article thumbnail

After The Birds Of Summer Have Gone

10,000 Birds

The Common Swifts have left Germany behind as their journey South has begun. They are the first of our migrant breeders to go, and they are gone by the beginning of August. The theatre of the evening sky that soothes the mind and brings to rest the hot summer days is over. That is early.

Elephants 167
article thumbnail

A Woodchat Shrike, and how to almost miss it

10,000 Birds

It also used to be a rather common bird in the South of Germany, but the German population has crashed and collapsed (almost?) If it still breeds in Germany at all, which it might do, it is so rare by now that pairs do not get reported to anywhere except to the relevant nature conservation authorities. The starting area of my search.

Cattle 118
article thumbnail

Some Germans have a bird – A short birding trip through the German language

10,000 Birds

This model was very popular in Germany in the 1970s and 1980s and it was commonly called “Ente“ (duck) due to its round hood. You see, in German we have three distinct words for different groups of owls. Hunting in Germany is a very traditional pursuit and thus has a very specific and complex code of conduct.

Germany 180