Faulty starter motor, but I'll get it fixed . Soukous BY 2020

[Galana]

Some nice sightings there.

Like the male Goosander. A very smart bird as is the single female.

Some good BIF too.

I would not encourage you with that dark billed gull but the bill does look large for a Herring Gull.

[PeterHG]

Interesting sites and some good sightings. The male Eiders are spectacular birds and I always look forward to seeing Goosanders again.

[Soukous]

We've been blessed with a couple of beautiful late Autumn days and it would have been criminal not to have gone out to make the most of them - whilst maintaining a suitable social distance of course - 

 

I haven't quite got the tide times sorted yet and so frequently find myself looking at an expanse of mud flats with nothing in the near distance but Greylag Geese.

 

All filed away for future reference though.

 

Away from the water, Buzzards and Kestrels are everywhere.

 

Many of the buzzards are in a pale plumage phase

 

 

others a more familiar brown

 

but the real highlight of my weekend was something completely unexpected. 

We went to a spot in Hamburg, sandwiched between the motorway and the docks, which had been recommended by some friends as a good spot for migrating birds.

 

To be honest, there weren't many there, apart from a lot of Tufted Ducks

 

I'd just taken the photo above when I spotted something much larger flying into the trees. Too big to be a Buzzard, and once I locked onto it I could see it had a white tail.

 

Yes, a White-tailed Eagle!! 

 

#191 - White-tailed Eagle - Haliaeetus albicilla - (FTP#87)

Holzhafen, Hamburg. Oct 2020

 

It settled into a tree a bit far away but who cares.

 

in fact there were 2 of them. The second even further away.

 

well, what a wonderful surprise. 

[Galana]

8 hours ago, Soukous said:

well, what a wonderful surprise. 

Indeed. Well done. If anything the BIF is nicer than the perched.

[Soukous]

7 hours ago, Galana said:

If anything the BIF is nicer than the perched.

 

I was lucky. I saw the shape in the sky and, amazingly, instantly recognised that it was an Eagle. I had time to fire off three shots as it dived down through the power lines into trees. Only one of them - the last one - was in focus. 

I got four shots of it perched in the tree. Once again only 1 was usable as the rest were either not in focus or had branches obscuring the bird. 

 

A very happy boy. 

Edited November 9, 2020 by Soukous

[Kitsafari]

Lovely BiF of the eagle!

[michael-ibk]

Great sighting of the Eagle - and in Hamburg of all places. Also interesting to see all these very light Buzzards, I´ve never seen one like that here. And I really like all the Golden Plover photos a lot. Might be more special to me than to you, I´ve only had a handful of very distant sightings.

[Soukous]

A bright, but chilly, day presented a rare recent opportunity to venture out in search of more ticks for my BY as I crawl on all fours towards the target of 200. 

My main goal at the moment is to find some migrating swans; Whooper and Berwicks. No sign of either yet. 

But I did find a bird that should be easy but which has eluded m until now.

 

# 192 - Goldeneye - Bucephela clangula - (FTP #88)

Dassower See, Mecklenburg, Germany. Nov 2020

 

Dassower See is a huge brackish water lake with hardly any disturbance by boats and is reckoned to be one of the best wintering grounds for ducks, geese and swans in the Baltic region.

There were quite a few birds to see, but no great variety, and they were all some way off shore. Definitely worth another visit though.

 

Goldeneyes were the only species I saw that are not yet in my BY.

As usual, about 100 metres offshore, so  big crop

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 21, 2020 by Soukous

[Soukous]

I did score some more ticks though, although they were not at all the species I expected to find.

I was walking back along a track from the lake shore and saw some activity around a bird table at the end of someone's garden.

 

#193 - Willow Tit - Poecile montanus

Dassower See, Mecklenburg, Germany. Nov 2020.

 

Alost always a toss up between Willow Tit and Marsh Tit, especially when they are not making a noise. Neither are in my list so far this year, but I reckon this is a Willow Tit based on the larger bib, which extends to the shoulder.

 

 

 

 

[Soukous]

#194 - Nuthatch - Sitta europaea - (FTP #89)

Dassower See, Mecklenburg, Germany. Nov 2020

 

I'm very happy to add this one as I spent a lot of hours hunting for one - without success - earlier in the year.

 

 

 

 

[Soukous]

#195 - Tree Sparrow - Passer montanus

Dassower See, Mecklenburg, Germany. Nov 2020

 

another unexpected addition as I was walking along the lakeshore looking for fowl. 

 

 

 

 

 

[Galana]

8 hours ago, Soukous said:

and Berwicks. No sign

Only found on the Tweed when rolling on your Rrrs.

Good Willow Tit.

[Soukous]

As I've already mentioned - probably more than once  - this year I have been seeing a LOT of Buzzards. 

I'm pretty sure they have all been Common Buzzards (Buteo buteo), but they certainly have not all looked the same.

In a field, just across from where I am staying there are 2 Buzzards that I see regularly and I sometimes wonder how they can both be the same species.

 

a dark one

 

 

and a light one

 

when I first saw the pale one, I saw him from the front, with his head turned and he looked almost pure white

Edited November 25, 2020 by Soukous

[Soukous]

one more to add

 

#196 - Marsh Tit - Poecile palustris

Lower Saxony, Germany. Nov 2020

 

I'm fairly confident that this is a Marsh Tit (I'm not rash enough to say 100%)

I heard it singing and the bib is so small that it can barely be seen from the side.

 

 

 

 

[Galana]

Hmmm. The whitish wing panels do suggest you have a Willow Tit there but they are darned hard to split.

[Soukous]

10 hours ago, Galana said:

Hmmm. The whitish wing panels do suggest you have a Willow Tit there but they are darned hard to split.

 

Yes, I was expecting you to notice that. Looking back at the Willow Tit I posted a few days ago it is hard to argue that they are not the same species. 

This one was quite noisy for a while and I was convinced it was a Marsh Tit but, like I said, not rash enough to be 100% sure. 

 

If the consensus is that they are the same species I'll (reluctantly) amend my tally. 

[Soukous]

11 hours ago, Galana said:

Hmmm. The whitish wing panels do suggest you have a Willow Tit

 

or ... I could just delete the photo that shows the wing panels 

[PeterHG]

I  spite of the wing panels I tend to agree on Marsh Tit. It looks less compact  than a Willow. In the 3rd picture you can see some sort of white base of the bill and also the cheek and earpatch dissolve into a brownish colour whereas they would be completely white in a Willow Tit. The song would have been a very good pointer as well of course. But then again I may be completely wrong.....;)

[Soukous]

Well

11 hours ago, PeterHG said:

I tend to agree on Marsh Tit.

 

What a wonderful man you are Peter. 

Given that 2 such respected authorities ( @Galana& @PeterHG) have differing views on the Tit I do not feel nearly so bad about being less than 100% myself. 

[PeterHG]

 

 

 

29 minutes ago, Soukous said:

Given that 2 such respected authorities

I never thought the day would come when I was called an authority on anything, let alone respected, so thank you ! 

[Soukous]

Just now, PeterHG said:

 

 

 

I never thought the day would come when I was called an authority on anything, let alone respected, so thank you ! 

 

when you are 4 feet tall, almost everyone else looks like a giant 

[Galana]

4 hours ago, PeterHG said:

let alone respected,

Moi? Thanks anyway. I can live it down.

[Dave Williams]

Some excellent images Martin, I didn't realise you were temporarily living in Germany. How are things progressing with the patient ? Hopefully heading in the right direction.

 

Anyway, at least you have enjoyed some different locations and some excellent birds while you are out there. I'm very envious of the Crane sightings and photos, couldn't get that near them on my trip to Estonia a couple of years ago but the haunting sounds of their cries has struck in the memory . Likewise, the Green Woodpecker shots very nice too. I actually saw them locally quite a few times this year which was a major breakthrough as it's a top 5 bird on my UK Wishlist to photograph but sadly it was always in flight and at distance, I haven't given up hope though!

[Soukous]

Yes, still in Germany for a couple more weeks. The chance to visit new places is wonderful, even though I have not been particularly impressed with the number of species seen. (Says the man who finally got a photo of a White-tailed Eagle ) But I keep looking at what has been seen back on my home patch and can't help thinking I'd be well past 200 if I was there. (Other man's grass and all)

 

Sadly the reason I am here is not a happy one and things are moving in the wrong direction. What would have been serious enough anyway has been made nigh on impossible due to Covid-19 and the pressures and restrictions it has put on the healthcare system here. 

[Peter Connan]

Sorry to hear that Martin. Hopefully things take a turn for the better soon!