Berlin Birding

If you want to see a Goshawk, go to Berlin.

For some reason this elusive raptor, which hides itself away in the deepest of forests over here, is comparatively easy to see in Berlin – just check out this article from the Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2015/may/13/berlin-goshawks-urban-wildlife-tempelhof-airport-birdwatching (and, bearing in mind that there’s an election next week and impartiality is required, here’s another from the Telegraph): http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/germany/berlin/articles/Berlin-an-unlikely-paradise-for-birders/ ).

I’d just spent a few days in Baden-Wurttemberg visiting my brother and my German sister-in-law and had already seen such species as Fieldfare (distinctly out of place in baking late May), Serin and many, many Black Redstarts but I was now in the big city and looking to get my birding bearings.

Sparrow art

First of all, House Sparrows are everywhere and are quite forward, jumping on to your café table in search of crumbs and clearly making a mark on the local graffiti artists.

As previously alluded to, Black Redstarts are also very common, seemingly swapping places with the Robin in terms of numbers and behaviour, one’s attention frequently being drawn to their ‘electric river’ song, and the Hooded Crow rules the roost over our more usual Carrion Crow. They also seem rather territorial as I was buzzed twice by one before I beat a hasty retreat.

Hooded crow

My main Berlin birding area was the Tiergarten, a beautiful park to the west of the Brandenburg Gate. It's the former hunting park, with winding paths, islands, pondsa an as lake. On the lake mute swans and mallards were the home birds.

Queen Louise, beloved queen of the Prussians

Taking care not to be run over by the many cyclists I heard the usual warblers chff chaff and willow warbler etc but many, many ‘chipping’ woodpeckers, including one chasing another right in front of me. I thought they were all Great Spotted but this site seems to indicate that Middle Spotted may also be around https://germanybirding.com/ so a little ID brushing up may well end up paying off.

My most unusual sighting on my first visit was this little fellow who, judging by his harness, was a pet:

Pet Pig

It was very, very hot so, after being disappointed to find the English Tea Garden closed, I made for the Café Tiergarten on Altonauer Strasse, whose garden gave out over the edge of the Tiergarten, enabling me to see a GSW alighting on a nearby tree, yet more Black Redstarts and a single Common Redstart (I’ve deliberately left the tape in the photo as this part of the field seemed to be where all the action was):

Redstart

Another site that repaid a visit was an unexpected one – Gatow airfield is now a museum and I’d gone to have a look at their old aircraft.

I had to be careful not to make any sudden movements as it seemed the local Black Redstarts had developed missile technology:

Black Redstart

Finally, at the very end of the fighter section stood this old Sukhoi fighter:

Sukhoi

And, sat on the corner of the fence to the left was… a Grey Shrike! It stayed put long enough for me to tell it was a Grey Shrike but, though I had the Collins on me this time, not long enough for me to definitively determine that it was a GGS as opposed to a Lesser before it flew behind some containers and lorries behind said fence.

I’ve posted the question on birdforum.net and, judging by the their responses and https://germanybirding.com/ , it would appear that it was indeed another Great Grey Shrike which is my second in under three months. Crazy times!

In the end the closest I came to seeing a Goshawk was when sitting at Friedrichstrasse S-Bahn station and seeing a boat called ‘Habicht’ go by. ‘Habicht’ is German for Goshawk, and it was encouraging to see that the locals are aware of nature’s goodies on their very doorstep.

If anyone’s considering a Berlin trip then I heartily recommend it – history everywhere you look and enough green spaces to break up the sightseeing, with the added attraction that, for most of us, Germany is very much an under-visited and under-watched country from a birding perspective.

Tiergarten Lake

John Doragh

Gloucestershire glories

Last weekend two of us (Linda and Jen) joined Jeff Clarke and 7 other people for his Birdcraft weekend in Gloucestershire.  It was a weekend of contrasts between Day 1 which was spent in the Forest of Dean and featured cold, but clear, dry weather and Day 2 which was spent at WWT Slimbridge accompanied by pouring rain.  The latter was an effective reminder that Slimbridge is a wetland site.

Panorama of the Forest of Dean from New Fancy

The ancient Forest of Dean lies between the valleys of the Rivers Wye and Severn with Gloucester on the east.  It features 110 sq kms of mixed woodland, a haven for a variety of birds and mammals.  The day began at New Fancy viewpoint which affords excellent views across a large area of the Forest.  We were there to see Goshawks.  It was not long before we saw the silhouette of this beautiful bird in the distance and above the treeline.  If only it would come closer.  A short while later another pair of Goshawks appeared. We could not believe what we were seeing.  After one hour there we had seen 5 of these beautiful birds.  Together with the Buzzards, Carrion Crows, Wood pigeons, Robins, Ravens, Siskins, Goldfinch and Great spotted woodpeckers it was an excellent site and a brilliant start to the day.

Main pond, Cannop Ponds

Our next destination was Cannop Ponds, a pair of linear ponds divided by a small causeway.  These man-made ponds were constructed to supply water to Parkend Ironworks in the 19^th century.  They are now home to various duck species with good footpaths around their perimeter.  The first pond gifted us sight of a Cormorant displaying its wings beautifully.  Also visible were several pairs of Mandarin ducks.  The site gave us good opportunities to see many species at relatively close distance.  Total species seen at Cannop Ponds were Cormorant, Mandarin duck, Little grebe, Tufted duck, Coot, Mallard, Herring gull, Lesser black-backed gull, Moorhen, Robin, Nuthatch, Long-tailed tit, Great tit, Goshawk, Blackbird, Dunnock, Chaffinch, Goldcrest, Siskin, Marsh and Coal tits. 

Day 2 dawned with a heavy frost and temperatures of -3^oC, with much ice to be scraped off cars before we headed back to the cricket pitch in search of the elusive Hawfinches.  This time our persistence was rewarded.  We had excellent sightings of 9 of these glorious birds with those impressive bills.  Chaffinch and greenfinch also put in an appearance.  What a way to start the day.  From there it was off to WWT Slimbridge.  En route we noticed crowds of people and thought that perhaps it was a Sunday car boot sale.  Then, we realised that the attraction was nothing material, but the excellent Severn bore which was due to be spectacular as the tides were at an 18 year high.  Sadly, we could not delay to watch this sight.

By the time we arrived at Slimbridge the weather was very wet, but we were not to be deterred.  En route to our first stop we saw a Water rail which showed up several times during the course of the day.  One of the most spectacular sights was that of a large group of Wigeon which moved out of the water and rippled across the marsh like a slow moving carpet.  The Cranes put in an appearance, 4 of them with two showing multiple leg rings clearly.  These rather primitive looking birds are a delight to watch flying across the marsh.  Large groups of Black-tailed godwits put on good displays particularly when spooked by an incoming Peregrine which failed to capture any prey.  Closer to one of the hides we had excellent views of Pintail and Greylag geese. 

Two male and one female Pintail

 There is not enough space to speak of all that we saw.  Suffice to say that by the time we left our notebooks additionally had records of Wood pigeon, Moorhen, Lapwing,  Shelduck, Teal, Bewick’s swans, Little Stint, Dunlin, Pied wagtail, Golden plover, Coot, Mallard, Redshank, Shoveller, Tufted duck, Meadow pipit, Sanderling, and Pintail.  So our Gloucestershire sojourn had ended.  It is an area well worth visiting with Parkend proving to be a useful base.

Jen

Lake Vyrnwy 27th April, 2014

11 birders met at Brunswick Station and set off for Wales in a minibus, with Chris doing the driving. 

On arrival we were joined by two more from the Liverpool group and 3 people from Ellesmere Port.  What a treat we had in store!  Near the visitor centre we saw Chaffinch, Robin, Siskin, Buzzard and Coal Tit.

We started walking the blue trail.  Very soon we came across a female Pied Flycatcher,darting back and forth to a nestbox, beak full of nesting material. It kept us entertained for quite some time, collecting twigs, some were difficult for the little bird to manoeuvre into the box.  And where's there's one, we soon found the male.

Female Pied

Male Pied

Soon afterwards we saw a resplendent Redstart  a Nuthatch and a very smart Pheasant strutting his stuff!

Up in the forest,we came across a lovely clearing with wonderful views. A Tree Pipit was seen flying between a tree and some rocks.  Very soon it landed on a radio mast and was renamed the Mast Pipit, so a new one for all of us!!!  The farmer came up in his quad bike, one hand on the bike, one round his dog, but he still managed a wave.  He left a very happy flock of sheep after he gave them food.

Male Redstart

A copse in the same area gave us another wonderful sighting  of a Redstart on a post. 

Always on the look out for a moment of light humour, Arnie  appeared on edge, 'don't do it Chris Everton will soon regain their form' !

The prankster

Suddenly a Peregrine Falcon came into sight over the hilltop and a very high flying Cormorant followed by Ravens.

we continued the walk and soon came to the woods, there had been a great deal of clearance so not the prettiest place to be.  Piles of newly felled logs and a stumpy wasteland ahead, still the pied and grey wagtails of the area were quiet happy with the area, flitting about, no doubt the clearance had uncovered lots of insect prey.

Logging

Shortly after another highlight of the walk, Arnie's  wonderful hearing picked up the song of a Wood Warbler a short metallic tick that accelerates into a trill that is reminiscent of a coin spinning) and after some pishing it appeared for us all to ogle.  Such a pretty bird, a lovely yellow colour with gleaming white underparts.

And at last our quarry, high up in the sky, a Goshawk  scanning the forestry below, alas no closer view. One day we'll see this vivacious  sweeping effortlessly through the canopy.

After lunch we ventured onto the  lakeside hides. On the path to the hides , a dipper was spotted flying down a woodland stream . The weather was on the turn, a heavy down pour the precursor for the rest of the day   perhaps a reason for the hide birdlife to be quiet with the exception  of once again a delightful pair of Pied Flycatchers, chasing each other back an forth over the woodland enclosed pool at the top of the lake.

The heavens opened once, time for a hasty retreat to the minibus in the hailstones and so back to our Liverpool home. 

Rhodie

Pics - Neil P

Laura

Flying giants of Vyrnwy?

Goshawk - SteveRound

March is always a month I set aside for goshawk

As long as it is not raining or the wind is blowing a gale this is the time to look for a normally difficult to see bird.

The forecast for this Saturday wasn’t too bad so we headed to a favourite spot of mine at Lake Vyrnwy. Taking the path up from the Giants of Vyrnwy car park we were retreading the footsteps of the abortive RSPB meet of 2013. However, with better weather this year we were more confident of success.

Even before we had reached our normal viewpoint we had a large goshawk on the hill behind us which was soon joined by a second. After a while they drifted out of sight but it was a good start to the day.

We continued up the track and settled down to scan for birds. From our viewpoint we checked each bird in the sky. Usually these were buzzards or ravens but there we had numerous sightings of goshawks and there may have been up to four birds present.

One goshawk soared alongside a similar sized buzzard for some minutes before diving at a small bird which turned out to be a sparrowhawk (presumably male as the size difference was so vast).

Most of our sightings were across the valley above the hill of the Ty-uchaf tea rooms but birds were picked up from all directions. We had birds flying below us as well as a vertical stoop from above us into the valley below.

During our four hour watch we also saw a pair of peregrines, one merlin and a red kite. One or two sparrowhawks were also present. Crossbill calls revealed one bright red male in the trees below us but that was it for small birds.

If you have a nice sunny day with a bit of a breeze don’t leave it another year.

Terry