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Caleys'
Bird Diary Archive Memories of previous highlights, starting with our last entries for [last year]: Winter first months of 2009: The highlights were seeing flocks of Waxwings on several occasions
(near and beyond Altenrhein and at Steinach) and also Redwings, as well as the treat of several Kingfishers, and, on a walk in the
Rhine Valley a Black Woodpecker. At Triboltingen we observed Black-necked Grebes and Red-breasted Mergansers
in the water. Autumn 2008: A glimpse of the elusive Ring Ouzel. And always a treat to see: Nutcrackers. July 2008, around Scarborough GB: countless Kittiwakes nesting – in the hotels!
And Linnets to enjoy on coastal walks.A wonderful atmosphere at Bempton Cliffs in the proximity of Gannets and various Auks!
An extra hit was seeing Golden Plovers there. June/July 2008, at Minsmere GB: Less than 24 hours! The highlights were the total atmosphere, with plenty of
Avocets, Godwits and Lapwings to enjoy, seeing Little Terns with their chicks on the beach, Dartford Warblers on the Dunwich Heath,
and at least hearing one of Cetti’s Warblers and a Nightingale. May/June 2008, in Scotland: Special sightings on the Outer Hebrides included the Red-throated Diver,
the Black-throated Diver, the Great Northern Diver, and the Manx Shearwater. Close-up views at Balranald (RSPB)
of breeding Snipes, Redshanks, Lapwings, Corn Buntings, and even briefly of a Corncrake (more often we were able to hear its ‘combing’ call).
Equally pleasureable to observe on the beach were Sanderlings, Turnstones, Ringed Plovers, Oystercatchers and Eider Ducks.
Flying over the hills a Golden Eagle and a Short-eared Owl. May 2008: A rare sighting at fairly close range: Night Herons (a pair, at Altenrhein).
And at long last, not only a hearing but also a sighting of a Golden Oriole in the woods on the Austrian side of the Old Rhein
- wonderful! April 2008: At Klingnauersee we caught a sight of Alpine Swifts, and could observe a Bluethroat
at close range, as well as a Marsh Harrier. Nearer to home there were one-off sightings of Bramblings, of a Common Redstart,
and of a Pied Flycatcher. January – March 2008: The joy of being able observe five Bearded Tits (German: Bartmeise) at close range
(Triboltingen) – we'd never caught sight of any in this region before! We were also able to observe Kingfishers - always a joy to see -
at close range (Altenrhein). We caught a sight of (only one pair of) Common Crossbills (near Gäbris). It seemed unusual not to see or hear any
Goldfinches until the beginning of March. |
September 2007: Close sightings of a Golden Eagle
(Schönbühl) also Rock Thrush, Whinchat, Alpine Accentor - and a Snow Finch? August 2007: Cuckoo in the mountains (behind
Hinterrugg in Toggenburg). July 2007, on
the Isle of Man: Gannets and Artic Terns (around the Point of Ayre);
Common Terns, Little Terns, Sandwich Terns, as well as Dunlins, Sanderlings and Skylarks (at Smeale);
Sand Martins (at Ballaugh); Black Guillemots, Guillemots, Puffins, Shags (at Peel); Fulmars, Kittiwakes, Razorbills (at Maughold);
as well as Choughs and Hooded Crows. July 2007, in London's Hyde Park / Kensington Gardens:
and 'hearings' – the first of Canada Geese, Greylag Geese, and the exotic
Rose-ringed (Ring-necked) Parakeets. Wonderful to see and hear how
much birdlife there is in the midst of Central London! May 2007, on the Sicilian Aeolian Islands: countless Serins and
Sardinian
Warblers, Turtle-Doves, Blue Rock-Thrushes,
Eleonora's Falcon (on Salina's west coast), Cetti's Warbler (heard only –
which
is the main thing! – repeatedly on April 2007: It's lovely to
see Nuthatch chicks in a tree trunk beside the path in the coastal caravan
park in Steinach being fed by their parent(s). For the first time we catch sight of a Red-backed Shrike (near Altenrhein). Week 17: Cuckoos are
back, "our" Swifts too, and the first reed warblers. Week 16: the
first House Martins have arrived! Week 15: the first ("Common") Redstart we've seen for some time and in this region (Altenrhein).
Week 14: the first swallows of this year sighted in our region. March 2007: Week 11: return of
the first Black Redstarts; Yellowhammers (migrants?) seen near Kreuzlingen above the
Bommerweiher (Kreuzlingen) and a Black Woodpecker. Week 10: the
first Chiffchaffs; Reed Buntings and a Stonechat (probably a migrant) in Horn
by Lake Constance. Large numbers of Red-crested Potchards seem to have arrived,
presumably for breeding here. End of February 2007: Goldfinches arrive after Fieldfares and Starlings (the earliest). January 2007: Siskins here. Blackcaps around Ascona and Hooded
Crows near Bellinzona (21-22/01). Bittern (among many other species at Klingnauerstausee), and the breath-taking spectacle of countless
swarms of Bramblings gathering above Siglistorf to roost for the night (15/01). Common Crossbills and a Hawfinch on the Gäbris, and
Bullfinches near Balterswil. Winter guests 2006/2007 on Lake Constance that were a
special treat to see: Pintails and Goldeneyes; Wigeons, Snipes (and Curlews
too) around Arbon. |
Other Birds we've very probably seen since we began birdwatching |
©
Caleys English for pleasure
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20.07.2007 ●
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