Surprise Eurasian Hoopoe, 31.08.2024

Resuming the daily life in Bonn was quite a change from the recent bird-rich summer in the Alps and southern France. Not that I don’t enjoy it, but the standard set of birds like Blue Tits and Eurasian Green Woodpeckers does not compare to that including Iberian Grey Shrikes and Eurasian Hoopoes. My assumption of … Continue reading Surprise Eurasian Hoopoe, 31.08.2024

The Island of Texel, 23. – 27.10.2023

Having visited Texel twice before in autumn (read about my last visit here), I was eager to pay this special island a third visit. The previous visits allowed me only very limited time and thus resulted in a slightly rushed birding experience as getting around the island takes a while (it's bigger than you might … Continue reading The Island of Texel, 23. – 27.10.2023

Helgoland (Part I), 01.09.-17.09.2023

I had dreamt of visiting the North Sea island of Helgoland since my early years as a birder. Last year, I became aware of a bird observatory on the island and a little research soon revealed that they welcome volunteers to assist with ringing, counting, as well as other work around the observatory. This sounded … Continue reading Helgoland (Part I), 01.09.-17.09.2023