I didn’t think I had any chance of beating the 80 species I saw last year in Brandenburg, but a few surprises got me up to 85 this time round. I’ve simplified my post somewhat this year, including all birds perceived, whether or not photographed or recorded, leaving out murky record shots, and following the ebird taxonomy (headings are my own).
Geese
Greylag Goose
Anser anser
Greater White-fronted Goose
Anser albifrons
Tundra Bean Goose
Anser serrirostris
Swans
Mute Swan
Cygnus olor
Bewick’s Swan
Cygnus columbianus
Whooper Swan
Cygnus cygnus
The Bewick’s were the surprise here, a (presumed) family of two adults and five young displaying themselves nicely at Wiesenteich:
Ducks
Mandarin Duck
Aix galericulata
Gadwall
Mareca strepera
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchos
Eurasian/Green-winged Teal
Anas crecca
Red-crested Pochard
Netta rufina
Common Pochard
Aythya ferina
Tufted Duck
Aythya fuligula
Greater Scaup
Aythya marila
Common Goldeneye
Bucephala clangula
Goosander
Mergus merganser
No big surprises now that we know there are fairly often Scaup on the Ostsee, apart from the Teal we encountered on a group excursion.
Incidental taxonomical surprise: Tufted Duck and Pochard are both Aythya, while Red-crested Pochard is a different genus.
Pigeons
Rock Dove
Columba livia
Common Woodpigeon
Columba palumbus
Collared Dove
Streptopelia decaocto
Gruiformes
Water Rail
Rallus aquaticus
Eurasian Coot
Fulica atra
Common Crane
Grus grus
Again, we now know where Water Rail can usually be heard, if never seen.
Waders
Green Sandpiper
Tringa ochropus
A nice surprise on the group excursion!
Gulls
Black-headed Gull
Chroicocephalus ridibundus
Common Gull
Larus canus
Caspian Gull
Larus cachinnans
European Herring Gull
Larus argentatus
The Common Gull was a nice surprise here, and good ID practice:
Grebes
Little Grebe
Tachybaptus ruficollis
Slavonian Grebe
Podiceps auritus
Red-necked Grebe
Podiceps grisegena
Great Crested Grebe
Podiceps cristatus
Slavonian and Red-necked Grebes were the standouts here, and among the nice things we’ve discovered on the Ostsee.
Big water birds
Great Cormorant
Phalacrocorax carbo
Great White Egret
Ardea alba
Grey Heron
Ardea cinerea
Hawks and Eagles
Eurasian Sparrowhawk
Accipiter nisus
Hen Harrier
Circus cyaneus
Red Kite
Milvus milvus
White-tailed Eagle
Haliaeetus albicilla
Common Buzzard
Buteo buteo
We observed three hen harriers this month, probably a record; the highlight was this somewhat distant male:
This male sparrowhawk posed nicely:
Kingfisher
Common Kingfisher
Alcedo atthis
Woodpeckers
Middle Spotted Woodpecker
Dendrocoptes medius
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Dendrocopos major
Eurasian Green Woodpecker
Picus viridis
Black Woodpecker
Dryocopus martius
Pausing to note the chaos that is this set of genera.
Falcons
Common Kestrel
Falco tinnunculus
Peregrine Falcon
Falco peregrinus
The regular pair of Peregrines were sitting beside their nest again, very helpfully, while the most helpful Kestrel was round the corner from home:
Shrikes
Great Grey Shrike
Lanius excubitor
Another nice surprise!
Corvids
Eurasian Jay
Garrulus glandarius
Common Magpie
Pica pica
Eurasian Jackdaw
Coloeus monedula
Rook
Corvus frugilegus
Carrion Crow
Corvus corone
Hooded Crow
Corvus cornix
Common Raven
Corvus corax
The Rooks are regular winter visitors in town, while one Carrion Crow has been living in the neighbourhood all year:
Tits
Coal Tit
Periparus ater
Crested Tit
Lophophanes cristatus
Marsh Tit
Poecile palustris
Willow Tit
Poecile montanus
Eurasian Blue Tit
Cyanistes caeruleus
Great Tit
Parus major
Long-tailed Tit
Aegithalos caudatus
No real surprises here, now we know where Coal and Willow Tits are likely.
Crests
Goldcrest
Regulus regulus
Birds that walk in trees
Eurasian Nuthatch
Sitta europaea
Eurasian Treecreeper
Certhia familiaris
Short-toed Treecreeper
Certhia brachydactyla
Miscellaneous small passerines
Eurasian Wren
Troglodytes troglodytes
Common Starling
Sturnus vulgaris
Thrushes
Mistle Thrush
Turdus viscivorus
Eurasian Blackbird
Turdus merula
Fieldfare
Turdus pilaris
Just one Fieldfare seen this month, and the Mistle Thrush only turned up in the last few days:
Flycatchers
European Robin
Erithacus rubecula
Sparrows
House Sparrow
Passer domesticus
Eurasian Tree Sparrow
Passer montanus
Not many Tree Sparrows in our area right now, but the House Sparrows have been thriving:
Wagtails
Grey Wagtail
Motacilla cinerea
Pied Wagtail/White Wagtail
Motacilla alba
Two lovely surprises!
Finches
Common Chaffinch
Fringilla coelebs
Brambling
Fringilla montifringilla
Hawfinch
Coccothraustes coccothraustes
Eurasian Bullfinch
Pyrrhula pyrrhula
European Greenfinch
Chloris chloris
Common Linnet
Linaria cannabina
European Goldfinch
Carduelis carduelis
Eurasian Siskin
Spinus spinus
The Bramblings and Bullfinches are two of our most anticipated winter visitors; Linnets are far less predictable, but I met several flocks:
Buntings
Corn Bunting
Emberiza calandra
Common Reed Bunting
Emberiza schoeniclus
The missing
No yellowhammers, stock doves, or lesser spotted woodpeckers this time — LSW are unpredictable, but I expected the first two at least. I saw the Great Northern Diver in November this year, but not this month, and some other divers have been around that I missed completely.
So if I count again next year, I can still do a bit better, though I might change to a month with more favourable lighting conditions….
