By way of Luca Feuerriegel
Circle of relatives vacations to nature reserves and the abundance of nature books together with hen guides at house prepared the ground for Luca to be a dedicated birder by the point he used to be in his early teenagers. Rising up in Namibia, South Africa, and Sri Lanka supplied the easiest atmosphere for this passion. Luca lately finished his BSc within the Netherlands and recently spends his time operating (and birding!) earlier than beginning his MSc.
The North Sea Island of Heligoland has lengthy been on my dream checklist of birding locations. My probability materialized in September this 12 months after I spent a month volunteering on the “Vogelwarte Helgoland”, the hen observatory at the island that is a part of the Institute of Avian Analysis.
The observatory on Heligoland is well known as one of the crucial international’s oldest hen observatories and where the place Heligoland traps, one of those funnel gadget to lure birds for ringing, used to be evolved. Maximum contributors of the observatory have been round my age – basically volunteers but additionally BSc, MSc, and PhD scholars. The shared passion in birds and the communal feeling that got here from the collaborative paintings or even having foods in combination made for a particularly at ease and stress-free setting. With the exception of the paintings on the observatory which consisted basically of hen ringing, upkeep of the observatory and trapping lawn, and access of historic information into databases, we had a good quantity of loose time. This time used to be invariably spent birding at the island (strangely…).
Stepping off the ferry upon arrival at the island, I used to be welcomed by means of just about 20 Northern Wheatears that crowded the pavement proper in entrance of the boat. The observatory recorded over 500 folks at the island in general. This used to be one of the crucial absolute best counts ever, so I may now not have requested for a greater advent to Heligoland. Willow Warbler, Lawn Warbler, Commonplace Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat, Eurasian Blackcap, Commonplace Redstart, Noticed Flycatcher, Eu Pied Flycatcher, Meadow Pipit, and Tree Pipit have been additionally a few of the species found in prime numbers, and the species we maximum incessantly stuck and ringed.
We incessantly had dry spells throughout which few excellent birds have been recorded for a number of days. This used to be exacerbated by means of the huge choice of Eurasian Sparrowhawks that apparently rid the island of the few passerines that remained. On the other hand, I’m certain that this used to be most definitely additionally in large part only a subject of belief. As a result of everyone is aware of that particular birds will also be discovered on Heligoland at any second, even a good day is difficult to undergo right here as expectancies are repeatedly extraordinarily prime.
General, the birding used to be superb, on the other hand, and I noticed many birds together with a excellent haul of lifers. Iberian Chiffchaff, Greenish Warbler, Purple-breasted Flycatcher, Ortolan Bunting, and Quick-eared Owl, have been one of the most nicer reveals in early September. We additionally continuously loved migrants on passage, together with a conceivable hybrid Rooster/ Montagu’s Harrier, Pallid Harrier, Western Marsh-Harrier, Western Honey-Buzzard, Peregrine Falcon, Eurasian Pastime, and Osprey.
Little Bunting is a vintage autumn particular on Heligoland prime on my goal checklist, and we have been handled with many various folks of this horny hen. Some folks have been very tame and proved very well-liked by photographers.
To not point out the a long way rarer Rustic Bunting, which seemed on the compost heap within the northeastern house of the island and used to be round for a couple of days despite the fact that being stressed and tough to get excellent perspectives of. A couple of Yellow-browed Warblers, some other a regular autumn migrant at the island, additionally confirmed up. If truth be told, one particular person hopped onto the similar department on which the Rustic Bunting had perched a couple of seconds previous, whilst Iberian Chiffchaff and Greenish Warbler have been calling from a close-by thicket – one thing you’ll be able to for sure handiest have on Heligoland!
Any other spotlight used to be the waders, which allowed an overly shut way at the north-eastern seaside of the primary island. Species incorporated Purple Knot, Commonplace Ringed Plover, Bar-tailed Godwit, Sanderling, Dunlin, Curlew Sandpiper, Eu Golden-Plover, Gray Plover, Ruff, Eurasian Godwit, and Little Stint.
No birding travel document on Heligoland could be whole with out a point out of the well-known breeding colony of pelagic birds breeding at the western cliff. By the point I arrived handiest Northern Gannets have been nonetheless round (fulmar, gulls, and auks additionally breed right here), they usually have been certainly a laugh to observe (see featured symbol). On the other hand, I’ve to confess that once two visits, the prospective rarities lurking in trees in different portions of the island were given the simpler of me and I infrequently ventured to the viewpoints over the colony once more.