This morning turned out to be full of rejuvenating, migration-season birding out in the field with Michael Schultz around the Leipzig "lake-land" just north of the city. Particularly notable was a decent push of migrant passerines (perhaps they know something about the storm expected to come our way by Monday?); around Werbeliner See, there were good numbers of Corn Buntings, Reed Buntings, Tree Pipits, Yellow Wagtails, Chiffchaffs, Willow Warblers, Blackcaps, Black Redstarts, Starlings, Finches, Swallows and Jays. A few Common Redstarts, one Garden Warbler, and a flyover each of an early Siskin and an extremely early Brambling (!) were added for a little extra spice. Also very much on the move were skeins of Greylag Geese, with around 500+ coming to land in Seelhausener See. Northern Lapwings and other shorebirds (or waders for Palearctic birders) are still putting on their show, but with the former showing up in smaller numbers now (found only one large flock of 300+ today). Noteworthy shorebird sightings included one flock of 14 Eurasian Curlews in a field, 4 Ruffs, and a decent selection at Seelhausener See of 3 Little Stints, 2 Sanderlings, 1 Dunlin, 1 Spotted Redshank, and 9 Common Ringed Plovers. Raptor migration seemed to be dominated by a decent showing of Red Kites (up to 5 seen in one kettle) and 2 Hobbies, a handsome male Peregrine (tearing feathers out of a bloody pigeon!), 2 Ospreys, 3 White-tailed Eagles, and a relatively late migrating Black Kite. In the waterbird category, the Slavonian Grebe in winter-plumage at Werbeliner See was an unexpected but nice find, and a flock of 22 Red-crested Pochards were fun (though the drakes were still in eclipse plumage), and a very special duck was at Schadebach (see below). Also fun to see was the troop of 9 Pheasants along the distant edge of a field first thing in the morning, where 3 males were trying to out-display each other.
Now for the really good stuff! We also enjoyed a lingering group of 8 Bee-eaters near Seelhausener See, but the bird-of-the-day award must go to my lifer, drake Ferruginous Duck (!) at Schadebach (SE of Seelhausener See, and NW of Werbeliner See)). This bird almost glowed brownish-purple, and really looked much more impressive than one is led to believe by its description, e.g. in the Collin's Guide. It was also floating among female Common Pochards and Tufted Ducks, which made for a nice pochard comparison study...though with close looks and good lighting, the ID is almost unmistakable! The drake's eye is really white, almost blueish-white (unless it was just the reflection of the water's surface?), and when it flew a short distance one could really see the strikingly contrasty white on the flight feathers. I'm not really a "lister", but this was bird #206 for Germany for me!
This afternoon I couldn't stand sitting in my office and working (hey, it's Saturday and from tomorrow the weather is going to grow much worse...fine for staying indoors and writing papers, studying for oral exams, yadayadayada...). So I went up the hill directly behind my workplace and scanned for any migrant raptors or anything really, just enjoying what might be the last "summer" day of the year. Not much materialized though: a single Kestrel, 2 Common Buzzards soaring above the western edge of the city, and most interestingly, among several Barn Swallows, were 2 lingering Common Swifts (perhaps the last in Saxony for the year!?). A single flock of 7 Collared Doves (the largest I had ever seen around town), foraging along the edge of a field, was also interesting to note.
So here is a selection of today's birds, listed by location of sighting:
Werbeliner See:
Slavonian (Horned) Grebe: 1 (winter plumage)
Pheasant: 9 (3 were displaying males)
Red-crested Pochard: 22 (males in eclipse)
White-tailed Eagle: 2 sub-adults (2nd or 3rd yr)
Osprey: 1
Marsh Harrier: 1 male
Shoveler: 1 hen
Corn Bunting: 6+
Seelhausener See:
Little Stint: 3 juvs (first for Germany!)
Sanderling: 2 (first for Germany!)
Spotted Redshank: 1 juv
Dunlin: 1 juv
Common Ringed Plover: 9 (mostly juvs)
Greylag Goose: 500+
Great Egret: 1
Fields (exact locations unknown, but in the vicinity between Werbeliner and Seelhausener Sees):
Lapwings: 300+
Eurasian Curlew: 14+2
Ruff: 4 (associated with the Lapwings)
Hobby: 1 juv
Peregine: 1 male (smallish-looking) with Pigeon kill
Schadebach:
Ferruginous Duck: 1 drake
Black Kite: 1
Red Kite: 5+
Shoveler: 3 (1 drake in eclipse)
White-tailed Eagle: 1 adult
Osprey: 1
Siskin: 1 calling flyover bird was my first of the fall
Hilltop behind IFW Dresden:
Common Swift: 2 lingering birds!
Eurasian Collared Dove: 7
Common Buzzard: 2
Eurasian Kestrel: 1
Good birding!
