...shows promise but needs to try harder

[PeterHG]

Lovely Pintails!

[xelas]

A sunny day in UK is already something to celebrate. Adding new birds to the count make it just better. Excellent Pintail photos.

[Soukous]

Oops, I missed one

 

# 31 - Curlew - Numenius arquata

North Norfolk, UK. March 2024

 

 

[Peter Connan]

Some really nice shots from your weekend away.

[Galana]

On 2/27/2024 at 1:05 PM, Soukous said:

On February 9, 2024, longtime ABA member and frequent Birding magazine contributor Peter Kaestner reached 10,000 birds on his life list.

Yes. But I wonder how many he actually WATCHED.

[Soukous]

A couple more from North Norfolk, although I see them regularly much closer to home.

 

#32 - Coot - Fulica atra

North Norfolk, UK. March 2024

 

 

# 33 - Black-taild Godwit - Limosa limosa

Noth Norfolk, UK. March 2024

 

not yet in full breeding colours

Edited March 19 by Soukous

[michael-ibk]

Beautiful photos Martin. Love the Pintail, always a Duck that is difficult for me. 

[Soukous]

When your hobby (or at least one of them) is photographing birds you need to be an optimist and so, even though I have no ‘big’ trips in my calendar for 2024, I still hope to gather a reasonable tally from a number of 'excursions'.

 

Optimistic I may be, but it is slow progress.

A ‘sort of’ obligatory trip to Germany presented an opportunity for a more interesting travel option than just the joys of Ryanair, combining a visit to an old colleague in northern Netherlands with a drive through Friesland.

 

It looked good on paper and birdingplaces.eu threw up several promising places to spend time, several of which were endorsed by our own Netherlands birding expert @PeterHG

The trip was planned some time in advance so there was not much point worrying about the weather that far ahead but, as our departure drew closer and within reach of weather forecasts it started to look a bit grim.

 

From our base (friend’s house) just north of Alkmaar we had identified a few worthwhile birding spots, including the island of Texel. Available information suggested that Spring was a good time to visit.

Strong winds & rain did not stop us visiting our chosen sites, but they did put paid to decent birding with little to show other than Great Crested Grebes in courting plumage.

 

# 34 - Great Crested Grebe - Podiceps cristatus

Texel, NL. March 2024

 

 

 

there was even a courting pair, but they didn't come close

It was only on the day of our departure that the clouds finally lifted.

 

Our route from Netherlands to Germany would take us across the north of the country, crossing the Afsluitdijk - a dam/causeway that stretches 20 miles across the water linking together the provinces of Friesland and North Holland – before crossing into the German province of East Friesland.

 

Before we left the Netherlands though, we would visit what I hoped would be a fruitful birding location at Lauwersmeer National Park.

It certainly looked promising. The weather was bright and as we got closer the fields around us were full of Barnacle Geese, literally tens of thousands of them, which took to the air as we drove until we could see a 180 degree panorama of flying geese.

Surprisingly there were no signs indicating which road we should take to access the park so we just drove in what we thought was the right direction until our progress was halted by a sign telling us the road was closed except for residents. A long detour brought us to another similar sign.

The third time this happened we were sure we were no more than 1km from the place we wanted to be and, after so much effort we did not want to just turn around and leave, so we decided to just ignore the sign. Sure enough, within a couple of minutes we saw a sign proclaiming National Park Lauwersmeer. When we got to the viewpoint, it was clear that we were not the only people who had ignored the signs; unless the people in campervans in the parking area counted themselves as residents.

 

 

It had taken us far longer to get here than expected to reach this place but as it was our only planned stop for the day before driving on to Cuxhaven we were not in a hurry.

As it turned out, we did not stay very long. It is a beautiful location and the views over the water stretched in all directions but the only birdlife was quite distant; various ducks and a cluster of Godwits about 100 metres away. Another place to put on the growing list for a future visit.

 

They say a picture is worth a thousand words so you’ll have probably guessed by the excess of narrative that I don’t have nearly as many pictures as I’d like. 

 

The reason for staying in Cuxhaven was to visit the island of Helgoland (or Heligoland if you’re British). Big red arrow on the map above.

 

 

Heligoland is a small archipelago in the North Sea, about 70 kilometres from the port of Cuxhaven, at the mouth of the Elbe.
A part of the German state of Schleswig-Holstein since 1890, the islands were historically possessions of Denmark, then became the possessions of the United Kingdom from 1807 to 1890 - though they were never really used as a military base, being considered too remote to support – when Britain ceded the islands to Germany in 1890 in the Heligoland-Zanzibar Treaty.

 

This short video explains it far better than I can.

A brief history of Helgoland

 

Although it is only 1.7 Sq Km in area and 1.5km in length, Helgoland is the place in Germany with the most recorded bird species - with 430 species recorded – so of course I had to take a look.

 

The bulk of the island is about 60 metres higher than the port area but luckily for me if you don’t feel like climbing the steps there are lifts to bring you up.

A well maintained footpath provides a circuit around the island and allows people to get very close to a sizeable colony of Northern Gannets – about 1 metre – though a fence prevents people from interfering with the colony.

 

# 35 - Northern Gannet - Morus bassanus

Helgoland, Germany. March 2024

 

 

 

The Gannets did not seem to be bothered by the attention.

 

 

 

 

 

Lange Anna (Long Anna), the island’s most famous feature, is a 47-metre-high sandstone column (stack) somewhat similar to the Old Man of Hoy.

 

 

 

 

As well as finding the Gannets very entertaining I did learn something too.

The nests, which seemed to be largely made from waste materials like bits of fishing net, are on top of the cliffs, about 50 metres above the sea.

 

 

 

When it is time for the chicks to leave the nest the male parent pushes them off the edge of the cliff to tumble to the stony beach below. At this age the chicks have soft bones and feathers but are not yet able to fly so, despite a fall that would almost certainly be fatal for us, almost all of them apparently land uninjured. The female is waiting for them on the beach and ushers them into the sea where they immediately start to swim.

 

The Gannets made the excursion worthwhile but we saw very few other birds apart from a few Eiders close to shore. Right place wrong time, again!

 

# 36 - Eider - Somateria mollissima

Helgoland, Germany. March 2024

 

 

 

 

My list of places to be visited again is growing.

 

I almost forgot; there were Guillemots on the cliffs too, but they were not doing much apart from huddling together.

 

# 37 - Guillemot - Uria aalge

Helgoland, Germany. March 2024

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 1 by Soukous

[Soukous]

A few random species picked up along the way

 

# 37 - Kestrel - Falco tinnunculus

Lauwersmeer, NL. March 2024

 

 

 

# 38 - Turnstone - Arenaria interpres

Cuxhaven, Germany. March 2024

 

 

 

# 39 - Pied (or White) Wagtail - Motacilla alba

Helgoland, Germany. March 2024

 

 

Edited April 1 by Soukous

[PeterHG]

Some superb photos of the Gannets, but I can imagine you have mixed feelings about the whole birding experience. You were not lucky at all with the weather and also the Lauwersmeer area did not deliver. I do not recognize your experience with the closed road signs, but that may be new. It’s certainly an area I’ll be going to in the next few weeks, so I’ll let you know. Perhaps we we can do some birding there or on the isle of Texel on some future occasion. I did think about driving up to the Lauwersmeer to join you there, but the virus was still too active….

[Soukous]

3 hours ago, PeterHG said:

I do not recognize your experience with the closed road signs, but that may be new.

 

It looked as though it was a recent, and probably temporary, closure. They are building a new bridge across one of the canals there and that seems to be the cause.

[BRACQUENE]

Beautiful  additions Martin and a trip I would love to make ... some day ! 

[Galana]

Good to see you getting out and about again. Shame about the weather.  Strange tale about the Fledgling gannet launch. It may be a local issue as most Gannetries are on sea cliffs with a softer Landing. Them Germans are a tough bunch.

[Kitsafari]

gorgeous gannet shots. 

[Peter Connan]

Beautiful photos Martin!

[Soukous]

and so my total creeps slowly along

 

There are a couple of interesting looking locations not too far from where we were staying in Germany  so I had to go and take a look.

 

The first of them, Vehnemoor, is a large area of lagoons, almost all man-made, which is still under development. It looks to have terrific potential although recent heavy rains meant that several of the lagoons were a bit too deep for smaller waders and an abundance of water everywhere meant that birds did not need to visit this location.

 

https://birdingplaces.eu/en/birdingplaces/germany/vehnemoor

 

the only bird I photographed was

 

# 40 - Meadow Pipit - Anthus pratensis

Vehnemoor, Lower Saxony. germany. April 2024

 

 

however, it seems that the area has abumdant wildlife.

 

I saw a beaver, which unfortunately submerged and did not reappear in the 10 minutes I waited. Apparently they can stay underwater for 15 minutes.

 

and a Stoat with a kill

 

I saw something scuttling towards me through the long grass. I took about a dozen photos before it disappeared. Sadly I was so engrossed in taking photos I did not realise that it was obscured by the grasses - there were only 2 shots where it was unobscured.

 

 

[Soukous]

A couple of days later I went to a place that has been named Seevengeti.

It is an area of farmland, where railway marshalling yards used to be that has been reclaimed for wildlife.

In particular this is a place where you stand an excellent chance of seeing Kingfishers.

In 2 places, a series of holes have been drilled into earth walls to offer the kingfishers nesting sites. Both locations have a pair of kingfishers in residence, although I only managed to see one.

 

The first location is best visited early in the morning before if falls into shadow. The second site is just a very small (and tatty) blind in amongst some bushes, with enough space for 3 people to stand comfortably. It is good from early morning until just before midday.

https://birdingplaces.eu/en/birdingplaces/germany/seevengeti-park

 

 

# 41 - Long-tailed Tit - Aegithalos caudatus

Seevengeti, Lower Saxony, Germany. April 2024

 

 

# 42 - Common Kingfisher - Alcedo atthis

Seevengeti, Lower Saxony, Germany. April 2024

 

After an hour of standing around I'd been all set to give up when this fella flew in and perched perfectly.

 

 

 

 

 

There was not much else on offer, although I did get a better shot of # 22 - White-fronted Goose.

 

 

Edited April 10 by Soukous

[Soukous]

Back in the garden I finally managed to get some shots of the Chiffchaffs that have been exceptionally noisy.

 

# 43 - Common Chiffchaff - Phylloscopus collybita

Lower Saxony, Germany. April 2024

 

 

 

 

[TonyQ]

Beautiful Kingfisher- well worth the wait 

[Peter Connan]

Beautiful Kingfisher and Chaffinch.

[xelas]

What bribe are you using for the birds to pose so close and so nicely ?

[Soukous]

13 hours ago, xelas said:

What bribe are you using for the birds to pose so close and so nicely ?

 

they take pity on me because I am finding so few. They love it that there are no other birds competing for my attention

[PeterHG]

Those Kingfisher shots are excellent!

[Soukous]

These birds are telling us something serious is happening’: the songbirds disappearing from Britain’s woods

 

The dramatic decline of marsh tits in an ancient Cambridgeshire woodland is a story repeated across the UK as human activity drives species towards extinction

 

 

 

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/apr/17/these-birds-are-telling-us-something-serious-is-happening-fading-song-of-the-marsh-tit-aoe

[Soukous]

On 4/15/2024 at 9:51 PM, PeterHG said:

Those Kingfisher shots are excellent!

 

Thank you, but I like yours much better