Springtime in Germany
10-21
May 2006
Narrated by
Henry Detwiler
My parents and I spent about a week and a half in Germany, visiting
friends and relatives, and seeing some of the beautiful sights.
108
species -- bird list is at the bottom of the page
Click on
thumbnail pictures for full-sized photos.
Days 1-3: Bad Kreuznach
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Bad Kreuznach |
We arrived in Frankfurt on the morning of May 10th, after a
night-flight from the states. We were upgraded to a nice
Audi Quattro station wagon, and then drove off to Bad Kreuznach to
visit my mother's life-long friend. We spent a few days in
this lovely ancient city on the River Nahe, touring the Roman
museum & ruins, window shopping, dining, and visiting with Helga.
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I took a couple of early-morning walks along the river, and Helga
took us for a nice walk along the Kurpark promenade. At one point
a Sparrowhawk made a beeline up the river--it was my first "lifer"
for the trip. Other common birds during these first were Great
& Blue Tits, numerous Chaffinches, this flashy Goldfinch, Blackcaps,
and a few Robins.
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Goldfinch, Bad Kreuznach
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Robin, Bad Kreuznach
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One nice thing about visiting Germany in May is that, like in the states,
most of the birds are singing. While on the grounds of the Roman
ruins, I heard my first Nightingale, and found that it was much easier to
find and see them if they're calling first! In one of the gardens
for a long-deceased prince was a beautiful little pond with many of these
elegant red damselflies.
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Damselfly, Bad Kreuznach |
Days 4-12: Kaufungen
On Friday we headed north to Kaufungen, my
mother's birthplace and home for many years. Lots of traffic on the
autobahn in some areas, but it gave me a chance to spot a Peregrine Falcon
along the Fulda River. It was great to see my godparents and my cousins
again after 14 years--and Klaus and Ulrich both had new kids for me to get
to know. |
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Blackbird
It was raining when we got
there, and it stayed pretty damp most of the week--this blackbird
was on the chimney just outside of my balcony--singing in the
rain. |
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Eurasian Coot, Kaufungen
A couple of early mornings I went out to
a local nature preserve, Steinert See, with my cousin Christa.
It was exciting to watch this Great Crested Grebe chase the fish about 20
feet under water, and then surface with its prize.
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Great Crested Grebe,
Kaufungen |
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Magpie
In the courtyard of the 11th century Stiftskirche (church) and convent, a couple of Magpies were hopping
around and chasing each other. 50 years ago my parents were
married in this church!
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The "Eye", Stiftskirche
Garden
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Stiftskirche, Kaufungen
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Magpie, Kaufungen
In one corner of the
churchyard was a rock carved with an all-seeing eye. Think of
the stories it could tell of the sights that it's seen!
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Over the course of the week we visited lots of friends and relatives, and
saw lots of the town and surrounding area. Black Redstarts were in a
number of urban areas, catching flies and other insects.
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White Wagtails, Kaufungen |
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Black Redstart, Kaufungen
Other common city birds were Barn Swallows, House Martins, and White
Wagtails. Along one of the streams in Helsa, I caught a
glimpse of a White-throated Dipper flying out of sight. |
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Blackcap, Kaufungen |
In the hedgerows and countryside, Yellowhammers,
Blackcaps, and more tits were quite common. Close to the
Steinert See we found Sand Martins (Bank Swallows) in a quarry,
and Great Spotted Woodpeckers in a small woods. In the
forests surrounding Kaufungen lived other birds, including
Firecrest, Goldcrest, and Mistle Thrush. The best bird here
in Kaufungen for me was the
Long-tailed Tit, which I'd never seen before.
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Both Ulrich and Christa have gardens just outside the city
limits. These pretty plots of land each has a cabin on it,
along with various fruit trees. Here we heard Common Cuckoos
calling, and looked at the beautiful flowers and the bugs with the
young cousins. |
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Kellner Garden, Kaufungen |
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