2011

2011 is over and thus also my first complete year of birding in Germany. Here's a report of that fantastic year:
I saw a total of 250 bird species, 210 of those in Germany and 178 species in Hamburg and the nearer surroundings. From those 250 species 114 were lifers. Another two birds were only heard this year: Water Rail (eventhough it wouldn't even have been a lifer) and Corn Crake.

The year started well with 4 Long-eared Owls in the city park. My first real visit to the Duvenstedter Brook brought me a male Northern Harrier, a wintering Red Kite and three lifers that became almost ordinary: Tawny Owl, White-tailed Eagle and Middle Spotted Woodpecker. The year continued with a Northern Pintail and another Middle Spot. They were so special because they both showed in my area (which is about the region 5km around were I live).
Also the Wedeler Marsch yielded some new species for me: Eurasian Wigeon, Smew and Reed Bunting.
On the Bramfelder Lake were present up to 30 Grey Herons on a little stream near to the Öjendorfer Lake was a White-breasted Dipper. Unfortunately just outside my area.
When I found my first Great Grey Shrike I was very happy a few days later I also saw auncooperative Merlin, which shot 3 times through my field of vision. Every time I was just to give up the search for it, it would come shooting out of nowhere and disappear into nowhere...
Then migration time began and some waders appeared, but also a Wood Lark, which is normally quite rare, where I saw it. Between the Black-headed Gulls were some Mediterranean Gulls.
2 Kingfishers could be observed for a long time on the Ohlsdorfer cementary, but then they disappeared out of reasons I still don't understand and I have seen one in the area only once after.
Then it began with Ducks: Garganeys and Shovelers, but especially a very lucky observation of Red-breasted Goose. After about 15 secondes of observations it disappeared between the Barnacle Geese never to be seen again.
On the 4.4. 20 Bohemian Waxwings sat in the neighboors yard. Furthermore I could add Wigeon and Grey Wagtail to the area list.
Shortly after I saw two of my absolutely favourite birds 2011: Ruff and Bluethroat. But also a very surprising Cattle Egret in the Wedeler Marsch, that disappeared into nowhere after 45 minutes.

A holiday in Lisbon got me some nice lifers: Gannet, Yellow-legged Gull and also a Ring-billed Gull. A vagrant I didn't even recognize while seeing and of which I just shot a pic, because it looked a bit different.
In the Duvenstedter Brook more and more summer birds appeared, for example Whinchats, Hobbies and Cuckoos. In the Wedeler Marsch more and more Warblers appeared.
My listed expanded with White-tailed Eagle and Oystercatcher flying over my house.
On an individual Birdrace, one day after the official one I found 98 species, amongst others a Temminck's Stint and my nemesis bird Black Woodpecker.

I saw more and more passerines, especially Warblers and Flycatchers, but also my first Red-backed Shrikes. In the Brook I was fortunate to follow the growth of 2 Eagle-Owl chicks in an oak. There were also many other young birds to be found, for example Cranes.

I made a short vacation with my family in Büsum, where I saw 30 Spoonbills, 2 Montagu's Harriers, some Little Gulls and a Gull-billed Tern.

Back in the Brook I heard two Corncrakes for many days, aswell as some Quails, until on 27.6 I saw the backparts of one in the grass, before it sneaked away. I saw some Woodcocks in display flight, but heard many more that I never saw in the undergrowth.

Then I was in Madrid for one month and saw: Little, Egrets, Night-Herons, White Storks, Griffon and Cinereous Vultures, Booted Eagles, Montagu's Harrier, Black and Red Kite, Lesser Kestrels, Bee-eaters, Hoopoe, Red-rumped Swallow, Crag Martins, Golden Orioles, Azure-winged Magpie, White-throated Dipper, Cetti's Warbler, Moustached Warbler, Great Reed-Warbler, Melodious Warbler, Southern Grey and Woodchat Shrike and Cirl Bunting to name just the best. Also did I see many new subspecies...

Back in Germany I saw my first Curlew Sandpipers and the next nemesis bird: Honey-Buzzard!
On 5th August I twitched my first rarity, a Pectoral Sandpiper in the Wedeler Marsch.
Then the migration time began again and from my own window I saw 14 migrating White Storks. In the Wedeler Marsch I saw an incredible total of 65 Honey-Buzzards and a Wryneck, which I still can't believe!!!

In Eckernförde I saw 6 female Mergansers and my first Eiders 2011.

Back in Hamburg I have even the luck to put the Honey-Buzzards on my yard list aswell as some other birds on the area lists.

During the autumn vacations I went to Morocco where I saw many new lifers: Barbary Partridge, (Wild) Rock Pigeons, Little and Pallid Swift, African Blue Tit, Common Bulbul, Chough, Moussier's Redstart, Sardinian Warbler, Western Bonelli'S Warbler, Atlas Pied Flycatcher, Blue Rock-Thrush, Black and White-crowned Wheatear, Trumpeter Finch and House Bunting aswell as many new subspecies again.

One day after returning from Morocco I continued to Heligoland, where I birdwatched hardcore and got 98 species. New for me were most pelagic birds like Guillemot, Black Guillemot, Little Auk, Common Scoter, Greater Scaup, Norhern Gannet, but also some shore birds like Horned Lark, Twite, Lapland Bunting, Rock Pipit and Short-eared Owl. On Heligoland there are almost always some rarities, so I was happy to see Yellow-browed, Hume's Leaf and Western Bonelli's Warbler and Richard's Pipit which are all rare fopr Germany, but also Barred Warbler and Thrush Nightingale which are rare for the region and the time (October). I was also very happy about the Ring Ouzels and the Purple Sandpipers, like I was about every other bird I saw there!

Back in Hamburg it was quite calm. There were 42 Great Egrets in the Wedeler Marsch (on the day before it had even been 75!) and I got my lifer Ruddy Shelduck.
A Rough-legged Buzzard stuck around in the Brook as did a Long-eared Owl in the city park, in exact the same spot where I had seen it in the beginning of the year.
On 28th December I saw 3 Waxwings flying away and then on the last day in 2011 I added 3 lifers and 4 new species for the Wedeler Marsch. The lifers were Caspian Gull, Tundra Swan and Water Pipit, the new area species were Brant, Kingfisher, Great Grey Shrike and Bearded Reedling.

I ended the year 2011 with 250 bird species seen, 210 of those in Germany and 178 in Hamburg (and surroundings). I'm very happy about that result!