Hello and good evening,
the time for the Early-Morning-Birdwalks has begun. They usually take place between the middle of April and the middle of June on Sunday or on Holidays, every time at a different village in our area. The times and places are always published at the middle of April in the newspaper. Unfortunately I can't take part at every walk, because I often have to work at weekends and holidays. I hope you don't mind if I post some pictures here of the walks I have taken part at.But I warn you beforehand: The walks usually start between 05:30 and 06:00 AM, so it can still be a bit dark then, and with my quite simple camera the pictures might turn out dissatisfying. I hope you enjoy them all the same.
May 1st 2014: Today's walko took place between 06:00 and 09:15 AM at a town named Oberrodenbach. It took us through fields and woods and back through the town.
First we've seen this beautiful little Wren
A Serin
A Black Redstart (please trust me, it is true)
A Green Woodpecker
A sequence of Redstart-pictures (not Black Redstart, but the other). It is only the third time ever that I've seen one, but it is the third time in a week.
A Totem-Pole with Eagle and Owl
A Yellowhammer
We've seen not only birds, but other friendly creatures as well
The "professionals" at "work" (I felt a bit ashamed with my small and simple Sony Cybershot HX20V)
And last but not least: Some Starlings
There were so many more birds to be seen or heard: Blue Tit, Great Tit, Long Tailed Tit, Cuckoo, Blackcap, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Lesser Whitethroat, White Wagtail, Swallow, Firecrest, Heron, Robin, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Pied Flycatcher, wonderful Nightingales and on almost every other roof a Blackbird. And we were lucky with the weather, just a slight drizzle at the beginning, but it got better. And many "usual suspects" took part, so there was also much talk after such a long time.
Kind regards,
Bente
Unknown said:By the way: If you ever come to Germany, be careful when you visit an area called "Eifel". We have a TV-Crime-series here that takes place there. The area is very rural and looks so peaceful, but since a young female Inspector from Cologne has been transferred there, there is one murder after the other.
Sounds just like one of our TV crime series called Midsomer Murders, Bente. This is set in rural English countryside and there's a murder every week. I wonder there's anyone left alive.
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Tony
My Flickr Photostream
Hello for my second walk.
This time it started at 06:30 AM and took place in Heusenstamm, where one of my aunts lives. There were also the usual "Bird-Suspects " around like Blue- and Great Tits, Blackbirds, Blackcaps, Chaffinch, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Goldcrest, Firecrest, White Wagtail and many more.But I've seen quite a few first-ones for me, so I have taken lots of pictures. I should post them in two steps.
I think I might start with pictures that are not from birds, for example a few landscapes. It was a bit misty at first, but with the sunlight it looked really beautiful. So please enjoy.
A view over the valley of the river Kinzig from the car
Here we heard Wren, Chaffinch and Cuckoo among others, and we've seen a Red Squirrel jumping through the trees.
Lily-of-the -Valley. Just a second before I took the picture, there was a mouse around, too.
Around here we heard Sedge Warbler, Garden Warbler, Pheasant and a Golden Oriole. It is a pity that we couldn't see any of them, but we enjoyed the songs.
After the "official" walk my parents and I took another little walk around this lake. There were Mallards, Egyptian Geese, Canada Geese, Coots, a Mute Swan and what was very special for me: A Marsh Harrier, a Kingfisher and a Great Crested Grebe.
See you again here in a few minutes for the second batch with bird-pictures.
Yours, Bente
Hello again, this time for the bird-pictures from May 4th.
The walk started outside Heusenstamm at the athletic-field. It took us through the woods, along the woods and fields, around little lakes and back.
The first bird this morning was an Egyptian Goose. My aunt says that were are always lots of Egyptian Geese and Canada Geese around, that make lots of noise and leave lots of p... on the soccer-field and the athletic-grounds (you will know what I mean...). ...And they don't go away when the humans want to make their exersizes!
I almost didn't notice this quiet little Goldfinch:
The Canada Geese on the soccer-field
A Kestrel nearby
The Coots
A first-one for me: A Great Crested Grebe. I am very happy about it.
Marsh Harrier
Can you spot the Kingfisher? I was able to see it very well with my binoculars. He was a beauty.
And finally: A Heron
I hope you liked reliving the walk with me. As I write this, I am sitting outside, in the sunshine on the veranda. There is birdsong all around: Blackbirds, Firecrest, Greenfinches, Wood Pidgeons, a Serin in the distance, a Starling somewhere... The fireplace is in service and I have a rasperry-juice with icecubes at my side. What more could life have to offer on a sunday?
I hope that you are having a lovely sunday, too.
Kind regards, Bente
What lovely sets again Bente, its good to see your local area and very beautiful it looks too, what a great place to explore and sight all those wonderful birds. Love the photos and well done spotting the Kingfisher.
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Regards, Hazel
What a lovely walk Bente, great close-ups of the Marsh harrier, & then a nice sit in the sun in the evening. We are still lighting our wood-burbing cooker in the evenings, it just keeps the chill out of the house.
Best wishes
Hazel in Southwest France
Good evening!
Welcome to the last organised Early-Morning-Birdsong-Walk of this year. I had to work on so many weekends that I have been able to take part only at these few walks, but I absolutely enjoyed it. This last walk took place around a medieval castle, the "Ronneburg", that is still inhabited by the family of the Prince of Ysenburg and Büdingen. A lower branch of this family, which now not longer exists (the Counts of Ysenburg and Büdingen in Meerholz)used to have a castle in our directly neighbouring town. This second castle is now a nursing-home for people who need permanent medical care and attention. But this is just marginal. Now lets go on with the pictures of a beautiful landscape and some beautiful birds:
First: A view to the castle "Ronneburg"
A beautiful half moon
The area is often used for balloon-flights
"Fly me to the moon..."
Ths balloon is an advertisement for the city of Hanau, the home town of the Brothers Grimm (and my birthplace, by the way...)
No birds here, just a beautiful view:
This White Wagtail tweeted very sweet. I had no ideat that a White Wagtail could sound like this.
A heavily cropped and bad photo of a low-flying Swallow:
One of the jewells of today: A Red-Backed-Shrike:
There were many other precius birds, that were not to bee seen, but just to be heard: Green Woodpeckers, Golden Orioles, Black Redstarts for example.
I hope you liked this thread a bit. As it was the last officially guided walk for this year, it can well be that I continue with this thread next year. So I would like to say "Thank You" for looking in here, and maybe we meet here again some time.
Regards, Bente
What a lovely set of photos Bente, the area is totally stunning and with so many wonderful birds too, thanks for sharing these gorgeous photos.
Hi Bente, I agree with Hazy, lovely photos of some cracking scenery with so many different birds that I've never seen or heard. Once many years ago I was at the side of an isolated Loch when I heard people talking. Looking everywhere around me I couldn't see anyone and I began to think that I was going a bit mad. It took a moment for me to realise that there was a hot air balloon passing overhead with the occupants talking to each other.
Paul
My bird photos HERE
Hello Hazy and Paul,
it is always noce to see you here!
Paul, you poor chap! I can imagine that you might have imagined to "hear ghosts". It is incredible how far sounds can bear in a completely silent and isolated area!
Thanks for a lovely guide to the area and its wildlife. The balloon shots are beautiful. I like the idea of an annual blog :-)
"Let loose the Kraken!"