Drömling - Sperbergrassmücke und Biber

Drömling this Sunday morning with a grim determination to find a bird that has been eluding me for the past 2 years - the Sperbergrassmücke or, in English, Barred Warbler.  This attractive Sylvia species is fast approaching the eastern limíts of its distribution in Sachsen Anhalt and approximately 100 pairs breed in the Drömling and Kusey areas.  The males arrive on their breeding grounds usually towards the end of the first week in May and the females soon after.  Accordingly one needs to resist the temptation, so often the case in Spring, to search for them too early.  Sperbergrassmückes are traditionally associated with Red-backed Shrikes which inhabit similar landscapes and arrive pretty much at the same time.

Reserve area south of Kusey.  The areas of interest are the wetter meadows - marked in blue - towards the bottom centre of the map.

Sperbergrassmücke territory south of Kusey.  The bushes running through the centre of the photograph, are growing in a water filled ditch.

But there the similarities end.  Red-back Shrikes are abundant in the Drömling and slightly less so in Kusey.  Sperbergrassmücke, in my experience at least, are difficult to come by.  Despite the conduct of intelligence based searches throughout the area, I had so far drawn a blank.  Added to that, the sheer size of the search area has made the location of this species a difficult and frustrating affair.  I think that I have heard some birds signing in the past, including this spring, but Sperbergrassmücke can sound remarkably like Whitethroats and besides, a visual beats an aural any day.  Today my luck changed in a quite a dramatic way as I found 2 birds,  Both were male ands quite active flying to and from the wood line from the bushes shown in the photograph above.  However, both birds never exposed themselves for more than a couple of seconds before disappearing deep into the bush or hedge line.

Sperbergrassmücke - library photo.

Long distance shot - Red-backed Shrike - Kusey.

But what really made the morning was the combination of Sperbergrassmücke, Red-backed Shrike and an Icterine Warbler - the latter signing vociferously from the top of the same bush!  Nightingales were also plentiful but impossible to see, Yellowhammers all over the place but interestingly, in this slightly damper part of Kusey, no Ortolan Buntings.  Great Reed Warblers were pretty easy to come by often singing from smallest stand of reed and shrub.

Another habitat shot - Great Reed Warbler.

During my walk out I surprised a Beaver which proceeded to lie still in the water before my efforts to photograph it caused it to slap its tail on the water and dive.  I should say that the noise this made was considerable and must have been audible to any Beaver within 200 - 300 metres.  I was thrilled to see this animal.  It s easy to witness their activity throughout the Drömling in the form of flattened vegetation leading to water or of 'sawn' down trees and bushes, but its something else to see one! 

Beaver lodge - south of Kusey

European Beaver - library photograph

Approaching the car further north, the Ortolans appeared - I counted at least 6 signing males indicating their abundance in this area.  Any finally, a lovely view of a White Wagtail standing on some lily pads in a ditch.  A pretty good morning all in all!

Ortolan Bunting - Kusey

White (Alba) White Wagtail - Kusey