10,000 Birds

MAY 10, 2015

I therefore decided to counter this month’s heinous wood-warbler attack on my retina by choosing the good old trusty House Sparrow as the topic of my May post. The last aspect is something I will elaborate on further below, but not before showing off a prime fine male House Sparrow, unethically photographed at its nest site.

Sparrows 234

Sparrows Italy Asia Austria 234

10,000 Birds

MAY 27, 2024

Given how far Hokkaido is from Europe, it seems a bit surprising how many bird species wintering on this Japanese island have a name starting with “Eurasian” Or how many of these species I have also seen in my parents’ garden in Germany. Like the Eurasian Nuthatch. People tend to eat more food when in company.

Research 130

Research Germany Iran Humane 130

10,000 Birds

APRIL 2, 2017

In Germany for example, they are breeding in practically every hilly or mountainous region south of the North German Plain and are not really rare if they occur in a certain region. However, dippers here in Germany aren’t too fussy about their habitats and will readily utilize human-made secondary rapids and rocks.

Germany 100

Germany 2016 Hamburgers Austria 100

10,000 Birds

MARCH 15, 2015

I still know my audience - this is primarily a blog read by birders in North America, who see the term “squirrel” as little more than a synonym for house sparrow, starling, pest and cholera. Germany, like most of Europe and very much unlike North America, is home to only one species of squirrel.

Squirrels 162

Squirrels North America Germany Europe 162

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 10, 2022

For some reason that I do not quite understand myself – given that I really rather dislike children and am not too positive about the rest of humanity either – I recently put up a little display of bird photos inside my Shanghai compound, which I share (as the only foreigner) with about 1700 Chinese.

Birds 162

Birds Fish Germany China 162

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 14, 2023

Now, there are a few obvious uses of bird names that I really needn’t cover, like our ambivalence towards the house sparrow. Its nickname “Spatz” is one of our most common terms of endearment, yet “Dreckspatz” translates to dirt sparrow and describes a person with questionable body hygiene.

Germany 203

Germany Birds Hunters Owls 203

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 19, 2011

juvenile Parasitic Jaeger by Larry Jordan Jochen enjoyed a plover : My Best Bird of the Year is a White-tailed Lapwing I “twitched” in Germany in June. On Seymour Island, my group witnessed a very human-like interaction amongst three boobies , one female and two males.

2011 198

2011 Birds South Korea North Dakota 198