Hi
I am British but now live in gorgeous rural Denmark. We swapped our rural, lowland cottage in Snowdonia with all its birds and wildlife for flatter but more undulating countryside. There we had farm animals on the other side of the fence. Here it is all intensive arable farming and the animals are mostly kept indoors.
The difference in the varieties of birds was and still is quite startling. We counted over 70 types of bird just within our garden boundaries in North Wales. We left behind tame Robins, Dunnocks and Treecreepers. Goldcrests were nesting in the blackthorn thickets along with all the others which enjoyed our deliberately improved environment. We dug ponds [by hand ] in the marshy areas and planted hundreds of native trees on the spoil heaps and banks. Ancient apple trees were left standing and enjoyed by many birds.
Here in Denmark we have planted willows and oaks to supplement the existing mature plum, chestnut and birch trees. High hedges of Hawthorn, Blackthorn and willow varieties have been deliberately allowed to get away.
The bird varieties are different and the shy European Robin now rarely seen. My morning rural walks to the forest and along the edges of the willow marshes and ponds often throw up varieties which are not easily identified from previous experience. Particularly birds of prey and 'field' birds. Pheasants are probably more numerous than sparrows.
I joined the forum to get help with identification of rarities which my books and Google image searches cannot help with. I replaced my aging Zeiss 10x50 Jenoptem with a nice, light pair of Nikon 8x42. I carry an older Lumix TZ7 camera everywhere and blog about my cycling and daily walks. A DSLR with a long lens would arguably produce much better pictures but I really wouldn't want to carry it everywhere I go.
The attached [cropped and resized] image was taken only this morning and suggests a Trumpeter swan for its all black beak. We get thousands of Whoopers but they always have light patches on their beaks even as [semi-mature] juveniles like this one.
Then there was the pair of all-black birds of prey last week. I still haven't a clue about them. |^|
I am British but now live in gorgeous rural Denmark. We swapped our rural, lowland cottage in Snowdonia with all its birds and wildlife for flatter but more undulating countryside. There we had farm animals on the other side of the fence. Here it is all intensive arable farming and the animals are mostly kept indoors.
The difference in the varieties of birds was and still is quite startling. We counted over 70 types of bird just within our garden boundaries in North Wales. We left behind tame Robins, Dunnocks and Treecreepers. Goldcrests were nesting in the blackthorn thickets along with all the others which enjoyed our deliberately improved environment. We dug ponds [by hand ] in the marshy areas and planted hundreds of native trees on the spoil heaps and banks. Ancient apple trees were left standing and enjoyed by many birds.
Here in Denmark we have planted willows and oaks to supplement the existing mature plum, chestnut and birch trees. High hedges of Hawthorn, Blackthorn and willow varieties have been deliberately allowed to get away.
The bird varieties are different and the shy European Robin now rarely seen. My morning rural walks to the forest and along the edges of the willow marshes and ponds often throw up varieties which are not easily identified from previous experience. Particularly birds of prey and 'field' birds. Pheasants are probably more numerous than sparrows.
I joined the forum to get help with identification of rarities which my books and Google image searches cannot help with. I replaced my aging Zeiss 10x50 Jenoptem with a nice, light pair of Nikon 8x42. I carry an older Lumix TZ7 camera everywhere and blog about my cycling and daily walks. A DSLR with a long lens would arguably produce much better pictures but I really wouldn't want to carry it everywhere I go.
The attached [cropped and resized] image was taken only this morning and suggests a Trumpeter swan for its all black beak. We get thousands of Whoopers but they always have light patches on their beaks even as [semi-mature] juveniles like this one.
Then there was the pair of all-black birds of prey last week. I still haven't a clue about them. |^|
