For some time I used to be taking into account in conjunction with Jacob, whom I met on Helgoland all through my month of volunteering on the hen observatory there, to fulfill up for a brief birding trip on a weekend. Jacob prompt the Wagbachniederung, a well known wetland this is in particular standard among photographers for being some of the few places in Germany the place Red Herons breed. Even supposing a good looking hen, this species used to be no longer of explicit pastime to me as I’ve observed it numerous occasions once I lived in South Africa (and isn’t provide there at the moment of 12 months anyway), however the house has a lot more on be offering. Particularly all through spring, numerous specials can also be recorded within the wetland, and we have been hoping for some early passage migrants.
We strolled round reasonably casually as we additionally loved merely updating each and every different about what we’ve been as much as for the reason that we hadn’t observed each and every different for 5 months. We nonetheless centered at the birds in fact and noticed reasonably a just right choice of species, despite the fact that few have been sudden. The quite a lot of waterbodies held Northern Shoveler, Tufted Duck, Not unusual Pochard, Gadwall, Ecu Teal, Nice Crested Grebe, Little Grebe, and quite a lot of different waterbirds. We have been hoping for Bearded Reedling within the expansive reedbeds, however to no avail. We did on the other hand see a number of Not unusual Reed Buntings, which might be at all times pleasant birds. The spotlight on the other hand used to be a Black-necked Grebe in complete breeding plumage at brief distance – simply my perfect sighting of this very horny hen. Eurasian Greenfinch, Not unusual Chaffinch, Brambling, Marsh Tit, Willow Tit, and a Eurasian Sparrowhawk have been provide within the extra wooded verges of the wetland. A Gray Heron regarded reasonably comical because it gave the impression misplaced proper in the midst of some of the ponds.
We determined to seek advice from the Saalbachniederung as smartly, a close-by expanse of open meadow and wetland and a brief teach journey away. Arriving on the Saalbachniederung after a scenic motorbike journey from the station of Graben-Neudorf, we have been greeted through exhibiting Eurasian Skylarks and White Storks in courtship. Meadow Pipits have been additionally round in just right numbers, and a Ecu Stonechat used to be the use of a tree as a vantage level to scan the environment. A male Chicken Harrier used to be a phenomenal sight because it quartered low over the grassland, and a Not unusual Raven additionally flew previous. Just about the entire identical waterbirds have been provide within the small lake, however we additionally had Northern Lapwing and Not unusual Snipe. A Gray-headed Woodpecker known as from a clump of timber that still held a Mistle Thrush.
Because it began to get darkish we cycled again to the station from the place I took the teach to within sight Heidelberg the place I stayed for the night time. Sooner than taking the teach again to Bonn the following morning, I watched a Pink Squirrel that someway ended up on a ledge on a development wall and used to be misplaced for reasonably some time till it controlled to steadiness over a cable to get again right into a tree.
