Birding Germany (1 Viewer)

Andyt · Feb 15, 2007

I will be Germany early to mid-April, flying in to Frankfurt and am wondering about what can be seen. I am considering staying put in the area, driving to the Rhine valley and neighbouring France, driving down to the south/south-east (including Switzerland) or even east (including Czech Republic).

Target species rather vague at the moment but could include Little Bittern, raptors, woodpeckers, alpine specialities (Alpine Accentor, Citril Finch, etc.).

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

wintibird · Feb 15, 2007

Many good places for Citril Finch and Alpine Accentor in Switzerland. Both are easy as long as you go to the right habitat in the mountains (Citril Finch: forest edge, tree line; Alpine Accentor: well above treeline, rocky area).
Little Bittern: for example Neeracherried near Zürich, but can be found with some luck in almost every suitable marsh.

Otherwise your plans are a bit open. You can see a lot in southern Germany, Switzerland and the Czech Republic. It depends on how much time you want to spend and what places you want to see.
For Switzerland there is a very good guide Where to watch birds in Switzerland, which may help.

Greetings from Switzerland
André

hinnark · Feb 15, 2007

For woodpeckers take a look at this site:
http://www.birdinggermany.de/bavarianwoodpeckers.htm

This list might be useful:
http://www.birdinggermany.de/checklist.htm

Happy birdwatching

Steve

Xenospiza · Feb 15, 2007

If your German is OK:
http://www.birdinggermany.de/singvoegel.htm; http://www.birdinggermany.de/nichtsingvoegel.htm
are both excellent.
Only the woodpecker part is in English, but that does mention a lot of other very nice birds!

albatross02 · Feb 16, 2007

Germany

Hi,

for raptors are very good spots near Berlin.
e.g. lake Guelper See
lake Rietzer See
Naturparc Nuthe Nieplitz

White-tailed Eagle, Red Kite, Black Kite, Hobby, Kestrel, Common Buzzard, Western Marsh Harrier and maybe still Rough-legged Buzzard and Hen Harrier is good chance

But April is excellent time for Great Bustard e.g. near Buckow ( Berlin ).
Montagues Harrier end of april or begin of Mai in Buckow.

http://www.birdforum.net/thedirectory/showcat.php?ppuser=20816

Best regards
Dieter

albatross02 · Feb 19, 2007

Raptors in Germany

Hi,

some add info.

Lesser Spotted Eagle are 30 - 35 pairs near Berlin area ( north, Schorfheide -> biggest forest area in Germany ).
Booted Eagle should be there, but extrem rare.
Honey Buzzard should be every where in Brandenburg ( area around Berlin ), but I have never identify this bird.
In April during migration I identified more then 80 birds per day.
Expirienced people can reach more than 100 birds per day.

Federal country Brandenburg has two big rivers ( Elbe and Oder ) with floodplain and 300 lakes.

All different kind of woodpeckers of Germany should live in Colbitz Letzinger Heide ( north of Magdeburg ). This is the biggest lime tree forest of Europe.
But until 1990 it used for military tests. So this area is very unknown.
Beeeaters should be also there. Other places are gravel pits near Bernburg and Koethen.

Best regards
Dieter

Andyt · Feb 19, 2007

Thanks very much for the info, guys. I shall also have a look at the various web sites.

I have looked at the area of Bayrischer Nationalpark/Boehmen, which seems quite interesting (Berlin area seems a bit too far but thanks for the info, Dieter). Any more specific information on this area would be greatly appreciated.

albatross02 · Feb 19, 2007

Bayrischer Nationalpark/ Boehmen

Andyt said:
Thanks very much for the info, guys. I shall also have a look at the various web sites.

I have looked at the area of Bayrischer Nationalpark/Boehmen, which seems quite interesting (Berlin area seems a bit too far but thanks for the info, Dieter). Any more specific information on this area would be greatly appreciated.

Hi,

which way You go ? Do You have a plan yet ?
Do You visit river Donau floodplains ?
Do You visit Europe reservat Unterer Inn ( border Austria/ Germany ) ?
Which alpine areas do You visit e.g. Berchtesgardener Land ?

Best regards
Dieter

albatross02 · Feb 20, 2007

South Germany

Hi Andy,

please find some maps. It is in german language, but maybe help You to find watching spots and plan Your route.

http://www.norbert-kuehnberger.de/hpengl.htm
http://www.birdinggermany.de/baden-wurttemberg.htm

Alpine Swift breed in the tower of St Martin Church in Freiburg ( Breisgau ).
Since 1955 the number of breeding pairs raised up to 100 on 50 buildings.

http://www.birdinggermany.de/bayern.htm

Almost all alpine birds of Germany breeds in nationalparc Berchtesgardener Land.
Griffon Vulture is near at mountain Untersberg in south of Salzburg

Best regards
Dieter
Best regards
Dieter

Andyt · Feb 22, 2007

Hi Dieter,

Thanks for the additional information. I did have a look at Berchtesgardener Land before but several of the birds I would be interested in either only occur in very small numbers or are unreliable, e.g. Honey Buzzard (few pairs), Hazel Grouse (virtually never seen), White-backed Woodpecker (few pairs), Wallcreeper (fewer than 20 sightings), (Citril Finch (very rare).

I am now tending towards the aea around Garmisch-Partenkirchen, which seems to support the entire suite of species and with better chances of seeing them.

Thanks so much for the information supplied by all. While I appear not to be able to make up my mind, the process has been very useful in pinning down an interesting area.

The info on the birdinggermany web site is very useful. Any additional information that would be useful in maximising chances/additional birds I would be most grateful for.

Thanks and best wishes !

Andre

albatross02 · Feb 26, 2007

Tatzelwurm

Hi Andy,

saturday I was at Tatzelwurm area ( 12 centigrad in the valley ).
I say one woodpecker flying ( altitude maybe 1.000 m ). Suppose Threetoed Woodpecker. I heard woodpeckers laughting, maybe the black one.
Mostly Great Tits and Blue Tits was very activ.

Best regards
Dieter

trooper · Mar 21, 2007

Hallo Andyt,
I don´t know how good your German is, but if you can read a bit there is a new book on the German market about places to go birding in north or south Germany with very good maps showing the areas and how to get there plus target species, for south Germany its called:-

Vögel beobachten in suddeutschland by Moning and Weiss

ISBN:- 978-3440-104453

You can find it on www.amazon.de

I wish you a good time birding in Germany!! don´t forget to try the German beer! B

Andyt · Mar 29, 2007

Hi Trooper,

I hace come across the book you mnetion on the net. Out of interest how far north does it go ? Does it include the Saarland and Rheinland-Pfalz areas, for instance ?

Andre

trooper · Mar 29, 2007

Andyt said:
Hi Trooper,

I hace come across the book you mnetion on the net. Out of interest how far north does it go ? Does it include the Saarland and Rheinland-Pfalz areas, for instance ?

Andre

Hi Andre,
Sorry, I can´t tell you how far north it covers, living in North Germany I have the same book for the north and that go´s down as far as the lower Rhine.
Sorry I can´t help you more.
All the best.

hinnark · Mar 30, 2007

Andyt said:
Hi Trooper,

I hace come across the book you mnetion on the net. Out of interest how far north does it go ? Does it include the Saarland and Rheinland-Pfalz areas, for instance ?

Andre

Andre,

take a look at the map at the book cover:
http://www.birdinggermany.de/voegel_beob_in_sdd.htm
According to this map the Saarland and Rheinland-Pfalz are included.

Steve

ianreid · May 26, 2007

Tatzelwurm and Berchtesgaden

albatross02 said:
Hi Andy,

saturday I was at Tatzelwurm area ( 12 centigrad in the valley ).
I say one woodpecker flying ( altitude maybe 1.000 m ). Suppose Threetoed Woodpecker. I heard woodpeckers laughting, maybe the black one.
Mostly Great Tits and Blue Tits was very activ.

Best regards
Dieter

Dear Dieter,

have you been near Tatzelwurm more recently? I am spending a few days not far away in Austria next week (village of Unken, just ove rthe border near , and I am thinking about checking the area out one morning, even if it is probably a bit late in the spring for my targets (white-backed, grey-headed, three-toed woodpeckers).

birdinggermany.de also mentions Berchtesgaden which is literally a few kn from where I'm staying. Do you know anything about this area?

Cheers, Ian

albatross02 · May 29, 2007

Hi Ian,

I visited Tatzelwurm only once.
My succes with woodpeckers is very poor.
The best is ask a responsible person from birding area ( LBV ).

Kreisgruppe Berchtesgaden
Peter Friedrich, Triftmeisterau 3, 83435 Bad Reichenhall, Tel.: 08651 / 3935

For south of Bavarian
Bezirksgeschäftsstelle Oberbayern (München)
Klenzestr. 37
80469 München
Tel.: 089/2002706
Fax: 089/20027088
E-Mail: [email protected]

Best regards
Dieter

albatross02 · May 30, 2007

Hi,

Berchtesgardener Land should have all breeding birds of northern alp parts.
I have never been there.
In this time it is possible to see lots of orchids in the mountains.

Best regards
Dieter

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