult and rest for the first time on their way to their winter quarters are now beginning to move. First, the Northern Lapwings (Vanellus… Continue reading Northern Shoveler in heavy hailstorm
White Wagtail with nestling food
With a thick package in its beak consisting of small Diptera such as Flies (Brachycera) and Mosquitoes (Nematocera), Caddisflies (Trichoptera) and small Dragonflies (Odonata), a White Wagtail, (Motacilla alba) suddenly sits in the pollarded willow just in front of the bird observation tower. As in previous years, a pair of White Wagtails has built a… Continue reading White Wagtail with nestling food
Sedge Warbler in early spring in Germany
A Sedge Warbler (Acrocephalus schoenobaenus) can be spotted singing agressively from a reed or willow perch in the old reed bed of the ponds south of Stangenhagen near Trebbin in southern Brandenburg. The Sedge Warblers have only been in their breeding grounds in the extensive sedge beds, reed beds, reedmace and wet meadow of the… Continue reading Sedge Warbler in early spring in Germany
The first returnees from migration: the Black Kite
The wide meadows oft he Elbe south of Wittenberg in Saxony-Anhalt is a special bird protection area. By far not as populated as the lower Rhine valley, it favors many migrating and breeding bird species. Spring is spectacular. A familiar “neigh” is in the air. The meadows are mainly characterized by the distinctive calls of… Continue reading The first returnees from migration: the Black Kite
Schilfrohrsänger: aggressives Verhalten im Frühling
Ein Schilfrohrsänger (Acrocephalus schoenobaenus) singt aggressiv von einem umgeknickten Schilfhalm im alten Röhricht der Teiche südlich des kleinen Dorfes Stangenhagen bei Trebbin in Brandenburg. Die Schilfrohrsänger sind erst wenige Tage in ihren Brutrevieren und reagieren spontan und vehement auf die Imitation von Artgenossen, um ihr Territorium zu verteidigen. Der Schilfrohrsänger läßt beim geringsten Anklingen der… Continue reading Schilfrohrsänger: aggressives Verhalten im Frühling
Young Warbler as an ID-challenge in southern Brandenburg in Germany
In the beginning of August I shot the image of a drab warbler near a pond in southern Brandenburg. I did not realize the bird at that moment, as the whole willow bush in a otherwise highly agricultural land was quite busy with migrating birds, e.g. Sedge Warbler (Acrocephalus schoenobaenus) well. I think, I remember… Continue reading Young Warbler as an ID-challenge in southern Brandenburg in Germany
Eurasian Reed-Warbler in a jungle of reed
Reed seems a monotonous habitat. In early spring, the reeds of the previous years are uniform and stand close to each other; pale gray, sometimes brown. Peeling stalk layers of the reed already provide for the maximum of visual variety. Otherwise: a sea of vertical stems. But like the right sea, the reed “sea” is… Continue reading Eurasian Reed-Warbler in a jungle of reed
Wie unterscheidet man den Seggenrohrsänger vom Schilfrohrsänger im Gelände?
Der Seggenrohrsänger (Acrocephalus paludicola) und der Schilfrohrsänger (Acrocephalus schoenobaenus) sehen vordergründig gleich aus. Wer aber genau durch das Fernglas schaut und die Erkennungszeichen kennt, sieht die Unterschiede und kann die Art häufig schon richtig bestimmen. Typisch ist der Gesang der Vögel. Einen zusätzlichen Hinweis gibt der Standorttyp. Zur Vermeidung einer Verwechslung des Seggenrohrsängers mit dem… Continue reading Wie unterscheidet man den Seggenrohrsänger vom Schilfrohrsänger im Gelände?
Buschrohrsänger: Sommergast in Estland
Trotz des frühen Morgen beuteln Windböen die Sträucher und Bäume. Das hilft zwar gegen die Mücken. Aber es führt eben auch dazu, daß die Blätter der Büsche auch ganz ohne die Aktivität von Grasmücken und Rohrsängern bewegt werden. Das wird die Entdeckung des von mir an diesem Morgen gesuchten Buschrohrsängers (Acrocephalus dumetorum) nicht unbedingt einfacher… Continue reading Buschrohrsänger: Sommergast in Estland
Observation site for spring migration on the river Oder
After having presented protected nature areas in the Havellaendisches Luch or the Guelper See, a recent blog was dealing with the Oder valley in general and The National Park Lower Oder especially. The National Park protects a flood plain, the last still intact in large parts of the estuary of Central Europe. A rainy, cloudy… Continue reading Observation site for spring migration on the river Oder
Waterfowl Spring migration on the flooded meadows of the river Oder/ Germany
Already several sites for nature protection with excellent birding ops in Brandenburg has been presented. One of these sites is a protected nature area in the Havellaendisches Luch or the Guelper See. If you have spare time between two tourist attractions in Germany´s sprawling capital Berlin you might be interested as a birdwatcher to know,… Continue reading Waterfowl Spring migration on the flooded meadows of the river Oder/ Germany