10,000 Birds

JANUARY 1, 2012

Here in Germany, we don’t wish we had. Yes, Germany has parrots, or parakeets to be more precise. Unlike North America, Germany has never had naturally occurring psittacines that went extinct, and the one we have is a true and complete invasive alien introduction. Because we never have had.

Germany 252

Germany Netherlands Zoos Geese 252

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 25, 2018

It is the largest woodpecker in Europe (to describe its size, I’ll tell you that Goldeneyes breed in the holes this pecker makes). Yet, this is also a part of the international cycling route from Germany to the Black Sea. A sudden flight of a forest ghost, the Black Woodpecker goes from one side of the gully to another.

Serbia 122

Serbia Woodpeckers Birds Bears 122

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 27, 2016

I didn’t have long to stay at the reserve so I did a quick walk through the ornamental pools near the entrance – as in many WWT reserves these are given over to the breeding collections of exotic species (although these are smaller in London than elsewhere.

Geese 100

Geese New Zealand Germany Ducks 100

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 7, 2013

May – Migration’s Peak and Breeding Begins. August – Germany and More Local Birding. We had a wonderful family vacation in Germany and the Czech Republic during which I managed to do a bit of birding. April was also the infamous Bird Love Week on 10,000 Birds. May is when the bulk of the birds come back.

2012 145

2012 Czech Republic Hedgehogs Hungary 145

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 6, 2019

Visiting the continent after the end of most of the autumn migration meant that the number of bird species I could see in northern France, Switzerland, southern Germany, and Austria was much reduced. Munich’s Englischer Garten is known to host several east-Asian Bar-headed Geese. Only a pair of Mandarin Ducks !

Austria 131

Austria Switzerland Europe Geese 131

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 11, 2016

Why else would I have chosen a nice breeding plumaged Magnolia Warbler as my feature image in December if not to lure you in?] Well look, it’s a nice species – but visually that’s nothing you wouldn’t get by repeateldy crossing Canada with Barnacle Geese. American birders, on the other hand, obviously are.

Hawaii 166

Hawaii Albatross Europe America 166