I have just returned from a nine-week trip to Central and Eastern
Europe. This was mainly a work-trip, but I did find some free time for
a bit of birding, especially in the last four weeks, when I was joined
by my wife Jenny.
For those with some interest in European birds, here are a few details:
I encountered five new species. But some of the most memorable
experiences we had involved species I was familiar with previously:
like hiding in the trees to see 2000 European Cranes (Grus grus ?
Kranich) fly in to rest on a meadow in north-east Germany;
watching many thousands of White-fronted Geese (Anser albifrons --
Blässgans) and Bean Geese (Anser fabalis -- Saatgans) pass in huge,
noisy phalanxes over our holiday flat in the same place;
seeing a European Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis -- Eisvogel) whizzing up and
down the Einser Kanal which separates Austria from Hungary;
a very clear and satisfying view of a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker
(Picoides medius ? Mittelspecht) hard at work in the oak woods of
Mecklenburg;
watching a White-tailed Sea-Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla ? Seeadler)
tearing apart a large fish and attended by impatient Hooded Crows, on
the ponds at Trebon in the Southern Czech Republic;
and noting (from the train!) the flocks of Whooper Swans (Cygnus cygnus
? Singschwan) resting on the fields of Lower Saxony, sitting out a gale
before they resumed their migration.
The new species (for me) were:
Nutcracker (Nucifraga caryocatactes-- Tannenhäher) in the woods of
central Latvia.
Little Stint (Calidris minuta -- Zwergstrandläufer) by the saline ponds
near Illmitz in Eastern Austria. Most of the ponds in this region east
of the Neusiedler See were sadly dried up this summer, including the
celebrated Lange Lacke, famous for its customary hordes of waterfowl.
White-tailed Sea-Eagle, first found soaring over the ponds at Lednice in
southern Moravia (Czech Republic), but subsequently seen on numerous
occasions on other places. These large eagles are on the increase!
Bewick Swan (Cygnus bewickii -- Zwergschwan) on the coast of East
Frisia, north of Wilhelmshaven.
Bearded Reedling (Panurus biarmicus -- Bartmeise) north of Münster on a
small wetland I never even knew of until we happened upon it.
The most splendid place of all (even though it produced no new species
for me) was undoubtedly the National Park on the Müritzer Seeplatte in
the new German State of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. This huge area,
abandoned by the previous communist regime to unprofitable agriculture,
is now progressively being allowed to revert to its natural state, a
combination of lakes (some vast!) and deep, deciduous forest. The
resulting range of species, especially at a better season than we were
able to enjoy, is immense. If anyone is interested in going there,
contact me and I can put you in touch with someone who will be glad to
help.
John Clifton-Everest
--
Associate Professor John M. Clifton-Everest
Department of Germanic Studies
University of Sydney
(61) (2) 9351 2262
Fax (61) (2) 9351 5318
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