A change of scenery this weekend as I swopped, what was to become a wet Wales for hot and, at times blustery, Berlin, as I headed over for the European Athletics Championships. A free day on Friday, plus Saturday afternoon, saw me explore the Tiergarden - the large, semi-wild heavily wooded park in the center of Berlin, famous, at least in birding terms, for it's population of Goshawks, with around 4 pairs nesting annually, making it one of the easiest places to see the species, not that their are that uncommon around here.
I ended with 4 sightings, only one of which was a fly through, the others being more studies of perched birds. All four were juv's, the first was particularly great views as it was young female, perched about 3m up, quite exposed, giving great, and prolonged, views.
Other sightings of note, were some great views of Middle-spotted Woodpeckers (at least 5 seen over Fri and Sat), and Short-toed Treecreepers. There were numerous family parties of Spotted Flycatchers - many feeding on berries, as was two juv Pied Fly's.
I managed a couple of sightings of the white-headed caudatus race of Long-tailed Tit.
Blackcaps aside, warblers were notable by their absence, with chiffy's heard only twice.
With numerous ponds and lakes, I expected dragons and damsels in good number, but I totaled about a dozen Blue-tailed Damselflies, a single common Darter and a couple of Southern Hawkers. Likewise, butterflies were also somewhat scarcer than I expected with only Small and Green-veined Whites being common and a couple of Red Admirals and Speckled Woods the only other species noted.
I did, however pick up one tick, in the shape of Striped Field Mouse Apodemus agrarius, with several seen well in a small damper area.
I ended with 4 sightings, only one of which was a fly through, the others being more studies of perched birds. All four were juv's, the first was particularly great views as it was young female, perched about 3m up, quite exposed, giving great, and prolonged, views.
Other sightings of note, were some great views of Middle-spotted Woodpeckers (at least 5 seen over Fri and Sat), and Short-toed Treecreepers. There were numerous family parties of Spotted Flycatchers - many feeding on berries, as was two juv Pied Fly's.
I managed a couple of sightings of the white-headed caudatus race of Long-tailed Tit.
Blackcaps aside, warblers were notable by their absence, with chiffy's heard only twice.
With numerous ponds and lakes, I expected dragons and damsels in good number, but I totaled about a dozen Blue-tailed Damselflies, a single common Darter and a couple of Southern Hawkers. Likewise, butterflies were also somewhat scarcer than I expected with only Small and Green-veined Whites being common and a couple of Red Admirals and Speckled Woods the only other species noted.
I did, however pick up one tick, in the shape of Striped Field Mouse Apodemus agrarius, with several seen well in a small damper area.
Sound like you had a great time martin and some nice stuff mate.
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