Michael´s Fourth Year

[mvecht]

@Galana  We can have even more fun if we also start discussing Tits (no pun intended).

@michael-ibk  is listing the Parus Major`s German name as Kohlmeise. Translated into English = Coal tit  

[Botswanadreams]

@mvecht It`s always funny to translate English bird ID`s to German or in the other direction. "Kohlmeise" translated in English means  "cabbage tit".  Coal in German is the mining product  "Kohle"

[mvecht]

@Botswanadreams It gets even more complicated than that, partly also because languages/spelling changes over time.

The original idea of the name in Germany was related to the black (coal is black) rather than having anything to do with cabbage,and actually the bird that is known as Coal tit (Parus Ater) in English was called Kohlmeise in the 16th century but is now named Tannenmeise (Fir tit).

[Galana]

Hmmm! It gets worse. One of the old English names for P.major is Black-headed Tomtit so 'Black' has played a part in old names. No doubt over time matters will settle down but it is fun to watch a German and a Dane discussing the diversity of their language. Is not P.Major 'Musvit' in Danish or did I get that wrong too?

In Manx it is quite clear. Drean mooar. Mooar being 'large' or 'big' as opposed to 'veg' or 'beg' for little so we are back with 'Big Tit' as the literal translation.

On that note I suggest we give 'the other Michael' his thread back.

[michael-ibk]

On 1/21/2019 at 7:48 PM, mvecht said:

I am struggling with the Tree Creepers. They are very shy around here.

 

Here as well @mvecht, and I do find them tricky subjects. This one was the most coooperative one I´v ever encountered.

 

On 1/21/2019 at 9:22 PM, xelas said:

With your previous records, @michael-ibk, it is only fair to give us, mere mortals, a head start into the new season .

 

"Mere Mortal" as in "Mr. 650+ frigging birds in one year fanatic"? 

 

On 1/22/2019 at 12:27 PM, Zim Girl said:

Well. you've caught me up already

 

That was yesterday, now you´ve ran off again!

 

7 hours ago, Galana said:

On that note I suggest we give 'the other Michael' his thread back.

 

By all means, do carry on, these name stuff is far more interesting than I can add here. 

[michael-ibk]

11/E11.) Tufted Duck (Aythya fuligula) / Reiherente

 

Chiemsee, 20/1. Europe´s most common diving duck. Sticking to the naming topic, what does the Latin name actually mean? "Fuligo" means "soot" which does make sense given their plumage colour. Aythya is more complicated, apparently deriving from Ancient Greek. It´s a term for an unidentified seabird mentioned by authors like Aristotle. The German name is puzzling, it means "Heron Duck". 

 

Edited January 23, 2019 by michael-ibk

[mvecht]

@michael-ibk  fantastic lighting for the Tufted duck.

[michael-ibk]

12/E12.) Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula) / Schellente

 

Chiemsee, 20/1. A winter guest which is starting to breed in some areas in Middle Europe. It seems to me they are becoming more confiding with each year at Chiemsee, they used to stay pretty far from shore. 

 

 

[Galana]

Nice photos. The couple by the icy post gave me shivers!

[Kitsafari]

Ducks somehow don't excite me but your photos are just gorgeous @michael-ibk

 

Love the (changed from "your" - somehow it just elicits giggles....) tits. wish we had them here - i.e. wild, not caged or escaped. 

 

[Zim Girl]

Lovely Goldeneyes, nice to see a close up of the female.

[michael-ibk]

13/E13.) Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) / Stockente

 

Chiemsee, 20/1. The vast majority of domestic duck breeds descend from mallards - not surprising given how confiding and unfussy they are. I´m afraid to say their behaviour can also be slightly immodest:  In 1995, Kees Moeliker, a curator at Rotterdam’s Natuurhistorisch Museum, documented the first case of homosexual necrophilia in mallards after he found one male mallard attempting to mate with another that had died after flying into a museum window. As Moeliker wrote in a paper about the incident—which won an lg Nobel Prize in 2003—the mallard “mounted the corpse and started to copulate, with great force, almost continuously picking the side of the head” for nearly an hour and a half before Moeliker intervened. Definitely only a Dutch Mallard thing, our locals would never do that, I´m sure of that.

 

 

This is one of the often-occurring bastards, seen the second year here now. 

 

[michael-ibk]

14/E14.) Common Gull (Larus canus) / Sturmmöwe

 

Chiemsee, 20/1. Not a common Gull at all where I live, and this is the very first time I captured one at Chiemsee. A sparse migrant and winter guest in Austria, with only a few dozens actually breeding in a few locations.

 

 

Edited January 24, 2019 by michael-ibk

[PeterHG]

14 hours ago, michael-ibk said:

Definitely only a Dutch Mallard thing, our locals would never do that, I´m sure of that.

Thanks for the info on our perverted nature, Michael ;)! Mallard is 'Wilde Eend' in Dutch (Wild Duck), but I did not know they were that wild.

[Galana]

4 hours ago, PeterHG said:

I did not know they were that wild.

Maybe he was owed money by the other one and was applying resuscitation more in hope than in anger?

[michael-ibk]

15/E15.) Common Pochard (Aythya ferina) / Tafelente

 

Chiemsee, 20/1. A widespread bird especially in winter. Unfortunately the more colourful male was a bit too shy.

 

 

[michael-ibk]

16/E16.) Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) / Turmfalke

 

Gaisau, Tirol, 27/1. Our most common raptor after the Bussard. They eat almost exclusively mouse-sized mammals.

 

[michael-ibk]

17/E17.) Eurasian Nuthatch (Sitta Europea) / Kleiber

 

Gaisau, Tirol, 27/1. Also called "Spechtmeise" (Woodpecker Tit) in German which is quite fitting IMO, they are in a way a mixture of both. I expect my next birds will pose in slightly less icy surroundings - we are off to Botswana tomorrow. 

 

 

 

Edited January 31, 2019 by michael-ibk

[mvecht]

@michael-ibk  Very nice picture of the Sitta Europea caesia. Do you also get the other subspecies in Austria with the lighter colored breast?

In Denmark we get the caesia in the west where I live and the europea europea in the east.

Have a wondeful trip to Botswana. I am not jealous at all 

[michael-ibk]

1 hour ago, mvecht said:

Do you also get the other subspecies in Austria with the lighter colored breast?

 

I don´t think so, certainly have never seen one. Wiki says subspecies Europaea is found more in the North, Scandinavia, Poland, Romania Bulgaria along Russia all the way to Japan. So it would definitely be an unusual tick here.

[TonyQ]

Lovely photos to leave us with @michael-ibk

Have a great trip in Botswana

[Galana]

Some nice pictures there.

May you get lots more in Botswana and come back to share them with us.

Not jealous at all. I am always this shade of green!

[Zim Girl]

Have a fantastic time in Botswana @michael-ibk

[michael-ibk]

Thanks @TonyQ, @Galanaand @Zim Girl. At Innsbruck Airport right now. 

[xelas]

From South Africa to Botswana: enjoy your trip, @michael-ibk and @AndMic! See you on Jnb in 2 weeks.