Pfaffenstein Table Mountain - Gray-headed Woodpecker, Warblers, and RED KITE!

Last Sunday's gorgeous weather pulled me away from the books and back to the mountains of Saxon Switzerland. After much weighing of choices, I finally decided, since I had a hiking map of the area, to go back to Königstein, but hike about an hour southeast, past the quiet little village of Pfaffendorf, to Pfaffenstein Table Mountain. This cluster of mountains is geologically amazing ( to me at least) because during the Cretaceous period, between 1,444 and 66 million years ago, a stretch of sea covered the land where today you will find gorges, mesas and rock towers in abundance. The region was formed when rivers flowing from the peaks of the Ore mountains deposited sediment and seashells as the waters flowed to the sea. Technically speaking the Elbe Sandstone Mountains are not mountains at all. The landscape was formed by erosion, from water and wind, which created the region's distinctive features; sandstone blocks, u-shaped valleys and vertical walls, which descend in several steps and are broken up into spurs and rock towers.

Now I told myself not to go too far on the "commentary" this time for (a) it might bore some readers, and (b) I don't really have time as a PhD student/slave to have a true blog, so from now on I will try to just review species, especially new ones for the year (FOYs) and LIFERS, as well as other significant natural history notes, since that is what this blog is about in the first place. Though what lacks in diversity and extravagant beauty of avifauna when going birding in Europe (as opposed to, say, birding in Ecuador or New Guinea!) is made up for in the rich cultural history that can simultaneously be enjoyed on any birding trip within Europe. (Come to think of it, then perhaps China is probably one of the greatest places to travel to!)
SO, here it goes...

Birds of interest:


1) Gray-headed Woodpecker (Picus canus) - FOY, LIFER! An adult male, with red patch on forecrown. Very secretive; not a peep out of him, and was very flighty. I have a feeling these birds, though surely less common than both Green and Great Spotted Woodpeckers, is not as rare as it might seem, and these are just quiet and shy species...something to look further into. Any readers have experience with the habits of this specie?

2) Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita) - FOY, LIFER! Finally, this small, canopy-hopper couldn't stop bobbing its tail (not unlike a Palm Warbler back home). I read about the various characters that differentiate this bird from the similar (and equally common, though in slightly different preferred habitats) Willow Warbler. Compact shape (shorter primary projection), dark legs, darker below, not-too-strong of a supercilium, slightly thinner and darker bill....but the tail bobbing made it easy to ID as well.

3) Ravens (Corvus corax) - A nice pair was found perched, and calling from atop a conifer.

4) Willow Tit (Poecile montanus) - FOY. Single bird found at the top of the mountain in the same location as the Ravens.

5) Firecrest (Regulus ignicapilla) - FOY, LIFER! High up in a conifer, discovered by high-pitched song. Only saw below and face, and the latter was enough to tell who it was! There were some deciduous (birch mainly) trees around, so it wasnt pure coniferous and so perhaps not the ideal habitat for Goldcrests as much as for Firecrests(?).

6) Great Cormorants (Phalacrocorax carbo) - *FOY for Germany (Zurich in Jan). An adult and a juvenile bird, separated by about 30 seconds or so, flew NW down river (Towards Dresden).

7) Red Kite (Milvus milvus [one of the best Latin names for birds I've seen!]) - FOY, LIFER! Adult cruising over the Elbe river, appearing amazingly 2 minutes before my train back to Dresden arrived! It disappeared almost as soon as it appeared, but with my bins I had an awesome look at it; when I saw that long, strongly forked tail I knew it was special (I think my initial excitement might have startled nearby civilians), and then the dark underwings with light windows at the ends and the deep, rufous body left no doubt in my mind that this was what it was! Whew, what I'd give though to have enjoyed it for even 5 more minutes!

Also, the day before (Saturday), I had just enough time to swing by the Grosser Garten in town and had...

8) Fieldfares (Turdus pilaris) - FOY, LIFER! 6+ individuals; behaviorally they most reminded me of colorfully patterned American Robins, and associated with some European Blackbirds.

9) Blackcaps (Sylvia atricapilla) - FOY. 2 males, looking like crossbreeds of a Catbird and a Wilson's Warbler, were actively gleaning insects. Another male was seen near Königstein on the hillside the day after.

10) Willow Warbler (Phylloscopus trochilus) - FOY, LIFER! 2 were gleaning insects from high up in the canopy of a deciduous tree, and chasing each other as if competing over food or possible courtship?? Similar to Chiffchaff, but slightly less compact with a long primary projection, coupled with a lighter, whitish underside (belly at least) and stronger supercilium and lighter colored legs and bill. Unfortunately did not vocalize, besides the squabble from the fight.

What a near-perfect weekend, that's all for now until the next outing which may or may not be this next coming weekend depending on weather...but hey, get out there and enjoy the birds when you can!