Category Archives: Nature

Cottbus Bird Census II

Posted on December 31, 2023 by admin

It’s become an annual tradition for me to try to record (photo or audio) 50 species of birds in and around Cottbus each December. This year’s results (photos of almost everything this time, but including some dirty record shots): 34 … Continue reading →

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Cottbus Bird Census

Posted on December 31, 2022 by admin

I took the monthly ebird challenge (50 photos/recordings) as an opportunity to try to get records of 50 different species in December. Here’s my census of our local area! Passerines Starting with the 29 passerines, the greatest of these are … Continue reading →

Posted in Germany, Nature | 2 Comments

Holey Birds

Posted on April 18, 2022 by admin

This is the season to find your hole, defend your hole, and sit in your hole. Fortunately, our locals are well-provided for. The buildings in our area come with pre-installed jackdaw holes; all that’s necessary is to add the semi-circular … Continue reading →

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Catalogue d’oiseaux

Posted on December 26, 2021 by admin

The ebird bird-listing site has a different challenge each month, and December’s was to make 50 documents — recordings or pictures — of birds. I decided to challenge myself a little more and try for 50 species. We usually see … Continue reading →

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Cottbusian Corvids

Posted on April 23, 2021 by admin

An unexpected pleasure of life in Cottbus is the number of corvids we share the city with. Most characteristic is perhaps the Hooded Crow, which has weirdly divided the European continent with the Carrion Crow roughly along the lines of … Continue reading →

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Proper Winter

Posted on January 9, 2021 by admin

Our first proper winter for several years is upon us. The safest view is from inside: Outside it’s pretty stark: Rooks keep an eye on things: While blackbirds nibble: The larger animals are on the move, looking for food: Or … Continue reading →

Posted in Germany, Nature | 5 Comments

In Praise of the Treecreeper

Posted on December 31, 2020 by admin

One great advantage of the winter months is the disappearance of all those pesky leaves. As a result, treecreepers in particular seem to appear from nowhere. That doesn’t mean they’re necessarily obvious though; while they’re quite common, their resemblance to … Continue reading →

Posted in Germany, Nature, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Zamenis longissimus

Posted on December 26, 2020 by admin

Z is for Zamenis longissimus (“the longest tetchy one”), or Aesculapian snake. The scientific name is rather unfair, as it’s nonvenomous and quite pacific in its habits, and it was encouraged to live in the temples of Aesculapius in ancient … Continue reading →

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Yellowhammer

Posted on December 25, 2020 by admin

Y is for Yellowhammer. Wikipedia provides us with another gem: “The pine bunting and yellowhammer are so closely related that each responds to the other’s song. The male yellowhammer’s song is more attractive to females, and is one reason for … Continue reading →

Posted in Advent, Austria, Nature | Comments Off on Yellowhammer

X-rated

Posted on December 24, 2020 by admin

X is for X-Rated Damselflies.

Posted in Advent, Nature, Slovakia | 3 Comments