That was the year that was

Twenty posts later and with nearly 2,000 page views but no comments - thanks I think to 'blogger.com's' annoying insistence that those wanting to leave a comment set up a Google account first - I approach the end of the year.  I wrote my first blog in April, describing my fruitless search in the Groβer Graben for Montagu's Harriers and, thereafter, my ornithological activities throughout Saxon Anhalt, Dorset and, finally this autumn, in Cyprus.  Along the way I have seen many wonderful birds and discovered some great country - the Elbe valley springs to mind.  I have in Cyprus also witnessed appalling barbarity.  Man's inhumanity to man is well-documented, but his neglect of the environment and unkindness to God's birds and beasts sometimes has to be seen to be believed - and usually all in the pursuit of money.

Barnacle Geese in Feb - Roden Hive, the Fleet, Dorset, England.

Dark-bellied Brent Geese in Feb - Roden Hive, the Fleet, Dorset, England.

I suppose I ought to start the year with Rodden Hive in Dorset on the Fleet.  This is one of those places for which the season is important.  Quiet throughout the summer, though with some interest in spring and autumn, the Fleet in winter plays host to thousands of Coots and an amazing array of ducks and geese.  This was my first winter here and so the site and its secrets were new to me.  Long-tailed Ducks are a speciality here at this time of the year and, since I missed them last year, I'll make a special effort to find them this winter.  Rodden Hive is also off the beaten track and so I usually have the place to my self.  Well worth a visit at any time throughout the winter, especially if the weather is hard.

Bonaparte's Gull (flying) - Radipole Lake, Weymouth, Dorset

Goldcrest - Radipole, Dorset

Staying in Dorset, and just up the road is Radipole Lake in the middle of Weymouth - famous in British bird watching circles as a temporary home for all sorts of rarities.  In March the reserve was graced by a Bonaparte's Gull which I was lucky enough to see.  I also managed to get close to a beautiful tiny Goldcrest which was obligingly foraging his way along the footpath.  But I suppose my Dorset highlight must have been in May when in a single day I saw a Purple Heron at Lodmoor and a female Red-footed Falcon hawking above the water meadows near Wareham.  This year I failed to find any Dartford Warblers which, being one of my favourite birds, was a bit disappointing.  Usually quite easy to find on the right habitat but I sense their numbers are low following some hard winters.

Robin - Lodmoor, Dorset

A baby Coot hoping not to be eaten by a Pike! - Lodmoor, Dorset

In terms of landscape the Elbe is hard to beat both in terms of scale and beauty.  There is simply too much to see in a single trip and I've learnt to take a longer term view in discovering its secrets.  Nevertheless my visit in June was simply fantastic in terms of what I saw.  The highlight I would have to say were Black Terns - gracefully skimming across luxuriant ponds.  And I should recall my early morning walk in Prester on the outskirts of Magdeburg - a semi-urban environment bursting with life.  Later in the summer I would retrace my tracks along the Elbe with my youngest son Max , except this time by bike.  A brilliant way of seeing the countryside if ever there was one and something I will repeat next year.

Flood plain landscape around Jericho, Elbe - note the tall grass and small lake middle right

Black Tern - Jericho, Elbe.

Two special birds that had grabbed my attention by the fact that they bred locally were Hoopoes and Bee-eaters.  I'd seen the later before in Germany but only fleetingly and so find and visit a colony less than an hour away thereby securing this most beautiful of birds as a regular local, was actually quite special.  Little did I know at the time that I would end up seeing them quite frequently as the summer progressed hawking across reed beds at Frose.  For my Hoopoe, however, I had to work quite hard.  I knew the rough location - the Orainenbaumer Heide - a huge area of heath and young forest, but not the detail and so it was with eventual relief that I came across a bird.  Next year I'll need to spend more time here in order to watch and study them better.  I should also mention the fantastic male Goshawk I saw pitch perfect against a bright blue sky.

Bee-eater - Osmarsleben.

Hoopoe - Orainenbaumer Heide.

Male Goshawk - Orainenbaumer Heide.

I suppose the highlight of my year must have been the 3 weeks I spent working for the Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS) in Cyprus. CABS's 'raison être' is to combat the illegal hunting of birds which, in Cyprus, is at epidemic levels.  It is assessed that over 100 million birds visit Cyprus every spring and autumn and over 2.5 million birds are killed by trappers on the island every year.  I have recently seen the CABS autumn Cyprus report which states that percentage of live trapping sites visited during the autumn has decreased, which I suppose must be good news.  Nevertheless, the practice of illegal trapping remains a significant blot on Cyprus' reputation and pressure must be maintained to reduce this barbaric activity. 

Female Blackcap or 'ambelopouri' about to be released by a CABS volunteer.

Clockwise from bottom right: a dead Ortolan Bunting, Red-backed Shrike, Wood Warbler, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Lesser Whitethroat and Great Reed Warbler

The autumn has been quiet and, living in the middle of the central European land mass, bird migration is more difficult to note than in, Dorset where migrants concentrate in places like Portland before flying south to France.  What is always notable, however, is the passage of thousands of Cranes.  I observed my first birds at the end of August and saw my last on 27 November near Weimar passing south in a wintry sky.  The only other record of note was a probable Lesser-spotted Eagle flying south west low across the countryside east of the Harz.  Summer here passes more with a whimper than with a bang - thousands of migrants must pass through - but on a broad front and therefore largely unseen.

Migrating Cranes and an aircraft's vapour trail, near Weimar.

Winter seems hardly to arrived this year.  As I write, temperatures are in the low teens and there seems to be little chance of a white Christmas, even in the Oberharz.  In the new year I will visit the Drömling and the Wulfener Bruch near Dessau on the Elbe.  Both contain huge areas of wet meadow land and are an oasis for ducks and geese.  I am also still waiting for my Siskins, Bramblings and Hawfinches all of which visit my garden.  I think that there must still be too much food easily available and I hope it stays that way for them too.

Wulfener Bruch landscape in winter.

Before signing off, its worth mentioning some of those I didn't get round to seeing this year.  High on my list of disappointments must be Corncrakes which are locally, shall we say 'hearable', and of course Montagu's Harriers which I spent many hours looking for in vain.  Another notable exception were Honey Buzzards which breed widely but scarcely throughout the area.  I can usually count on finding a pair or two in the Harz but this year apparently not.  Finally, I really missed my Dartford Warblers this year.  Living in Germany I can only see them when visiting England and I never got round to visiting the heathland habitat on which they depend. 

So that was the year that was.   If anyone wants advice on any of the sites I have visited, please get on touch and I'd be very happy to share my secrets.  A Happy Christmas and successful New Year to you all.

Der Harz

It is the most uplifting and the most depressing of places - to paraphrase Charles Dickens.  I have known the Harz for 20 years and have seen it in all seasons and in all types of weather.  It and I have a complicated relationship.  The Harz Mountain range is about 110 kilometres long, stretching from the town of Seesen in the northwest to Eisleben in the east, and is about 35 kilometres wide.  It occupies an area of 2,226 square kilometres, and is divided into the Upper Harz (Oberharz) in the northwest, which is up to 800 m high, apart from the 1,100 m high Brocken massif, and the Lower Harz (Unterharz) in the east which is up to around 400 m high and whose plateaus are capable of supporting arable farming.



Topographical map of the Harz.  Goslar, where I live, is large red triangle at the top centre left.

A view of the Brocken massif on a fine autumnal day.

There is not a lot of information about birding in the Harz, either in literature or on the internet.  Indeed the few sites that one does come across usually encourage their reader to look for birds elsewhere!  There can be no doubt that bird watching in the Oberharz especially, can be hard work, but the Unterharz can offer much better and interesting prospects if one is prepared to persevere.  The reason for this is that the Oberharz was heavily industrialised by mining in the 18th Century and planted with coniferous plantations to support tunnelling.  The result is a monoculture environment, depressing and dark to walk through and devoid of life other than the occasional visitation by flocks of roving tits and Goldcrests.  Whilst the authorities have embarked on a process of felling and replanting with natural species of tree, we are talking about a period of renewal measured in decades not years.

Raben (Raven) Klippe near Bad Harzberg.

Winter scene above Sankt Andreasberg.

The Unterharz comprises mainly the eastern part of the Harz and its forests are characterised by beech, oak, rowan, birch and other natural indigenous species of pine.  The result, not surprisingly, is a far greater array of fauna and flora and a much more satisfying experience all round.  This region contains some stunning valleys such as the Bodetal - a gorge that can challenge the Grand Canyon (well not quite) and, in the far south east, the Silketal which can invoke, in the right weather, feelings of being lost in an everlasting arboreal wonderland.  Throughout this area there are birds a plenty including Wood Warblers, Pied Flycatchers, Wrynecks, all four species of woodpecker, Redstarts, Dippers, Honey Buzzards (widespread but scarce), Goshawks (widespread but scarce), Peregrines (20 - 30 pairs), Ravens and Black Storks (20 - 30 pairs).

My wicked (not really) stepmother Pauline, with Oscar and Max in the Bodetal.



The Ilsetal above Ilsenburg.

Winter scene above Bad Harzberg.

The Harz also plays host to some bigger beasties including, according to a Forstmiester I met, wolves.  Lynx have also been recently successfully reintroduced and can be seen in an enclosure near Bad Harzberg.  The forests also abound with deer and with wild boar which, despite their relative abundance, I've yet to encounter in 20 years of walking.  Sadly not present in these giant hills are Auehuhns or Capercaillies which are extinct despite attempts - half hearted I sense - to re-introduce them.  This is especially sad since their legacy lives on in many place names throughout the hills.  In summer a walk as high as 500 m will reveal a typical array of common species including Blackcaps, Willow Warblers and Chiffchaffs, as well as Goldcrests, most tits, including of course Crested, Siskins, Crossbills, Hawfinches, Nutcrackers and Jays.  A friend of mine recently saw a Great Grey Shrike 600 m up in early winter - the only shrike I have heard of at this altitude through Red-backed Shrikes can be found quite easily at lower altitudes. Tengmalm's Owls breed in nest boxes throughout the south though I have never sought them out.

Oberharz above Goslar.

Above Bad Harzberg.

So, there are birds to be found here but it can be hard work finding them.  Most bird watching guides recommend visiting only the Brocken plateau for transient Ring Ouzels (which I have never seen) and little else.  This is probably a reflection of the fact that life in general is pretty hard in the Harz - reflected in its poverty and remoteness - and that there are many far better places to watch birds at ground level - Frose springs to mind.  Most of these places lie on eastern rain shadow of this range where summers are generally warm and dry.  Whatever I think of the Harz, the Germans love them.  These hills and the Brocken are full of legends and feature prominently in German legend and literature, especially Heinemann and Goethe. Witches still dance on and fly around the Brocken and beautiful princesses, fleeing on foam flecked horses from terrible giants, still gallop across the hills.  This is the way the Harz should stay, steeped in legend and mystery and slowly returning to their green cloaked original state.

 

The call of the wild - Crane migration and the Goldene Aue

One of the benefits of living on the continent is to be able to witness the spring and autumn migration of Cranes.  Every spring and late into the autumn one stands a chance, either by casting one's eyes skywards or by listening for their distinct trumpeting call, of seeing the passage of these majestic birds.  Sometimes they are in small groups but just as often can be seen in their hundreds.  And they can be seen just about anywhere - from the car on the autobahn (always a bit risky), whilst shopping, or from your garden however big or small.  However, one of the best locations to see migrating Cranes in Germany is in the Goldene Aue - roughly translated as the Golden Shire.  This is a valley in eastern Germany, in the states Thuringia and Saxony-Anhalt situated between the towns Nordhausen in the west, and Sangerhausen in the east.  Crucially, it is bordered by the mountain ranges of the Harz in the north, and the Windleite and Kyffhäuser in the south. These features channel migrating birds, many of whom are further attracted by the Helmstausee reservoir and its adjacent reed beds and fish ponds.  This must be, especially in spring, one of the best places to watch birds in Germany.

Auleben fish ponds on the left, rough grazing and reed beds in the centre, and Helmstausee reservoir on the right.

Reed beds and the half-empty Helmstausee reservoir behind.  The south-east corner of the Harz can be seen in the distance.

Looking west across the reed beds from the dam.

I have visited this large and complex site many times.  It originally came to my attention when driving south from the Harz to Erfurt in early May I took a short-cut which took me past the fish ponds.  Subsequently, I went back to investigate and was astonished by the variety and number of birds I saw - Bluethroats, Penduline Tits, Marsh Harriers, Black and Red Kites, Ospreys, booming Bitterns, White Storks and a whole host of warblers singing from reeds and wet scrub and much, much more.  Thereafter this place became a favourite of mine, even if it is a 90 minute drive from Goslar.  Gradually I explored more and more habitats to the point where I now know where best and when to go. If this site has a draw-back it must be its size.  A bike would be useful providing it could accommodate a camera, telescope and tripod!

A map board showing the site's main features.

An informative information board about Cranes.

My visit to Helmstausee the other day was species specific - I wanted to see Cranes.  Last year when I visited at the same time, the whole site was enveloped with mist and I had to make do with a cacophony of trumpeting and the very occasional glimpse of grey shapes passing overhead - not terribly satisfactory!  Today, however, the weather was fine and mild.  I always approach this site by the fish ponds which, despite the fact that you cannot access them (the owners are very unfriendly and aggressive and I've found shot Ospreys here), are always worth scanning.  Today the local fields contained not a single Crane but at least 50 Great White Egrets and even more Grey Herons.  Surprisingly the fish ponds were virtually empty possibly because the owners have either scared or shot any bird daring to enter.  I then drove on to the village of Auleben where one can park and then proceeded to walk towards the reservoir - see the route marked with the red arrow above.  Cranes were immediately apparent wheeling and dealing in the bright blue sky.  They were moving in groups of about 20 - 30 and the birds in the photographs below, seemed to be heading off south west down the Goldene Aue corridor.

Close up - underside of Common Cranes - Helmstausee.

Common Cranes wheeling in the sun above the Helmstausee

As walked on towards the reservoir I noticed that it was half empty and scanning with my binoculars I could see that it contained thousands of Cranes.  Regrettably they were too distant for photography and I was also disappointed to confirm that, beyond several hundred Coot, the exposed mud and water contained very little else.  I was unable to find a single wader or duck.  But the Cranes were there - in their thousands. 



Common Cranes migrating - Drömling.

Red Kite - Helmstausee

Turning back I observed a Red Kite and an Osprey sitting in a tree.  The former are present throughout the year and are common - I have counted as many a 50 on some occasions.  The Osprey was obviously passing through and as such was quite late.  They can be seen here quite easily throughout the spring and autumn.  Finally, walking back towards the car I found a Great Grey Shrike.  There is always at least one bird here throughout the winter but the site is so large you need a bit of luck to find one.  This bird showed well before flying off towards the fish ponds.



Osprey - Helmstausee.



Great Grey Shrike - Helmstausee

So, a successful visit.  Far more so than last year's foggy excursion.  Cranes seem to move quite late.  I recall seeing my first group near Saarbrücken at the end of August, but October through to early November seems to be the peak period for Cranes using this western fly route.  Fortunately Crane populations have increased significantly in recent years thanks to habitat restoration and conservation measures.  This magnificent bird is becoming more common and is increasingly seen throughout Europe as they pass to and from their breeding sites.



Illegal bird trapping - the dark side of Cyprus

"A Robin Redbreast in a Cage
Puts all Heaven in a Rage"

William Blake 1757-1827

Its Saturday and I am about to start my third and final week in Cyprus where I have volunteered to work with the Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS), a German charity dedicated to the eradication of illegal hunting and trapping of birds throughout Europe.  Cyprus, which lies in the eastern end of the Mediterranean basin, is one of the key migratory routes that birds use during their journey between Europe and Africa.  It is assessed that over 100 million birds visit the island every spring and autumn.  According to BirdLife Cyprus, over 2.5 million birds are killed by illegal bird trapping on the island every year.  The number is improbably large, but sadly this is a conservative estimate.

Cyprus

Illegal hunting, mainly with shot guns, is endemic, even in conservation areas

Care of the environment seems to be of little importance - sadly a common sight.  'Fly-tipping' is rife

Bird trapping has been a traditional rural activity in Cyprus using mainly the sticky sap of Syrian plums applied to short sticks deployed in trees and attracted sometimes by tethered decoy birds.  Most people indulged, seeking a little morsel of precious protein to improve their diet.  The overall impact on bird populations was probably insignificant.  In the modern era trappers have taken advantage of the use of mist nets, upgraded the lime sap to include industrial strength glue and have deployed MP3 players and car batteries to mimic and attract passing birds.  The result has been a wholescale scale expansion in slaughter which was only reduced following Cyprus' accession to the European Union in 2004.  However, and again according to Bird Life Cyprus, trapping has again increased significantly since 2005, triggering the intervention of a number of non-government organisations, like CABS, and brave individuals prepared to run the gauntlet of organised crime. 



Blackcaps - or 'ambelopouli' - considered a local delicacy

Female Blackcap or 'ambelopouri' about to be released by a CABS volunteer

CABS runs camps in Cyprus each spring and autumn.  Every night and often early in the morning too, small patrols venture forth into the countryside and suburban areas listening for the unnatural and unmistakable siren sound of bird song.  The most commonly heard is that of the Blackcap, a beautiful warbler familiar to most of us in Europe.  'Ambvelopouli', as they are known here, are the main target.  Each bird is worth approximately €40 driving an industry estimated to be worth €15M a year.  Sadly it's not only Blackcaps that get trapped.  30 other species of bird can be eaten including thrushes and other warblers.  The rest of the 120 or so species that have been reported as caught are simply left to die.  There is a local saying that it is bad luck to release a bird, as each is a gift from God. 

Lime sticks seized by the police



An olive tree prepared for lime sticks - the planks enable access to higher branches

A hard day's night

Patrolling can be dangerous; approaching pick-up trucks and strange voices in the night force volunteers to take cover and hide.  Activists have been beaten up in the past and in my time our hire car was immobilised and key-scratched.  This in no holiday.  Between 4:00 and 5:00 am, the CABS patrols rendezvous with the Animal Protection Service (APS) to brief them on trapping sites they have found during the night and to organise an ambush and hopefully make an arrest.  However, the current scale of trapping and the small capacity of the APS are such that their effect is limited.  A recent excursion of mine into the British Sovereign Base (SBA) area of Dhekalia identified so many active decoys that we could only conclude that the situation is now, in this British controlled area at least, out of control. Despite Prince Charles writing to Commander British Forces Cyprus in March 2014 demanding action, very little seems to have been achieved and trapping continues unabated.  Mention should also be made of the gauntlet Quails run here in Cyprus.  Trappers deploy quail decoys by the dozen across the dry dusty farmland so that the night is filled with the weirdly unnatural sound of their calls.  Whilst hunting Quails in season is legal, attracting them with batteries of eclectically powered decoys is not.



A mist net trapping site 

A night's black harvest - all these birds - mainly Blackcaps - were successfully released, save one which had to be destroyed

Fortunately it's not all bad news.  Trapping is abating in some areas and many young Cypriots are determined to turn things around.  From my perspective, the dedication and determination, combined with an academic rigor in documenting the issue, of the CABS personal has been humbling.  Many have genuinely dedicated their lives to saving birds across Europe in this way and their approach in tackling this distressing issue is impressive.  For me, working as a volunteer, the highlights must include the release of birds following the seizure of mist nets.  Above you can see how they come.  Trapped in mesh and unceremoniously dumped in a bucket. However, careful hands are on standby to cut them free and to release them.



A Garden Warbler cut free

Ian - a CABS volunteer with a small friend

The past 2 weeks have been amazing and eye opening.  As I conclude this post a day after starting it, I reflect on the 7 blackcaps and single Lesser Whitethroat we rescued in the early hours of this morning and released at dawn in a car layby somewhere in the middle of Cyprus.  One's happiness is tempered by the knowledge that many hundreds will not have been so lucky.  Finally, if you wish to join a CABS camp, look at their website and apply.  Please also spread the word so that together we can accelerate the end of this barbarous trade.



A Wryneck shortly before release

In the back of a car in a layby- cutting free a Blackcap

Clockwise from bottom right: a dead Ortolan Bunting, Red-backed Shrike, Wood Warbler, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Lesser Whitethroat and Great Reed Warbler