| Brandenburg birding trip report 2 - 9 June 2012 - John van der Woude www.jvanderw.nl |
| We (Nollie and me) operated mainly from Angermünde, a
nice town 80 km NE of Berlin. Biosphere reserve Schorfheide-Chorin and
national park Unteres Odertal (Lower Oder valley) were our prime
targets, see nrs. 3 and 1 on the map below. On the way back we also briefly visited
the Elbe valley (nr. 2 on the map).
To find the birding sites, we mostly used Wagner & Monings Vögel beobachten in Ostdeutschland (2009), and supplementary also White's A Birdwatching guide to Brandenburg and Berlin (2012). We both had brought a telescope and we often needed both. We walked quite a lot, and never worried about our car being parked just somewhere in the middle of nowhere. At the start the weather was rather cool but warmer later on, and we had very little rain at day time. On the morning of the Venus transition we had brilliant weather so we could follow all of it, in total contrast to the clouds and rain in Holland. Although we missed a few species (as noted below at some photos) we had a good trip, with many birds, great scenery, good hotels and nice food. And often Kaffee mit Kuchen in a Konditorei. This report is just photos with captions, and a species list at the bottom of this page, plus sound recordings of some specialties like Barred Warbler. |
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 Brandenburg is one of the five Länder (states) of the former DDR and harbours many natural areas, as this maps shows. |
 The Lanke marsh at Felchow, just East of Angermünde. Good for Great Reed Warbler, Savi's Warbler, and with luck Little Crake (we dipped it but had Whiskered Tern instead). |
 At Brodowin, c. 15 km S of Angermünde. A highly varied area of woodland, marshes and small open areas, and hence good for many bird species. |
 The agriculture around Brodowin is mainly ecological, which adds to the bird richness. |
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 One of the first of many Red-backed Shrikes. In the Brodowin area. |
 West of Brodowin is good deciduous forest immediatly bordering a fen (Plagesee), a situation which is good for Red-breasted Flycatcher but we could not find them. Maybe the weather was still too cold. |
 In the Fiddichower polder of the Lower Oder valley NP. River Warbler should be easy at this spot. However, as we later learned at the NP visitor centre, they had summer high waters in both 2010 and 2011, which may have decreased the local numbers of this species and a few others. |
 Further on in this Fiddichower polder, in the northeast corner, we had both Common Rosefinch and Barred Warbler. |
 Young foxes in the Randow Bruch while we waited for Lesser Spotted Eagle to appear above the Blumberger Wald north of Passow. |
 Our Lesser Spotted Eagle in the Randow Bruch. It was attracted to a large gathering of other raptors (mainly Red Kite), Ravens and Storks at a field that was cleared of hay. |
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 More pictures of the eagle. |
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 One of the Cormorant nesting trees in the Criewener polder, another part of the Lower Oder valley NP. |
 More Barred Warblers in the bush at the small summer dike of the Oder river (visible left) in the Criewener polder. |
 Evening walk to where we finally heard River Warbler in the Lower Oder valley NP. Oder river on photo above. River Warbler spot at photo below. |
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 Beaver activity in the Oder valley. |
 One of the three beavers we saw on the way back from the River Warbler spot. |
 On the morning 6 June 2012, there were no clouds! So we were fortunate to see the Venus transition. The last chance for all of us to see this. |
 While listening to Great Reed Warblers, we observed the Venus transition at the Lanke lake at Felchow, just W of Angermünde. We still had filters for our scopes from the last two sun eclipses. |
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 Alder stand in the Melzower Forst (East of the upper Uckersee, well N of Angermünde) of mainly beech. This is another promising spot for Red-breasted Flycatcher but again we found none. |
 Near the upper Uckersee. Behind the pasture is an enormous reedbed covering most of the area between the lower and the upper Uckersee. A family of Crane was at the border op this reed bed (photo below). Penduline Tit was in the bushy border strip. |
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 Fieldfare is a breeding bird in this region, but not in large numbers. |
 At Seehausen, between the upper and the lower Uckersee. River Warbler was singing at 100 m to the right. |
 We had our only Red-necked Grebes at this simple pond on our way to the site below. |
 When crossing over from the Uckersee area to Templin, we had a look at an unnamed nature reserve that was on the map (NSG, Naturschutzgebiet) but not in the books. It is a dry sandy area around an abandoned sand quarry, a little SW of Röpersdorf. |
 Sand Martin colony at a small (geological study?) pit in this nature reserve. |
 Interesting wave ripple structure in another small study sand pit here. Must be a great area for a sedimentologist who is also a birder. |
 In the bottom of the old sand quarry, we saw both Golden Oriole and Great Grey Shrike. The latter in a feeding family. |
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 According to the books, the Kleine Schorfheide near Templin was a place for Tawny Pipit. I wonder, with this increase of pines, if this is still the case. To reach this viewpoint is a rather long walk, but good for forest birds. |
 Old oak in the former monastery forest immediately East of Boitzenburg. Middle Spotted Woodpeckers nearby. |
 At a brook in the Boitzenburg forest. |
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 Remains of the monastery in the Boitzenburg forest. |
 Further West, we made a walk in the Hullerbusch forest on a steep moraine ridge full of boulders. |
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 The Kesselmoor inside the Hullerbusch forest. The beech and oaks around it should be good for Red-breasted Flycatcher, but we got none. |
 Always many roedeer in the East of Germany. |
 At the Elbe river West of Wittenberge. We had both River Warbler and Barred Warbler in this area. |
| Species list |
Fuut Great Crested Grebe Roodhalsfuut Red-necked Grebe - scarce! Geoorde Fuut Black-necked Grebe Aalscholver Cormorant Roerdomp Bittern - flying across the Lanke at Felchow Blauwe Reiger Grey Heron Zwarte Ooievaar Black Stork - one only, in Lower Oder valley NP Ooievaar White Stork - common on pastures, esp. when just mown Knobbelzwaan Mute Swan Grauwe Gans Greylag Goose Krakeend Gadwall Wintertaling Teal Wilde Eend Mallard Slobeend Shoveler Tafeleend Pochard Kuifeend Tufted Duck Brilduiker Goldeneye - a few families Grote Zaagbek Goosander - 1 group of females, 1 of males, along Oder Wespendief Honey-buzzard - at Randow Bruch (above forest) Zwarte Wouw Black Kite Rode Wouw Red Kite Zeearend White-tailed Eagle - several great views Bruine Kiekendief Marsh Harrier - rather common above reed beds Blauwe Kiekendief Hen Harrier - a pair in fields W of Lower Uckersee Grauwe Kiekendief Montagu's Harrier - along Upper Uckersee Buizerd Buzzard Schreeuwarend Lesser Spotted Eagle - at Randow Bruch, see photos above Visarend Osprey - with fish near the Lanke of Felchow Torenvalk Kestrel Boomvalk Hobby Fazant Pheasant Waterral Water Rail Kwartelkoning Corn Crake - one evening in Oder valley S of Schwedter Querfahrt Waterhoen Moorhen Meerkoet Coot Kraanvogel Crane - families at several spots Kievit Lapwing Watersnip Snipe - displaying in Oder valley NP Kokmeeuw Black-headed Gull Zilvermeeuw Herring Gull Visdief Common Tern Witwangstern Whiskered Tern - once 2 at the Lanke of Felchow Zwarte Stern Black Tern Holenduif Stock dove Houtduif Wood Pigeon Turkse tortel Collared Dove Zomertortel Turtle Dove - heard near the Lanke of Felchow Koekoek Cuckoo Gierzwaluw Swift IJsvogel Kingfisher - one only, in Oder valley NP Grijskopspecht Grey-headed Woodpecker - heard near Kleine Schorfheide Groene Specht Green Woodpecker Zwarte Specht Black Woodpecker - heard and seen a few times Grote Bonte Specht Great Spotted Woodpecker Middelste Bonte Specht Middle Spotted Woodpecker - several in old oak forests Kleine Bonte Specht Lesser Spotted Woodpecker - in Oder valley NP and hotel garden Templin Boomleeuwerik Wood Lark Veldleeuwerik Sky Lark Oeverzwaluw Sand Martin Boerenzwaluw Barn Swallow Huiszwaluw House Martin Boompieper Tree Pipit Graspieper Meadow Pipit Gele Kwikstaart Yellow Wagtail Witte Kwikstaart White Wagtail Winterkoning Wren Heggemus Dunnock Roodborst Robin Noordse Nachtegaal Thrush Nightingale - many heard. a few seen Nachtegaal Nightingale - a few heard Zwarte Roodstaart Black Redstart Gekraagde Roodstaart Redstart Paapje Whinchat - once only, at Randow Bruch (and never a Stonechat!) Merel Blackbird Kramsvogel Fieldfare - a few here and there Zanglijster Song Thrush Grote Lijster Mistle Thrush Sprinkhaanzanger Grasshopper Warbler - several heard, also in Oder valley NP Krekelzanger River Warbler - one only in Oder valley NP; also Uckersee and Elbe Snor Savi's Warbler - in larger reed beds Rietzanger Sedge Warbler - not as common as in Holland Bosrietzanger Marsh Warbler - many heard Kleine Karekiet Reed Warbler Grote Karekiet Great Reed Warbler - many heard, some well seen at the Lanke Spotvogel Icterine Warbler - several heard Sperwergrasmus Barred Warbler - a few well seen, more heard, mostly in Oder valley NP Braamsluiper Lesser Whitethroat Grasmus Whitethroat Tuinfluiter Garden Warbler Zwartkop Blackcap Fluiter Wood Warbler - several, in beech forests Tjiftjaf Chiffchaff Fitis Willow Warbler Goudhaan Goldcrest Vuurgoudhaan Firecrest - one, in beech forest Grauwe Vliegenvanger Spotted Flycatcher - e.g. near the Lanke of Felchow Bonte Vliegenvanger Pied Flycatcher - remarkably few Baardman Bearded Tit - a few in reed beds Staartmees Long-tailed Tit Glanskop Marsh Tit - several Matkop Willow Tit - a few Kuifmees Crested Tit Zwarte Mees Coal Tit Pimpelmees Blue Tit Koolmees Great Tit Boomklever Nuthatch Boomkruiper Short-toed Treecreeper Buidelmees Penduline Tit - alongside Uckersee reedbed S of Zolchow Wielewaal Golden Oriole - several heard, e.g. at Brodowin Grauwe Klauwier Red-backed Shrike - common Klapekster Great Grey Shrike - see at photo above Gaai Jay Ekster Magpie Kauw Jackdaw Zwarte Kraai Carrion Crow - a few just East of the Elbe Bonte Kraai Hooded Crow - common Raaf Raven - common! Spreeuw Starling Huismus House Sparrow Ringmus Tree Sparrow Vink Chaffinch Europese Kanarie Serin - several in villages, gardens Groenling Greenfinch Putter Goldfinch Sijs Siskin - once heard Kneu Linnet Roodmus Common Rosefinch - several in Lower Oder valley NP Goudvink Bullfinch - several Appelvink Hawfinch - a few Geelgors Yellowhammer - common Rietgors Reed Bunting - commonly seen flying over reedbeds Grauwe Gors Corn Bunting - rather common |
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Some sound recordings from this
trip: Kwartelkoning - Corn Crake: 1 2 3 Noordse Nachtegaal - Thrush Nightingale: 1 2 3 Krekelzanger - River Warbler: 1 2 (both stereo) Sperwergrasmus - Barred Warbler: 1 2 (and Tuinfluiter/Garden Warbler for comparison: 1) Roodmus - Common Rosefinch: 1 2 Ortolaan - Ortolan Bunting: 1 |