Sunny Sunday in the Park - Hawfinches, Redwing, and...Hand-feeding Birds!

This morning was sunny and I headed to Grosser Garten (literally 'Big Garden') which is like Dresden's own version of Central Park; after this day I was especially convinced that it has a strong potential to hold a variety of breeding and seasonal migrant species. On the way I stopped by the Russian Orthodox church where there were around 16+ Rooks spread across the adjacent lawn. This bird became a lifer for me just yesterday, and it was the first time seeing them on the ground, so I tried to get many pics with my little, unprofessional Canon Powershot. Fortunately these birds are relatively bold even for crows (as commented in Birds of Europe (2nd ed.) by Svensson, Mullarney and Zetterström...which from now on I'll refer to as SMZ) and I could get close enough to get some decent shots!

One behavioral note I have thusfar noticed is that they seem to forage by turning leaves over, searching for bugs, and also by driving it's huge bill into the ground to catch earthworms which it finds as an American Robin (Turdus migratorius) does: by turning and lowering its head to find them first by sight. But even more interesting was that a few of them were attempting to crack open chestnuts; the trees from which they fell from are quite common here. This shows intelligence in my mind, and that they seem to be quite the opportunists (as most crows are I suppose). Their pointy-tipped bill (relative to other crow species, which have a much more curved culmen) makes them seem suited for jabbing into the ground to retrieve earthworms, but it is also robust enough to crack open nuts; not by breaking it in the mouth via jaw pressure, but by pecking at it like a woodpecker (I took a short, poor-quality video of one individual). In addition I have seen several other Rooks flying with chestnuts securely held in their beaks...interesting. More on Crow ID notes to come soon...

When I reached the south-western corner of the park (on the outskirts of the Dresden Zoo) I quickly came across the common species: Magpie, Jay, Blackbird, Great Tit, Blue Tit, and Nuthatch. I recorded (using my camera's video recording option) the alarm/excited call of the nuthatch which sounds like a series-of-'chuitts', which to me invoked the image of a sped-up leaky faucet. :) Then, I heard something new and different; a relatively quiet but clear 'zir-zir-zirring' from high up. I checked the canopy overhead carefully, and then discovered a small flock of 4-5 Hawfinches feeding in a yew berry tree...LIFER! But really a magnificent bird; beautiful shades of brown and gray, with that comical conical bill. They do seem to be rather shy (as literature usually states) and almost as soon as I found them they noticed me and soon disappeared. Flying out of the yew tree I noticed their relatively short tail, that, along with the huge bill, gave them a front-heavy appearance. 

Jays, by the way, were also feeding in the yew tree. Watching their quite distinct flight, I could see why they call them Jay (or why they call our Blue Jay a Blue Jay?): they have similar broad and blunt-tipped wings, which resemble those of the Blue Jays back home, giving it a similar direct and buoyant flight style, with the head seemingly raised throughout. They make me think of a cross between Blue Jay and Northern Flicker. The latter because of the white rump patch, overall color, and (black) mustachial strip.

Walking a little further, I spotted a silent thrush species which landed on a branch just above eye level within a densely branched tree. It was hard to see, and the bird did not move or make a peep. But from the densely spotted breast and throat, bi-colored bill (yellowish with dark tip), clean white belly, brownish-gray back, and dark flanks...it had to be a Redwing, another LIFER!

Red Squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris)

Then I came to a corner, which I will now refer to as "the magical corner" of the park...there was a huge flock of 20+ Great Tits, 5+ Nuthatches, 2 Blue Tits, 3 Chaffinches, a few House Sparrows and 4+ Red Squirrels...all gathered around an elderly couple? The man reached his hand into a bag and then brought it out, held his arm out and opened his hand revealing a small pile of crushed walnuts (I asked them later what it was exactly). Then the magic began! Tit after tit took his/her turn flying in, hovering, and perching on a finger or two, hesitating for a second while picking out the best piece, then nabbing it briskly but gently, and finally disappearing...there must have been at least 20 Great tits coming to his hand; sometimes 2 at a time! They were the least shy, but the nuthatches and Blue Tits were much more wary, and Ionly saw the nuthatch one time come to his hand, andmost of them hopped around his feet, picking up dropped pieces instead of coming to the hand like the braver Great Tits. The Chaffinches seemed to be the most nervous, as I never did see them feed from his hand. Even the adorably, tufted-eared Red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris) would climb up the bench, right up to the man, for a whole hazelnut or chestnut. I plan to go back often, especially in the coming winter, when the local wintering birds depend on feeders and supplemental fatty foods to stay warm and survive, and feed the birds while learning more about them and enjoying this wonderful feeling about being one with nature.

Great Tit feeding on crushed walnut pieces from an Opa's hand.