Frosse and Osmarlsleben - Spring 2016

On Sunday I popped down to Osmarlsleben to see how last year's Bee-eaters were getting on and called in to Frosse on my way home.  The two sites are interlinked to some degree and the Bee-eaters use both, especially in the late summer when they can be seen swooping in and out of Frosse's reed beds.  The Bee-eaters do not arrive on their breeding grounds until about the end of the first week in May and I have already documented their success in colonising Saxon-Anhalt and the warm weather corridor east of the Harz.

Map of Osmarsleben (1 and 2) and Frosse (3) sites.

Today's visit brought no surprises and I quickly picked up some birds calling incessantly at site number 1 in the warm late spring morning.  Swooping and wheeling about the semi-industrial chalk quarry they present quite an incongruous site in the east German countryside.  If anything, there seemed to be more birds here than last year - in the region of 20 at least.  Worthy of note here is the Sand Martin colony, though access to get decent views is difficult.

Slightly distant view of Site 1 Osmarlsleben

Site 2, Osmarsleben.  The Bee-eaters are nesting in the sandy bank at the rear.

Having previously observed a sandy bank from Site 1, I decided to investigate it.  Approaching carefully, it quickly became obvious that it too was occupied by Bee-eaters, except that there seemed to be even more here than at the previous site.  It was great to be able to sit quite close to, but discretely hidden in some bushes, and to watch these beautiful and graceful birds to-ing and fro-ing and hawking insects, big and small, on the wing.

Bee-eater - Osmarsleben

Bee-eater - Osmarsleben

Bee-eaters - Osmarsleben

So, mission accomplished.  Bee-eaters, perhaps the most exotic of my local birds, safe and sound and in apparently really good numbers in the east-Harz corridor.

A nice shot of Frosse reed beds with the village with its distinctive twin towered church in the distance.

Whinchat - Frosse.

I have written several blogs about Frosse.  It is a brilliant site; compact, diverse and rich in terms of species (though less so in winter) and easily accessible.  My most recent visit was about 2 weeks ago and some characters were yet to make an appearance.  Today's visit seemed to confirm their return to Germany as Great Reed, Marsh and Grasshopper Warblers were seemingly everywhere.  Conspicuous by its absence were Sedge Warblers and indeed Red-backed Shrikes which ought to be back on their breeding grounds by now.

Marsh Warbler - Frosse.

An immaculate Reed Bunting - Frosse.

I heard probably 3 Bitterns booming and briefly the dog-like 'bark' of a possible Little Bittern.  Bitterns are notoriously difficult to see and luck is needed more than anything to catch a glimpse of a bird walking or flying about its territory.  The water meadows at the head of the reserve had dried out substantially but contained a beautiful lonesome drake Garganey, some Gadwell and Mallards.  Lapwings were also present pee-witting their way across the sky.  Whinchats were also present and a White Stork, perhaps a late migrant, was resting on the water meadow.

White Stork - Frosse

Garganey - Frosse.

In summary, a good visit.  Great to see the bee-eaters in such good numbers and lovely to find a Garganey at Frosse.  Next visit I might sneek into one of the hunting towers overlooking the reserve, in order to increase my chances of seeing a Bittern.

Drömling - Spring 2016

I had a fantastic day at the Drömling on Sunday. This was especially important following a couple of recent somewhat underwhelming visits.  I'm pleased to say that spring has properly arrived in Germany and most of the continent has been enjoying warm weather  brought to us on a moderate easterly air stream.  As I have mentioned before, the Drömling's size can be daunting and so I tend to concentrate on 4 or 5 areas I have visited in the past and which I know yield dividends in terms of birds seen. 

Wide area map of the Drömling with three locations marked A, B and C

Landscape south of Kusey

One area I had not visited before but which I had researched over the winter was a reserve area in the north, just south of the village of Kusey - marked on the map above with the letter A.  This area is drier and sandier than most of the Drömling and contains a mosaic of oak, pine and smaller trees lining agricultural roads and pathways.  Kusey is renowned as being one of the few remaining places in Germany where Ortolan Buntings are holding their own - there are supposed to be about 35 pairs here which, when considering the relatively small size of the area, represents quite a significant population density.  Other species to be found here include Barred Warblers, though they prefer the damper bushier areas, Crested Larks and occasionally Montagu's Harrier. 

Ortolan Bunting - Kusey

Ortolan Bunting - Kusey

The Ortolan's plaintive song is like a fore-shortened version of its cousin the Yellowhammer, which is a common resident here.  After walking a while I heard an Ortolan signing from a oak tree from which I was able to observe it closely.  Close in size to the Yellowhammer, its song and plumage are diagnostic and include a bright eye ring and pale sub-moustachial stripe with warm buff underparts - a really beautiful bird.  Soon after I located two other signing males though these birds were inhabiting smaller bushier trees.  A Spotted Flycatcher was a nice surprise as was a Nightingale signing from a dry and dusty bush line, a whole host of Common Whitethroats scratching away from within the now densely green bush line and a 2 Hawfinches in a larger stand of mature trees.  A flock of 20 beautiful pink flushed Linnets were feeding on something on the ground - probably seeds.  Interestingly, Ravens were everywhere, their raucous call filling the air.  Finally, and not through a lack of effort, I failed to locate any Barred Warblers or Crested Larks, both of which will have to wait for another visit.

Spotted Flycatcher - Kusey

Yellowhammer - Kusey

My next port of call was an area I was familiar with - the central 'Kern' zone near the little settlement of Buchhorst marked with the letter B on the map.  In the past I have found River Warblers here and no end of other species including Grasshopper and Great Reed Warblers, Great Grey Shrikes and Golden Oriels.  The bio-diversity here in spring and ummer is really quite astonishing.  Today's visit elicited not a great deal other than Grasshopper Warblers and Nightingales and I was disappointed not to relocate last year's River Warbler.  I did, however, come across a Collared Flycatcher - a first for me - which helpfully gave really great views.  This bird's white collar was not as extensive as shown in field guides which did raise the question of whether it could have been a Semi-collared.  Having discussed the bird's identify with a friend, we settled on the Collared variety - either way I believe that this is a good sighting for the Drömling and was a first for me.

The Drömling - river Ohre and spring landscape near Buchhorst

Collared Flycatcher - Drömling

Collared Flycatcher - Drömling

Grasshopper Warbler -  - Drömling

Other species seen in and around this central area including several White Storks, Cuckoos, Black and Red Kites, Buzzards, Lapwings, Tree Sparrows and Chiffchaffs and Willow Warblers galore.

Bluethroat territory and landscape near Rühen, Drömling

Bluethroat near Rühen, Drömling

A recently arrived Red-backed Shrike near Rühen, Drömling

My final location was in the south western segment of the reserve marked by the letter C on the map.  It is located just south of the village of  Rühen and is bordered by Mittellandkanal to its north. I originally found this area after reading that Barred Warblers breed here and though I have searched frantically, I don't think they are here any more.  Never mind, today's visit delivered another new Drömling species for me - a Bluethroat which was signing its strange mechanically wheezing song from the top of a hawthorn bush.  All 5 Bluethroats that I have seen this year have been of the cyanecula type though I am sure there must be some overlap with svecica types which inhabit more northern and eastern climes.  Stonechats and Whinchats were aplenty and, not to be outdone on the chat front, a Robin showed its face too.  Finally, a male Marsh Harrier, resplendent in his spring plumage, quartered the fields.  This species is quite common here and can be seen throughout the reserve, especially during the warmer months.

Whinchat near Rühen, Drömling

Male Marsh Harrier near Rühen, Drömling

So, in summary a good visit though Spring is not yet into its full stride.  No Golden Oriels and only one Red-backed Shrike which must have very recently arrived.  It was fantastic to be able to observe Ortolan Buntings so closely and frustrating (again) not to find any Barred Warblers which seem to be turning into something of a bogey species for me.  The addition of Kusey to my Drömling repertoire is good news.  And anyway, there's always a next time for the Barred Warblers!

Harz Spring

April is the cruellest month, breeding

Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing

Memory and desire, stirring

Dull roots with spring rain.

From TS Eliot's The Wasteland, The Burial of the Dead.

The arrival of spring is anticipated I think more by bird lovers than most other people.  It heralds not only the return of light and warmth, for which we all retain a primeval need, but also of our feathered friends.  The first migrant to appear this year was our resident Black Redstart who turned up in a cold and gloomy Goslar on 27 March - he did his best to cheer me up and succeeded!  He was closely followed by the harbinger of things to come, the Chiffchaff, whose onomatopoeical and repetitive call resonates through the still bare trees.  I have learnt to be a bit patient in this part of the world for Spring comes a little later than is the case in South West England.  But more in hope than expectation I set out to some of my favourite haunts hoping to document the arrival of our Summer migrants.

Black Redstart - Goslar - 27 March

The Drömling is an amazing place but it set out to disappoint me in mid-April.  Save for Chiffchaffs, Willow Warblers, a plucky Grasshopper Warbler, a Nightingale and some Swallows, there was scant evidence of Spring.  I knew I was a little early but had expected a little more than what was on offer!  Still, to paraphrase D-Ream, 'Things could only get better.'

Chiffchaff - Drömling - 29 March

Or so I thought.  The second half of the month was effectively blown away by the arrival of the most appalling and brutally cold weather system in which the Harz seems to specialise!  For days on end the thermometer struggled to reach 5C and all and sundry were treated to seemingly never ending deluge of sleet and snow.  Heaven knows what my little Black Redstart thought and most people here walked around in moods approaching depression! 

The Harz in the Spring! - 25 April

The other day things had improved sufficiently to persuade me to return to the Drömling.  Things this time were a little better.  Lots of Swallows, some Whitethroats and Blackcaps, some miserable looking White Storks standing in a waterlogged field, a lovely Blue-headed Wagtail, a Short-toed Treecreeper and a lonesome but valiant Swift struggling against the still cold wind.  So not brilliant.

Blue-headed Wagtail- Drömling - 28 April

Short-toed Treecreeper - Drömling - 28 April

Corn Bunting - Frose

However, on the last day of April the weather beckoned warm and calm and such was my desperation to see some migrants I headed out again, except this time in southerly direction towards Frose.  The extensive reed beds and flooded meadows here rarely disappoint but even here it seemed to be half-board.  No Marsh, Sedge or Great Reed Warblers signing from the reeds or bushes.  Everything seemed to be on the brink - not quite but nearly there.  Two Bitterns boomed from either end of the reed bed, restless Bearded Tits flitted from reed to reed.

Frose - reed beds yellow, water meadows green

A family of Greylags - Frose - 30 April

Redstart - Frose - 30 April

The resident Greylag Geese had clearly been getting on with things as there were families swimming about everywhere.  A pair of stunning Marsh Harriers quartered the reed beds and Reed Warblers sang their discordant song from the reeds.  I found 2 Bluethroats - one in last year's location and a second on the far side of the site far away from prying eyes.  Everyone I meet says that these birds are very rare but I find them in most areas which have suitable damp scrubby habitat.  My second bird seemed to be inhabiting reed beds only and it was wonderful to be able to sit down and watch him display in the warm and recently arrived spring sun.

Bluethroat - Frose - 30 April

Bluethroat - Frose - 30 April

Whitethroat - Frose - 30 April

Finally I visited the semi-flooded water meadows which lie on the other side of the road to the reed beds.  I must confess that I have tended to overlook these in the past but am learning to appreciate their potential.  Today the meadows were semi-inundated and had attracted a wide range of ducks including Teal, Shoveller, Gadwell and Mallard.  Lapwings were plentiful and a couple of Red Kites were present too.  Everything was surprised by the sudden appearance of a White-Tailed Eagle that looped its way across the site following by some Kites and a Raven.

Water meadows - Frose - 30 April

White-tailed Eagle - Frose - 30 April

Greenshank - Frose - 30 April

Waders were nicely represented too with a couple of beautiful Greenshanks and Wood Sandpipers and a Ringed Plover - all three species were new to me here in Frose and were presumably passing through on their way north.  My final very pleasant surprise was a little Jack Snipe that exploded from the meadow corkscrewing into the distance.  So, all in all at last a most satisfying day. I suppose the thing I enjoyed most was feeling the sun on my face having endured, along with everyone and everything else, the cruelest of Aprils.

Woodsandpipers - Frose - 30 April

Gadwall - Frose - 30 April

A Hare, looking for someone to box with - Frose - 30 April

Dem deutschen Volke! - To the German People!

The German's take their democracy very seriously.  Normally, the political style here is consensual with less of the extreme, winner takes all approach that we are used to in the UK.  In Germany coalitions are the norm and not the exception.  And so when Angela Merkel, the most popular Chancellor in modern German history, is left reeling from a series of regional election losses on Sunday, something must be afoot.

AfD advertisement - the caption says 'Children welcome - yes to the family!

AfD advertisement - the caption says 'Vote out the tax avoiders.'

In my travels around eastern Germany I am often intrigued at election time by the political advertisements one sees attached to lamp posts throughout villages and towns.  Democracy here in the east is still young - reunification took place only 25 years ago - and the vestigial parties of the left - Die Linke - and the extreme right wing - the Nationaldemokratische Partei Deutschlands (NPD) - vie for space with the more mature and sober offerings of the longer-established CDU and SPD.  More recently on the scene, and a big winner this weekend, is the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD), formally a respectable anti-EU platform which has controversially adopted a more xenophobic tone in recent months.  So, something has shaken up the normally staid political scene.

Die Linke - the caption says 'Arsonists out!'  Below is a defaced CDU advertisement.

Defaced NPD advertisement - the caption says 'Stop the (people) smuggler Merkel'

I am often struck by how homogeneous Germany society still is.  Traffic safety advertisements on the autobahns rarely include black or Asian faces.  White is still the un-said norm.  And so the recent arrival of hundreds of thousands of genuine and economic refugees from Syria and the Balkans - with more to come - has unsettled many people.  The appalling incidents over the New Year period in Köln and other German cities where women were assaulted by immigrants has deeply upset many people.  Added to that, the fact that the authorities seemed to try and to cover up the attacks, raises some important questions about trust and the state's relationship with its people.

Defaced NPD advertisement - the caption says 'Turn off the liar-press. Our people first.'

AfD advertisement - the caption says 'We are for our homeland. Strengthen the police. Protect the citizens!' 

The impeccably progressive approach to social issues that has so long characterised the German political scene and society is under strain.  The mantra preached by Merkel last August, “Wir schaffen das,” (“We will manage,”), is being openly questioned.  No doubt she will vigorously defend her strategy on handling the refugee crisis, but the results of this week's display of democracy, some of it clearly distasteful, will make this task more difficult.