No binocular trip to Berlin. Highlights- hundreds of swifts screaming around apartment near Reichstag every morning and evening. Tiergarten-Nuthatch, Grey Heron, Spotted Flycatcher and biggest surprise a Goshawk. Train from Berlin to Prague- plenty of Black Kites and White Storks. Prague-Black Redstarts on rooftops off Wenceslas Square (Germans call it the Hausrotschwantz- House red tail)
I spent a pleasant few days over the past week in the Rhine Valley on a non-birding holiday, although of course I spent plenty of time looking for birds!
Based in Kamp Bornhofen, I visited several towns and found that practically every town has at least one singing Black Redstart. I found two singing males in Koblenz where there was a younger male singing in one area and a stunning full plumaged male in another. In Limburg there were three birds singing. Two were singing against each other close to the coach park and another was in the old town. A cracking male was also singing close to the hotel.
Black Kites were present in suitable habitat, and were commoner than Red Kites, of which I saw a couple. White Wagtails were very common along the Rhine and I saw a Serin singing at an elevated viewpoint.
Spring migrants included newly arrived House Martins around the hotel and a Swallow in Koblenz. Chiffchaffs were numerous and Blackcaps were also present, although fewer in number.
Other common species along the Rhine included Grey Herons, and there were several Heronries on the short stretch covered. Cormorants were often nesting in close proximity to the Heronries. Egyptian Geese and Greylags were also plentiful.
An interesting area and definitely worth visiting again.
I am off the Bavaria at the end of August, and have been browsing various websites to get ideas for birding spots (I was there a few years ago and managed a little birding around Ammersee). I have just tried the http://www.ornitho.de/ And it's excellent! Was able to use the buttons to select the State/Lande then the District (Landkreise), then get records over recent days
But don't think I can get my scope and tripod over with our baggage allowance!
Recently back from 8 days in Germany visiting family and doing a short cultural tour - but given that Mondays all museums etc are closed, we fitted in a visit to a very nice bird reserve about 1 hour's drive SW of Nuremberg.
The Alltmühlsee is a reservoir on the Alltmühl river, and has been excellently divided into a sports/leisure area and the "Vogelinsel" or "Bird Island", which is a mosaic of wetlands, low lying scrapes, and small islands and copses. Much of it has no public access - good for the birds but not for observing - but there's a walk of maybe 3/4 mile around the landward part of the reserve. There is a fine observation tower, built with typical German engineering sturdiness and style. A scope would have been a help!
We were there on a beautiful late October day, and the highlights were several Great White Egrets, two White Storks, and a White Tailed Sea Eagle, of which they have a reintroduced pair nesting there for several years.
Otherwise there were many Shoveler, Great Crested Grebe, Cormorant, Greylag Geese, a couple of Dunlin, and 29 Curlew - I believe these are quite a rarity in S Germany. We missed out on the Black Woodpecker, which is sometimes seen in the copses.
Lovely spot for a short visit if anyone is in the area.
Good chance to learn some German bird names, too. Anyone for the Alpenstrandläufer? (long name for the small dunlin! Alpine Beach Runner seems a bit of an obscure description too.) Löffelente or Spoon Duck is a bit more understandable for the Shoveler! The Great White Egret is a bit more poetic and is literally the Sliver Heron (Silberrheihe).
