Jochen’s 2013 year list

“I am not a number, I’m a free man!”

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How was 2012?

Pretty amazing, thank you! Last year was the first time since 1991 that I visited an entirely new bio-geographic region: South-east Asia. I was also fortunate to spend some time in eastern Kazakhstan, around Almaty and near the Altai mountains. And I also managed to bird around Germany extensively, visiting all but one of the nation’s 16 Bundesländer (states, provinces, whatever), and I ended the year in southern France, watching scores of Greater Flamingos. I finished the year with at least 553 species, a number I haven’t reached since probably the early 1990s. Last year also marks the first time ever that I kept a year list, and I had defined some goals for the year. Did I reach them? Well, let’s see …

What are my goals for 2012?

• See more species than Corey
• See more than 500 species
• Increase my life list to over 1,500 species

 And this is how I did:

• Final year total Corey: 525+     Final year total Jochen: 553+     CHECK
•  553 is more than 500, so that’s also a CHECK
•  I started into 2012 with 1,300+ species and saw 210+ lifers, so yepp, also CHECK

I clearly won’t be sad, coz three out of three ain’t bad!
However, I should not fail to mention that last year was also filled with a significant amount of frustration. Many business trips were cancelled, e.g. 3 other trips to different regions of Kazakhstan, and a trip to Gabon. Wanting to still beat Corey after having been such a big-mouthed bugger, I had to increase my birding in Germany very significantly, and this put a lot of pressure onto my few birding / business trips. “Pressure” translates to pure frustration when you end up failing over and over again during your chases because the weather fails to cooperate, as was the norm in 2012. My dipping rate increased to somewhere between 80 and 90% during the last third of 2012, and I was only able to add a handful of new species to my list between the end of August and the end of December (the curse was finally lifted in southern France on December 30th). By the end of November, I was so frustrated that I considered taking a (short) break from birding, for the first time ever in my life. It was at this point that I fully realized that serious competitiveness is not something that floats my birding boat, it sinks it.

The big lesson of 2012 therefore is to never ever bird “competitively” again.

What are my goals for 2013?

Well, none really. I don’t have any fixed plans for business trips abroad, and really do not know at all what will come my way in 2013. I might re-visit Indonesia, and I might make it to Kazakhstan again, possibly to Poland, and somewhere in Africa is always a very remote possibility – unlikely but who knows? What I know for sure is that I will be birding in many regions of Germany, and I already have a few Mediterranean species on the list from my visit to southern France in the first days of January. Therefore, I’ll loosely define the following goals:

• See more than 350 species (aim for 10,000+ if reasonably possible) CHECK! 14 Jun: Hoopoe!
• See at least one lifer CHECK! 14 Jan: Lesser White-fronted Goose – that was quick!
• Chase less and bird more relaxed than I did in 2012 No chasing after August, very few dips during the year, CHECK!
• Beat Corey if reasonably possible and if not in violation of my third goal  553 to 511, CHECK!

The goal of 350 species and at least one lifer is very ambitious (unrealistic?) should I not leave Germany anymore this year. If trips to other destinations materialize, I might adapt my goal accordingly. Or I might not.
Whether I will really try and beat Corey again (mwahahahahaaaa) entirely depends on how my travel plans (and his) develop. Should I not be able to leave Germany, there will be no way whatsoever I could beat him, even if he doesn’t leave NY. However, he did tempt me (by email), and I am tempted to give in to the temptation…

My Birding Year 2013

January

Jan 1 – 5:  The last days of the family vacation in and around the Camargue in southern France made for a very good start into the year. Highlights included  Black-throated Diver, Slender-billed Gull, Greater Spotted Eagle, Northern Gannet, Rock Sparrow, Cattle Egret, Cetti’s Warbler, and of course Greater Flamingo.
Jan 7:  First day at work. I was amazed beyond my wits when I spotted a Grey-headed Woodpecker outside my office window as the second woodpecker species of the year, even before my first Great Spotted Woodpecker.
Jan 8: A one-day business trip to Dinslaken/Germany produced some very nice species, e.g. Greater White-fronted Goose, but most of all a surprise self-found Long-tailed Duck (at this time, only 5 other birds were recorded nation-wide away from Germany’s immediate coasts) and a flock of Bohemian Waxwings next to the highway.
Jan 14 – 15: A two-day business trip to Hannover and the lower Rhine valley brought me some excellent additions to the year list, amongst them two successful chases: my LIFE Lesser White-fronted Goose and a Ring-billed Gull, an exceptionally rare vagrant to Germany (less than 5 records, I presume)! Outstandingly great birding!
Jan 17: A nice day “office birding”. The return of winter, well the start of it to be honest, has apparently gotten birds to move again, and I was able to see – amongst others – Mistle Thrush, Redwing and even a Bohemian Waxwing from my office window.
Jan 21: An outstanding day in the vineyard just outside my office. A sudden influx of winter (I had nearly forgotten it was that season) brought in a group of at least 3 Bohemian Waxwings. After spotting them from my office, I grabbed my camera to go and get some pictures. This endeavor was not met with success, but in trying I found some “trumpeting” Bullfinches – the nominate subspecies that is regular but rare in Germany – and most amazing of all, two Twite, or is it Twites? A very, very exceptional inland record!
Jan 22: A business trip to Stuttgart offered a chance to – succesfully – chase an Arctic Diver on the river Neckar in the middle of the city! A nearby park had some additional birds in store for me, with some nice but expected additions to the year list, e.g. Common Treecreeper and Stock Dove.
Jan 26: Some nice birds at Mannheim’s Luisenpark (White Storks) and around my house (Fieldfares, Bullfinches, Crested Tits, etc.) while checking out the winter aspect of the playgrounds with my son. I also re-found the hybrid Carrion- x Hooded Crow that’s been around my neighbourhood since at least 2010/11.
Jan 27: I hate Mistlethrushes. With a passion. At least for a while, then I’ll love them again. Anyway, here’s why: today, I spotted a flock of around 50 Bohemian Waxwings 300 m away uphill from my office. I grabbed my camera, rushed up the hill, and approached them slowly, carefully, and successfully. Brilliant sunshine, sun in my back, blue sky, colourful berries, amazing Waxwings. And just when I was about to start taking what were surely going to become the best pictures ever taken of the species, a blinkin’ Mistlethrush darted into the bush for no good reason whatsoever, and spooked the Waxwings away, out of sight and out of reach. Aaaaaargh!! Of course I wanted to at least get an amazing picture of the Mistlethrush instead, which was perched very beautifully and closely in the bush, but just as I had focussed, the thrush flew off, giving away nothing but a picture of half a Mistelthrush in flight. May the sparrowhawks get it!

Northern “trumpeting” Bullfinches near Heidelberg 

February

Feb 3: Half a day at the zoo in Heidelberg with my son and looking out of my living room window for the remainder of the day produced a surprising amount of interesting birds, with additions to the year list in the form of Serin, Caspian Gull and a dubious Mandarin Duck. The zoo keeps many of them on a pond, but one male was flying around, wings not clipped and legs not banded/ringed, and there is a feral population just 20 kms away. Hmmmm… well, I haven’t added it to the year list.
Feb 4: Unbelievable, what is up with the vineyard outside my office window? First the Twites a few days ago, then unseasonal Cranes, frequent Waxwings, and now a Roughleg! This species is so rare here I need to report it to the records committee of Baden-Württemberg. Geez! Maybe I’ll get Germany’s first ever Harris’s Sparrow soon?
Feb 8-10: A little castling routine in my home has kept me busy over the weekend – the sleeping room is now a study, my son’s former room the new sleeping room and the former study has turned into my son’s new room. Occasional longing glances through the windows of those rooms onto the outside world have been successful (the birds know when they are needed the most), with a first-of-year Long-eared Owl and a Redwing in a small group of Fieldfares.
Feb 19-21: Geez, long time no birding. A long business trip up North netted me some nice additional species. I first went to the Silbersee (silver lake) for waterfowl, but sadly was prevented from locating the hoped-for Greater Scaups by heavy snow fall and the limited visibility that brings. A quick glance over a small lake near Zeppelinheim did produce the Velvet Scoter that had been present for some time, but I failed again at another location near Wetzlar for Greater Scaups. The 20th was spent near Langhagen, where White-tailed Eagles and a flock of Twite were the highlights. Driving back, I visited the Elbe valley near Dannenberg for geese. Again due to the thick snow fall, I was not able to locate any of the tree “special” geese that had been reported from there just days before (Pink-footed, Taiga Bean, and Red-breasted), but I had a good time nonetheless.
Feb 23-24: Nice weekend birding around my garden, with a large flock of Fieldfares and my first-of-the-year Lesser Redpoll, quite a (very) good bird to see around here.
Feb 25: A completely uneventful day trip to Hannover – there and back again – but my first large flock of around 75 Skylarks for the year was nice.
Feb 26: The biggest invasion of Bohemian Waxwings to southern Germany I’ve ever witnessed led to me seeing a flock in my backyard before breakfast and another one while driving my wife to work. The fact that they are so common this year that this isn’t all that cool makes it that cool. In the afternoon, I finally managed to go see the Eagle Owl that’s breeding 500 m away from my office.
Feb 28: I end the month with a rather nice day of “office birding” that produced what I think may be a record 29 species seen or heard from my office window, including my first Black Woodpecker of the year (4 species of woodpecker today). Bring it on, March!

Bohemian Waxwing

March

Well, it is now April 2nd, and I haven’t added a single entry to my year’s diary in March. The few people who read this (any?) may find this surprising, or they may even think I was so busy birding the living daylights out of Germany that I had found no time to do anything online.
Nope.
As a matter of fact, this March 2013 was the most BORING month bird-wise I have ever experienced, in 30+ years of birding! Incredible. After the darkest January and February since sunlight hours were recorded, we slipped into the coldest March since 1880. I kid you not. My son searched for Easter goodies in my backyard while it was snowing!
During all of March, our winter birds remained and essentially no migrants whatsoever blessed us with a hint at spring migration. As you can see by the graph below, I only managed a handful of new species during the entire month.
Rolling with the punshes, I spent my month wisely and did not go on any significant business/birding trips. Instead, I sat at my desk in the office and wrote enough reports to keep the customers happy until next year. April is bound to be better though – heck, those migrants have to arrive some time, right?

 My “office” Common Buzzard, shortly after raiding the nest of my “office” Magpies

April

Apr 1: A family outing to the Schlosspark (castle park) of Schwetzingen finally produces my first Barn Swallows of the year, at a time when I’d normally be hoping for an early Common Swift that I can string into a Pallid. Good woodpecker activity there, as always, with Grey-headed, Green, Greater and Middle Spotted as well as the tail feather of a Black.
Apr 2: The birds are helping. Checking 10,000 Birds today at the office (oooops, I never, ever do that), I noticed that I was 1 behind Corey in our year list competition. A migrant Hobby and a fly-by Wryneck, both very remarkable for my office list, took care of the situation, pushing me back to the lead.
Apr 3: Leaving for a 10-day business trip to Java / Indonesia! Yyyyeeees!
Apr 4: A short stop-over in Singapore netted me some nice birds, most notably my life House Crow and huge flocks of Javan Myna.
Apr 5 – 12: Surveying a diverse site near Cirebon, with small wetlands, forested hills, rice fields, banana plantations, etc. produced more than 70 species. Amazing stuff, but physically very demanding in the tropical heat and humidity. Avian highlights were good numbers of migrating raptors (Oriental Honey Buzzards, Japanese and Chinese Sparrowhawk), my first Gallus-member, the Green Junglefowl, Ruddy Cuckoo-Dove, Savanna Nightjars, four species of Kingfisher, four species of sunbirds and the amazing Java Sparrow!
Apr 13: A day in Jakarta allowed me to visit the mangrove reserve of Muara Angke and the coast next to it, which was just amazing. I guess my next blog post on 10,000 Birds is going to cover that day.
Apr 14: Arrived back in Germany during the early afternoon. While i was away, the weather had been cold and miserable, and there was scarcely a difference in vegetation development to when I had left. What a sad, sad spring it is!
Apr 17: Oh, the migrants are here! Those 10 days away in Indonesia really helped. Two new species for the year just walking from the parking lot to my office.
Apr 19: A brilliant day at Waghäusel, with more than 75 species and around 18 new ones for the year. The best rarity was a self-found British Yellow Wagtail, which is a very scarce migrant / yearly vagrant, but most impressive were the Purple Herons that have decided to breed out in the open, next to the trail this year!
Apr 25: First day of a three-day business trip up North, first checking Waghäusel again to photograph the Purple Herons, then on to Neupotz, where I got a few expected firsts (e.g. Greenshank, Wheatear). In the afternoon, it was off to Wetzlar for another quick survey, which resulted in an astounding flock of over 200 Linnets, very unusual this late in the year. A night drive North to Hannover.
Apr 26: Afte finishing my work assignments in Hannover around 12:30, I drove to lake Dümmer where i had an excellent afternoon watching Black-tailed Godwits, a Temminck’s Stint and most significant of all, a self-found vagrant Ashy-headed Wagtail. I arrived at the former poo ponds of Münster late – around 18:00 – but there was still enough light to check some ponds for shorebirds, with my first-of-year Oystercatchers, nice Redshanks, and again Black-tailed godwits. The Icelandic Black-tailed godwit that had been reported in the days before had sadly left already.
Apr 27: A morning’s survey near Ennigerloh in very cold temperatures (4°C!) got me a nice breeding Eurasian Eagle Owl and a small flock of Wheatears. Then it was back home again, a long drive south.
Apr 28: A family visit to the Wilhelma Zoo at Stuttgart, nice to see the feral Yellow-crowned Amazons which should be countable by now (since last year), but German birders are still awaiting the official verdict on the matter.

 Nothing says “Java” quite like the Java Pond Heron 

May

May 1: The start of a 5-day business trip across southern Germany, from Kronau to a site near Stuttgart (where I found partridges away from pear trees but failed to see little owls in apple trees) to the Donaumoos, a very successful day. I successfully twitched a vagrant Pectoral Sandpiper near Günzburg.
May 2: Surveys around Schelklingen, including a visit to the Schmiechener See where I found my second nearctic vagrant, a female Blue-winged Teal. Amazing!
May 3: Business meetings in the morning at Schelklingen, then from the Plessenteich (Osprey!) to the Donaumoos and after nightfall on to Regensburg.
May 4: An all-day survey near Regensburg where I found expected Woodlarks and a very unexpected Western Bonelli’s Warbler!
May 5: Back home to Heidelberg, with a quick visit to the very crowded “island zone” of the Altmühlsee. The latter netted me Penduline Tits.
May 6: A short and relatively uneventful visit to Kronau again, followed by Waghäusel where I inexplicably failed to find the vagrat Black-winged Stilts, but had a good time nonetheless.
May 9: The start of a business trip “up North”, visiting the Belziger Landschaftswiesen (Great Bustards, Ortolan Bunting, Little Owl), the Rietzer See / Streng (River Warbler, Bittern, Red-necked Grebe, Black Tern), and the Havelländisches Luch near Buckow (more Great Bustards, Corn Bunting, Barred Warbler, Montagu’s Harrier). The evening was spent surveying for amphibians near Langhagen, the highlight being my first visual encounter with Fire-bellied Toads!
May 10: Survey at Langhagen, with nice birds (e.g. Eagle Owl) and more Fire-bellied Toads! I spent the evening at the wetland “Große Rosin”, which was just amazing: All three Chlidonias-terns, including my favourite White-winged, Lesser Spotted Eagle, and a calling female Little Crake!
May 11: More surveying near Langhagen, followed by a quick visit to the island Poel. Birding the northern tip near the “bird island” Langenwerder produced the expected by still highly appreciated “special” terns of the area, Arctic and Little Tern. Ringed Plovers were also a nice addition to the year list. Scanning the southern bay allowed me to find a few Brent Geese.
May 12: Departing Langhagen early in the morning to get home not too late in the afternoon (it’s a 500-mile drive!), I quickly stopped at a beech forest next to the road that looked good for Red-breasted Flycatcher. No luck with the fly, but an odd song turned out to come from a Greenish Warbler, a first class rarity to Germany! Not bad for what was essentially a dip.  
May 15: “Office Birding” today allowed me to finally get my Red-footed Falcon for the year. Lucky!
May 16: An unsuccessful early-morning chase after a long-staying Roller near Rottenburg was unsuccessful (but nice nonetheless, with e.g. Montagu’s Harrier), and I made it just in time (with 2 minutes left) to the business meeting at Schelklingen! Yeah, that was a bit lucky…
May 17 – 20: A short family vacation at a “kid’s farm” (Weberhof) an hour’s drive away from Heidelberg was great fun, but of course the birding was limited to the common garden birds. There were surprisingly many kites though (both Black and Red).
May 26: A visit to the natural history section of Frankfurt’s Senkenberg Museum was amazing, and it netted me more than 500 new species for the year, including Passenger Pigeon and Great Auk. Oh wait, stuffed birds don’t count you say? Well, too bad!
May 27: The start of a long, long business trip all across Germany and into Poland. The birds at Kronau and Neupotz were nice but not out of the ordinary, with the exception of a Purple Heron at the latter site. The known bee-eater colony near Maisbach held two birds, which were breathtaking no matter how expected they may be at a known breeding site. Things started to really heat up though at Waghäusel where I successfully twitched a Spoonbill and – revenge – the Black-winged Stilts, and where I also heard a Spotted Crake. Not bad even for Waghäusel. Not bad at all!
May 28: An all-day survey at Warstein produced Eagle Owls, Wheatear and a surprise pair of Great Grey Shrikes.
May 29: Checking a promising small river running through the town of Warstein resulted in great views of a Dipper, the best I’ve had since Kiefersfelden. This was followed by a long, long drive East towards Poland. The weather was a catastrophy (can you spell r-a-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-n?) but luckily turned okayish when I arrived at one of my stop-over birding sites, the water reservoir near Kelbra. Good birds, good birds indeed. I may have missed the Red-throated Diver that had been reported there just days before my visit, but this was compensated by nearly 300 Black-necked Grebes, a calling Bittern, a Barred Warbler, and a large flock of raptors, comprising 28 Black Kites, 6 Red Kites, and 4 Common Buzzards. The day had more good birds in store for me however, and a visit to the Geiseltal lake near Braunsbedra was nothing short of spectacular! Amazing looks at Bee-eaters, a killer Wryneck, Dunlins, Redshanks, a Greenshank and most amazing of all: one of the very few inland Red-necked Phalarope of Germany this spring, self-found! What a day!!
May 30: An early morning visit to the Berzdorfer See was great, with Bluethroat, a fly-by Tawny Pipit (yes!!), my first good looks at a Barred Warbler since – I don’t know, maybe the early 2000s, and 5 Arctic Divers. Then it was on to Poland, where I started a survey at a site south of Bunzlau. Rain, rain, rain.
May 31: Survey near Bunzlau, with nothing special to report except for more rain, rain, rain and a Scarlet Rosefinch singing twice. No views, just two short song phrases, and thus not satisfactory but okay. Realizing the rain would not allow me to get any results beyond the data I had already gathered, I left Poland for Schelklingen/Germany. En route, the rain got severe. And I mean really severe. So severe in fact that there were large-scale floodings across southern Germany, the Czech Republic and Austria, with people dying, roads collapsing and dams breaking. In some areas, the floods were the worst in a hundred years! I therefore decided – quite despaired – to give up Schelklingen and drive home to Heidelberg. Arriving there around 11 p.m. I checked the weather forecast. The rains were expected to continue the next day (Saturday) but Sunday was expected to be much better. The plan was made to await the weather forecast and flood reports the next day and then decide to drive to Schelklingen or not…

There is more to Waghäusel than Stilts and Purple Herons! Black-necked Grebes, for example.

June

Jun 1: After closely following the flood situation, I decided to give Schelklingen a try and departed Heidelberg around noon. It was clear that the weather would only permit to survey the next day, so I took my time driving there and chose the small detour through the northern Black Forest. This little “standard tour” to some localized breeding birds was difficult due to rain and fog, but very successful: Alpine Swifts in Achern (check), Ring Ouzel at Ruhestein (check), Citril Finch at Schliffkopf (check), and this year’s addition to the tour: a vagrant Iberian Chiffchaff near Kniebis (check!). A visit to the lakes near Wernau produced countable but unsatisfying looks at a Little Bittern (check). Getting five out of five target species sure made this a sweet day, in spite of the weather.
Jun 2: A day’s surveying around Schelklingen was good due to decent weather but uneventful. On my return drive home, I tried to get better views of the breeding Little Bitterns at Wernau but failed. Still, a nice day. And what a birding month (+ 2 days)!
Jun 10: Off again on a week-long business trip to the north of Germany after an uneventful week back home. After a quick visit to Wetzlar, I was off to the far North-east of Germany, arriving at the meadows of Johanneshof around 10 p.m. A night walk through the wetland produced my life Baillon’s Crake, which is quite a find in Germany, but not completely unexpected there.
Jun 11: An extremely productive early morning birding the Johanneshofer meadows lead to the observation of the known Pacific Golden Plover, a much longed-for lifer, three Spoonbills and many other fine birds. Around noon, a quick walk through the Elisenhain near Greifswald did not produce the hoped-for Red-breasted Flys, and a visit to the sand bars near Wampen did not allow me to see Avocets, but a fly-by Osprey was nice and unexpected. Around noon, I was off to my survey site near Langhagen.
Jun 12: The survey site at Langhagen is just a marvellous place, and I encountered Cranes, White-tailed Eagles, beautiful Ospreys again, Barred Warblers, Whin- and Stonechats, Wheat-ears and even an amazing Black Stork. Good times, indeed – and getting paid for it! A quick stop-over at a forest south of Neukalen finally netted me Red-breasted Flycatchers, but the night cruise of the wetlands near Beestland, Zarnekow-Upost and the Große Rosin was great but uneventful concerning the year list, with only Water Rails and plenty of Savi’s Warblers (plus a quail) calling. A roadside stop around midnight allowed me to listen to a River Warbler, but sadly not a Corncrake.
Jun 13: A long drive from Germany’s north-east to Germany’s north-west, stopping at the Greater Rhea site near Lübeck (check), the Gull-billed Tern site near Freiburg/Elbe (check) and the former poo ponds of Münster for a Ferruginous Duck (check).
Jun 14: A survey near Ennigerloh yielded the expected Eagle Owl but not much else. A quick stop near Rüdesheim en route home brought Cirl and Rock Buntings and Melodious Warblers, while a short walk near Sandhausen (close to Heidelberg) got me the great Hoopoe.
Jun 20: A cold front from the west put an end to an unseasonal heat wave of 38°C that had lasted for nearly a week. The cold front hit in the evening around 21:30, and it was quite an event, with massive downdrafts of more than 100 km/h. It was an awe-inspiring experience to watch the dark wall of clouds approach, rendered even more memorable by the discovery of 7 Griffon Vultures that had been caught up in the storm and had no choice but to battle against the wind and stay airborne well into the night. This is an amazing vagrant to Germany, even during an influx (as was the case during the time of the observation), but finding Griffons at night during a thunderstorm is possibly the weirdest birding experience of my life!
Jun 28: I had spent the previous days scanning the skies even more thoroughly than I usually do because of several reports of Pacific Swifts and even one White-throated Needletail (that would end up as rotor fudder of a nearby wind turbine), but had little expectations of anything special. Until I noticed a black dot on the sky approaching my office from the east. It was a very large bird. A huge bird, with a peculiar tail. It came towards me, I grabbed my camera in a delirious state of disbelief, shot off around 15 pictures as the bird passed overhead, high up against a grey sky, downloaded the pics immediately to look at them again, over and over again. I finally had to accept it as being real and true: what had just passed over my office was no less a bird than the magnificent bird of birds, emperor of the avian kingdom, a BEARDED VULTURE.

The BEARDED VULTURE over my office in Leimen on 28 June

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July

 Jul 01 – 11: Quiet days in and around Heidelberg, with no business trips or family days bringing in significant birds. After successfully seeing the Hoopoe on June 14 I had seen almost all possible regular species of my area with no potential additions to the year list, making this quiet phase a bit boring but not bad in a competitive sense.  
Jul 12: Leaving for Burglengenfeld in Bavaria late in the evening, I quickly visit the Viernheimer Heide north of Mannheim to add Eurasian Nightjars to the year list. In spite of good weather conditions, the forest is very quiet and it takes me more than an hour until I finally hear a short flight call. As far from satisfying as an observation can get, but perfectly countable. Due to the difficulties of getting the Nightjars it has gotten very late and I decide not to  visit an area for Corncrake near Nürnberg, which means this species will likely evade me this year…
Jul 13: A morning’s survey at Burlengenfeld, followed by guiding a nature tour, produces a few nice birds, amongst them Woodlarks, Honey Buzzard, Little Grebe and Teal.
Jul 14 – 31: Again, a very quiet phase at the office and at home, with no trips whatsoever. Heidelberg is experiencing a rather severe drought and heat wave, making the little bit of birding I get done locally not so pleasant. However, this is not so bad regarding the year list as I have now really seen all possible birds here and have to wait for wader/shorebird migration and winter anyway. August is bound to get better though, as I have a búsiness trip to the Baltic coast scheduled around the middle of the month and a family vacation to the Bretagne for the last week of August and the first week of September.

Little birding means few bird pictures, and this Common Sandpiper at Burglengenfeld is just about the only bird I took pictures of in July 2013 
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August

Aug 04: A family trip to the castle parks of Ludwigsburg was quite nice, providing good looks of common garden birds and countable Mandarin Ducks, the first addition to the year list since 12 July.
Aug 05: Finally on the road again to the north-west of Germany. A short stop in Dietzenbach near Frankfurt is quite uneventful, but a Red-backed Shrike and close-up Linnets & Goldfinches are appreciated. After a looooong drive, I arrive at Senden city centre, where a Pied Wagtail had been spotted a week or so before. No Pied Wagtail, but a surprisingly rich assembly of common garden birds made for an enjoyable stop. Another drive, this time short, and I scan the “E1” pond of the former poo ponds of Münster for waders/shorebirds. Sadly the water level is too high for any Calidris (which I am badly in need for), but quite a number of Tringa sandpipers and a Spoonbill, rather rare here, are very nice. I then make a quick dash into dusk to look for a Ferruginous Duck, but fail as the light fails me.
Aug 06: A rather uneventful morning searching a few buildings that need to be demolished for bats & birds in Ennigerloh, then off again back south to where the home is. The late afternoon brings the first substantial rain since the beginning of July. Finally releaved!
Aug 07: A rather diverse day at the office again, although no major rarities or specials show up. It had been raining heavily over night, and it is surprising what that has done: my daily office list is around 30 again, after struggling to even approach 20 during the last 2 weeks.
Aug 16: A long drive North towards Stralsund, as a combined business / private trip (birthday at the in-laws). I decide to visit the Johanneshofer Wiesen near Anklam and spend the night there. What should have taken 7 hours (allowing for 3 hours of birding before nightfall) turned out to be a 9 hour trip, cutting the birding time to about an hour. Still, the meadows are amazing and I have one of the best shorebird moments ever, with Broad-billed Sandpipers, a Red-necked Phalarope and an astounding Kentish Plover. As night falls, I listen for the calls of migrating birds, and am very successful in doing so, with a Dotterel, a Spotted Crake and a Corn Crake. I score around 10 new species for the year!
Aug 17: The morning is surprisingly much more quiet, with many shorebirds feeding too far away on the western edge of the meadow to do anything. However, I still manage to pick out my Sanderling for the year and an astoungind group of 3 Marsh Sandpipers. After spending the day on the island of Rügen with the family (not much birding there), I take off towards my survey site (the business part of the trip) near Langhagen, but not before a quick stop at the meadows of Karrendorf. Again, the shorebirds are amazing, and I find 22 species, including a group of 7 Broad-billed Sandpipers, 4 Red-necked Pharalopes, and my first-of-the-year Bar-tailed Godwits and Avocets. I depart Karrendorf after dark, failing again to spot a Short-eared Owl, and spend the night in the car on a parking area along the Autobahn. The two sites Johanneshofer Wiesen and Karrendorf produced a total of 29 shorebird species, which means I am “through” with this group: nothing left that I could realistically see this year in Germany.
Aug 18: The morning’s survey is very nice again, as always in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, but there is nothing unexpected. Just the usual White-tailed Eagles, Osprey, Cranes, Woodlark, and so on… A thunderstorm drives me out of the place back into the car, and off I take around noon. Bad idea. The Autobahn is so cluttered that the entire drive will eventually take me 12 instead of 7 hours! I decide to take a short break from driving by birding the Reckahner ponds next to the Autobahn. Nice shorebird assembly but nothing special (I am spoiled now, right?).
Aug 23: Departure in the late afternoon on a trip to Brittany / Bretagne in France!
Aug 24 to Aug 31: A week in northern Bretagne on the Pink Granite Coast. Great birding, with the highlight being a boat trip to the Sept Isles, the seven islands.

Northern Gannet, one of around 10,000Birds (ha!) seen around the 7 Isles on August 29th. This is a species that cannot be overrated, no matter how hard you try.

September

Sep 1 to Sep 7: A week in Camaret-sur-mer south of Brest / Brittany. Sadly our car had to be repaired and we thus lost 2 days, so the birding was limited compared to the first week. Nevertheless, it was a very good time!
Sep 19: After uneventful days, including one-day trips to Wetzlar and Schelklingen with essentially no birds, a group of several Red-throated Pipits flew over my balcony in the morning. Fine birds for this part of Germany, fine birds.  
Sep 28: Having a cold and snoring louldy had me banned from the sleeping room onto the livingroom’s couch, which resulted in an acoustic encounter with a Barn Owl in the middle of a sleepless, snotty night.
Sep 30: I just realized that the month is nearly over and there has been essentially no birding whatsoever beyond looking out of my livingroom or office windows.

For lack of other bird images during this nearly birding-less month, I’ll have to chose this Herring Gull from an early morning’s seawatch at Cape Penhir near Camaret-sur-mer, Brittany
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October

Oct 06 to Oct 11: A short but amazing business trip to Kazakhstan’s Mangghystau province. The beginning of October is a little bit too late to get some of the better migrants, and many breeding birds have already left. Nevertheless, Chukars, Saker, Golden Eagles, Spanish Sparrows (my first good views since 1995!), Black-bellied Sandgrouse, Brown-necked Ravens (my first since the 1980’s!), Sibe Chiffchaffs and an incredible 9 species of lark, including the province’s first Oriental Skylarks, provided some high octane birding experiences.
Oct 22: After the high-adrenaline first half of 2013, the second half – especially September and October – have turned out te be exceedingly quiet on the birding front. Most of the days were spent at the office writing numerous reports about the breeding season’s survey results. It was therefore a very welcome experience to discover a Glossy Ibis flying past my office window, as part of what might be Germany’s biggest influx of the species ever.
Oct 31: I am scheduled to be in Indonesia again at the beginning of November, hopefully with a little bit of birding from the airport windows in Dubai – let’s hope everything works out!

Nothing says  “Kazakhstan” as convincingly as a Saker

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November

Nov 02: I start off on a business trip to Indonesia again, this time visiting sites on Java and Borneo. I love my job.
Nov 03: A stop-over in Dubai is too short to leave the airport, but I manage views of Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse, Common Myna and Crag Martin in and around the airport building.
Nov 04 – 08: At Cirebon again, where the birding is quite different from April and includes some palearctic migrants, like Asian Brown Flycatcher and Yellow-rumped Flycatcher.
Nov 09: An insanely successful day at Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park. GIANT SWIFTLETS!!
Nov 11 – 15: Survey work around Tarjun, South Kalimantan (Borneo) with amazing results and plenty of lifers and new species compared to the survey in April 2012. Most significant is the first-ever record of Kamchatka Leaf Warbler for Borneo, but most thrilling to me are Besra, the beautiful Little Green-Pigeons, Silver-rumped Needletail, again 4 species of hornbill, my first ever Pitta (typically a heard-only), and plenty of Bornean Black Magpie observations.
Rest of November: a quiet time with work, work, work…

The über-cool Black Hornbill.

December

An extremely quiet birding month again, with much work to do at the office and no business trips related to birding.
Dec 28 – 31: finally, a week-long family holiday to France’s Provence again! As this was a repetition of the family trip one year ago, and as I did not expect many new species for the year, the birding was as relaxed as the entire trip was – and that’s very relaxed. Some birding highlights were Cirl Bunting and Southern Grey Shrike near our accomodation, and Rock Sparrows at Pond du Gard. The last day of the year brought some more action at Les Baux, where I missed the Wallcreeper by a few minutes but nevertheless had a splendid time with additions to the year list in the form of Bonelli’s Eagle (unsatisfactory views but countable), Blue Rock Thrush and Alpine Accentor.

I finish the year with 553 species, the exact same number as 2012!

Statistics & Maps

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The Almighty List

The taxonomy of the list follows (in a very loose fashion) the WP checklist on the German Club300 site for reasons of convenience. Should I be able to visit regions outside the WP, I’ll just mix those species in according to my own free will.

Abbreviations for German “Bundesländer” (states, provinces, whatever…):
BB  – Brandenburg
BW – Baden-Württemberg
BY – Bayern
HE – Hessen
MV – Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
NW – Nordrhein-Westfalen
NI – Niedersachsen
RP – Rheinland-Pfalz
SN – Sachen
TH – Thüringen

1. Greater Rhea Rhea americana: Schaalsee, MV, Germany, 13 Jun
2. Tundra Bean Goose Anser rossicus: near Minden, NW, Germany, 14 Jan
3. Greater White-fronted Goose Anser albifrons: Werrich, NW, Germany, 8 Jan
4. LESSER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE Anser erythropus: near Minden, NW, Germany, 14 Jan – LIFER!!
5. Greylag Goose Anser anser: Camargue, Provence, France, 3 Jan
6. Brant Goose Branta bernicla: Poel, MV, Germany, 11 May
7. Barnacle Goose Branta leucopsis:near Minden, NW, Germany, 14 Jan
8. Canada Goose Branta canadensis: Hitdorf ferry port, NW, Germany, 15 Jan
9. Mute Swan Cygnus olor: Camargue, Provence, France, 1 Jan
10. Tundra Swan Cygnus columbianus: Dannenberg, NI, Germany, 21 Feb
11. Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus: near Minden, NW, Germany, 14 Jan
12. Egyptian Goose Alopochen aegyptiaca: Werrich, NW, Germany, 8 Jan
13. Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea: Werrich, NW, Germany, 8 Jan
14. Common Shelduck Tadorna tadorna: Camargue, Provence, France, 1 Jan
15. Wandering Whistling-duck Dendrocygna arcuata: Tarjun, S Kalimantan, Indonesia, 11 – 15 Nov
16. SUNDA TEAL Anas gibberifrons: Muara Angke, Java, Indonesia, 13 Apr
17. Gadwall Anas strepera: Silbersee, RP, Germany, 19 Feb
18. Eurasian Wigeon Anas penelope: Silbersee, RP, Germany, 19 Feb
19. Mallard Anas platyrhynchos: Camargue, Provence, France, 1 Jan
20. Blue-winged Teal Anas discors: Schmiechener See, BW, Germany, 2 May – self-found vagrant!
21. Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata: Camargue, Provence, France, 1 Jan
22. Northern Pintail Anas acuta: Dannenberg, NI, Germany, 21 Feb
23. Garganey Anas querquedula: Wagbachniederung, BW, Germany, 19 Apr
24. Common Teal Anas crecca: Silbersee, RP, Germany, 19 Feb
25. Mandarin Duck Aix galericulata: Ludwigsburg, BW, Germany, 4 Aug
26. Red-crested Pochard Netta rufina: Camargue, Provence, France, 3 Jan
27. Common Pochard Aythya ferina: Camargue, Provence, France, 3 Jan
28. Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula: Dinslaken, NW, Germany, 8 Jan
29. Ferrugineus Duck Aythya nyroca: Rieselfelder Münster, NW, Germany, 13 Jun
30. Common Eider Somateria mollissima: Hitdorf ferry port, NW, Germany, 15 Jan
31. Velvet Scoter Melanitta fusca: Zeppelinheim, HE, Germany, 19 Feb
32. Common Scoter Melanitta nigra: Camargue, Provence, France, 1 Jan
33. Long-tailed Duck Clangula hyemalis: Dinslaken, NW, Germany, 8 Jan
34. Common Goldeneye Bucephala clangula: Dinslaken, NW, Germany, 8 Jan
35. Smew Mergellus albellus: Silbersee, RP, Germany, 19 Feb
36. Common Merganser Mergus merganser: Dinslaken, NW, Germany, 8 Jan
37. Red-breasted Merganser Mergus serrator: Camargue, Provence, France, 3 Jan
38. Chukar Partridge Alectoris chukar: Shetpe, Mangghystau Province, Kazakhstan, 07 – 10 Oct
39. GREEN JUNGLEFOWL Gallus varius:  Cirebon, Java, Indonesia, 5-12 Apr
40. Grey Partridge Perdix perdix: Ludwigsburg, BW, Germany, 1 May
41. Common Quail Coturnix coturnix. Schurrsee, BY, Germany, 1 May
42. Common Pheasant Phasianus colchicus: Heidelberg, BW, Germany, 19 Feb
43. GREAT ARGUS Argusianus argus: Tarjun, S Kalimantan, Indonesia, 11 – 15 Nov
44. Chestnut-bellied Partridge Arborophila javanica: Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park, Java, Indonesia, 9 Nov
45. Blue-breasted Quail Coturnix chinensis:  Cirebon, Java, Indonesia, 5-12 Apr
46. Black-throated Loon Gavia arctica: Camargue, Provence, France, 1 Jan
47. Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis: Stuttgart, BW, Germany, 22 Jan
48. Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus: Camargue, Provence, France, 1 Jan
49. Black-necked Grebe Podiceps nigricollis: Camargue, Provence, France, a Jan
50. Red-necked Grebe Podiceps grisegena: Streng, BB, Germany, 9 May
51. Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus ruber: Camargue, Provence, France, 1 Jan
52. Northern Fulmar Fulmarus glacialis: Les Sept Isles, Bretagne, France, 28 Aug – first since around 1992, first tubenose since 2003
53. Balearic Shearwater Puffinus mauretanicus: Les Sept Isles, Bretagne, France, 28 Aug
54. Black Stork Ciconia nigra: Leimen, BW, Germany, 13 Mar
55. White Stork Ciconia ciconia: Mannheim Luisenpark, BW, Germany, 26 Jan
56. Lesser Adjutant Leptoptilos javanicus: Tarjun, S Kalimantan, Indonesia, 11 – 15 Nov
57. MILKY STORK Mycteria cinerea: Muara Angke, Java, Indonesia, 13 Apr
58. CHRISTMAS ISLAND FRIGATEBIRD Fregata andrewsi: Muara Angke, Java, Indonesia, 13 Apr
59. Northern Gannet Morus bassanus. Camargue, Provence, France, 1 Jan
60. Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo: Camargue, Provence, France, 1 Jan
61. European Shag Phalacrocorax aristotelis: Cote du Granit Rose, Bretagne, France, 26 Aug
62. LITTLE BLACK CORMORANT Phalacrocorax niger: Muara Angke, Java, Indonesia, 13 Apr
63. Little Cormorant Phalacrocorax niger: Jakarta, Java, Indonesia, 4 Nov
64. Little Pied Cormorant Microcarbo melanoleucos: Tarjun, S Kalimantan, Indonesia, 11 – 15 Nov – very rare on Borneo
65. Oriental Darter Anhinga melanogaster: Cirebon, Java, Indonesia, 5-12 Apr
66. Eurasian Bittern Botaurus stellaris: Streng, BB, Germany, 9 May
67. Little Bittern Ixobrychus minutus: Wernauer Baggerseen, BW, Germany, 1 Jun
68. Yellow Bittern Ixobrychus sinensis: Cirebon, Java, Indonesia, 5-12 Apr
69. Cinnamon Bittern Ixobrychus cinnamomeus: Jakarta – Cirebon, Java, Indonesia, 5 Apr
70. Black Bittern Dupetor flavicollis: Muara Angke, Java, Indonesia, 13 Apr
71. Grey Heron Ardea cinerea: Camargue, Provence, France, 1 Jan
72. Purple Heron Ardea purpurea: Wagbachniederung, BW, Germany, 19 Apr
73. Great White Egret Ardea alba: Camargue, Provence, France, 1 Jan
74. Intermediate Egret Egretta intermedia: Jakarta – Cirebon, Java, Indonesia, 5 Apr
75. Little Egret Egretta garzetta: Camargue, Provence, France, 1 Jan
76. Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis: Camargue, Provence, France, 3 Jan
77. Eastern Cattle Egret Bubulcus coromandus: Cirebon-Jakarta, Java, Indonesia, 12 Apr
78. Little Heron Butorides striata: Muara Angke, Java, Indonesia, 13 Apr
79. Black-crowned Night-heron Nycticorax nycticorax: Muara Angke, Java, Indonesia, 13 Apr
80. Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus: Leimen, BW, Germany, 22 Oct – self-found vagrant, my first since 2000
81. Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia: Waghäusel, BW, Germany, 27 May
82. Osprey Pandion haliaeetus: Plessenteich, BW, Germany, 3 May
83. European Honey Buzzard Pernis apivorus: Heidelberg, BW, Germany, 21 Apr
84. Oriental Honey Buzzard Pernis ptilorhynchus: Cirebon, Java, Indonesia, 5-12 Apr
85. Black-shouldered Kite Elanus caeruleus: Tarjun, S Kalimantan, Indonesia, 11 – 15 Nov
86. Red Kite Milvus milvus: Heidelberg, BW, Germany, 7 Feb
87. Black Kite Milvus migrans: Leimen, BW, Germany, 15 Mar
88. Brahminy Kite Haliastur indus:  Cirebon, Java, Indonesia, 5-12 Apr
89. White-tailed Eagle Haliaeetus albicilla: Langhagen, MV, Germany, 20 Feb
90. Bearded Vulture Gypaetus barbatus: Leimen, BW, Germany, 28 Jun – self-found vagrant just days after the Griffons! Amazing!!
91. Griffon Vulture Gyps fulvus: Heidelberg, BW, Germany, 20 Jun – self-found vagrant!
92. Western Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus: Camargue, Provence, France, 1 Jan
93. Montagu’s Harrier Circus pygargus: Buckow, BB, Germany, 9 May
94. Northern Harrier Circus cyaneus: Camargue, Provence, France, 4 Jan
95. Pallid Harrier Circus macrourus: Shetpe, Mangghystau Province, Kazakhstan, 07 – 10 Oct
96. Eurasian Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus: Camargue, Provence, France, 2 Jan
97. JAPANESE SPARROWHAWK Accipiter gularis:  Cirebon, Java, Indonesia, 5-12 Apr
98. Chinese Sparrowhawk Accipiter soloensis:  Cirebon, Java, Indonesia, 5-12 Apr
99. BESRA Accipiter virgatus: Tarjun, S Kalimantan, Indonesia, 11 – 15 Nov
100. Northern Goshawk Accipiter gentilis: Heidelberg, BW, Germany, 28 Jan
101. Crested Goshawk Accipiter trivirgatus: Tarjun, S Kalimantan, Indonesia, 11 – 15 Nov
102. Crested Serpent-Eagle Spilornis cheela:  Cirebon, Java, Indonesia, 5-12 Apr
103. Changeable Hawk-eagle Spizaetus cirrhatus: Cirebon, Java, Indonesia, 4-8 Nov
104. Javan Hawk-eagle Spizaetus bartelsi: Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park, Java, Indonesia, 9 Nov
105. Wallace’s Hawk-eagle Nisaetus nanus: Tarjun, S Kalimantan, Indonesia, 11 – 15 Nov
106. Rough-legged Buzzard Buteo lagopus: Heidelberg, BW, Germany, 4 Feb – vagrant to BW!
107. Common Buzzard Buteo buteo: Camargue, Provence, France, 1 Jan
108. Black Eagle Ictinaetus malayensis:  Cirebon, Java, Indonesia, 5-12 Apr
109. Bonelli’s Eagle Aquila fasciata: Les Baux, Provence, France 31 Dec
110. Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos: Shetpe, Mangghystau Province, Kazakhstan, 07 – 10 Oct
111. Lesser Spotted Eagle Aquila pomarina: Grosse Rosin, MV, Germany, 10 May
112. Greater Spotted Eagle Aquila clanga: Camargue, Provence, France, 3 Jan – my first since 1996!
113. Black-thighed Falconet Microhierax fringillarius: Tarjun, S Kalimantan, Indonesia, 11 – 15 Nov
114. Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus: Camargue, Provence, France, 2 Jan
115. Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni: Shetpe, Mangghystau Province, Kazakhstan, 07 – 10 Oct
116. Spotted Kestrel Falco moluccensis:  Cirebon, Java, Indonesia, 5-12 Apr
117. Red-footed Falcon Falco vespertinus: Leimen, BW, Germany, 15 May
118. Merlin Falco columbarius: Camargue, Provence, France, 4 Jan
119. Eurasian Hobby Falco subbuteo: Leimen, BW, Germany, 02 Apr
120. Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus: Leimen, BW, Germany, 10 Jan
121. Saker Falcon Falco cherrug: Shetpe, Mangghystau Province, Kazakhstan, 07 – 10 Oct
122. Great Bustard Otis tarda: Belziger Landschaftswiesen, BB, Germany, 9 May
123. Corn Crake Crex crex: Johannishofer Wiesen, MV, Germany, 16 Aug
124. Water Rail Rallus aquaticus: Camargue, Provence, France, 3 Jan
125. WHITE-BROWED CRAKE Porzana cinerea: Muara Angke, Java, Indonesia, 13 Apr
126. Little Crake Porzana parva: Grosse Rosin, MV, Germany, 10 May
127. Baillon’s Crake Porzana pusilla: Johanneshofer Wiesen, MV, Germany, 10 Jun
128. Spotted Crake Porzana porzana: Waghäusel, BW, Germany, 27 May
129. White-breasted Waterhen Amaurornis phoenicurus:  Cirebon, Java, Indonesia, 5-12 Apr
130. Eurasian Moorhen Gallinula chloropus: Camargue, Provence, France, 1 Jan
131. Eurasian Coot Fulica atra: Camargue, Provence, France, 1 Jan
132. Common Crane Grus grus: Heidelberg, BW, Germany, 31 Jan
133. Northern Lapwing Vanellus vanellus: somewhere en route through France, 5 Jan
134. Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola: Camargue, Provence, France, 3 Jan
135. European Golden Plover Pluvialis apricaria: Heidelberg, BW, Germany, 16 Mar
136. PACIFIC GOLDEN PLOVER Pluvialis fulva: Johanneshofer Wiesen, MV, 11 Jun – vagrant!
137. Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus: Johannishofer Wiesen, MV, 16 Aug
138. Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius: Neupotz, RP, Germany, 19 Apr
139. Common Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula: Poel, MV, Germany, 11 May
140. Eurasian Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus: Rieselfelder Münster, NW, Germany, 26 Apr
141. Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus: Waghäusel, BW, Germany, 27 May
142. Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta: Karrendorfer Wiesen, MV, Germany, 17 Aug
143. Common Redshank Tringa totanus: Camargue, Provence, France, 3 Jan
144. Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia: Neupotz, RP, Germany, 25 Apr
145. Marsh Sandpiper Tringa stagnatilis: Johanneshofer Wiesen, MV, Germany, 17 Aug
146. Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus: Neupotz, RP, Germany, 25 Apr
147. Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola: Wagbachniederung, BW, Germany, 19 Apr
148. Spotted Redshank Tringa erythropus: near Leipheim, BY, Germany, 1 May
149. Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos:  Cirebon, Java, Indonesia, 5-12 Apr
150. Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus: Johanneshofer Wiesen, MV, Germany, 16 Aug
151. Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata: Camargue, Provence, France, 1 Jan
152. Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa: Dümmer, NI, Germany, 26 Apr
153. Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica: Karrendorfer Wiesen, MV, Germany, 17 Aug
154. Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres: Camargue, Provence, France, 3 Jan
155. Red Knot Calidris canutus: Johanneshofer Wiesen, MV, Germany, 16 Aug
156. Sanderling Calidris alba: Johanneshofer Wiesen, MV, Germany, 17 Aug
157. Temminck’s Stint Calidris temminckii: Dümmer, NI, Germany, 26 Apr
158. Pectoral Sandpiper Calidris melanotos: near Leipheim, BY, Germany, 1 May – vagrant!
159. Dunlin Calidris alpina: Camargue, Provence, France, 3 Jan
160. Purple Sandpiper Calidris maritima: Cote du Granit Rose, Bretagne, France, 26 Aug – first since 1992
161. Broad-billed Sandpiper Limicola falcinellus: Johanneshofer Wiesen, MV, Germany, 16 Aug
162. Common Snipe Gallinago gallinago: Dümmer, NI, Germany, 26 Apr
163. Pintail Snipe Gallinago stenura: Tarjun, S Kalimantan, Indonesia, 11 – 15 Nov
164. Eurasian Woodcock Scolopax rusticola: Leimen, BW, Germany, 13 Mar
165. DUSKY WOODCOCK Scolopax saturata: Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park, Java, Indonesia, 8 Nov
166. Swinhoe’s Snipe Gallinago megala:  Cirebon, Java, Indonesia, 5-12 Apr
167. Red-necked Phalarope Phalaropus lobatus: Geiseltalsee, SN, Germany, 29 May
168. ORIENTAL PRATINCOLE Glareola maldivarum: Cirebon – Jakarta, Java, Indonesia, 8 Nov
169. Barred Buttonquail Trunix suscitator:  Cirebon, Java, Indonesia, 5-12 Apr
170. Black-legged Kittiwake Rissa tridactyla: Fort-la-Latte, Bretagne, France, 28 Aug – first since late 1990s
171. Slender-billed Gull Chroicocephalus genei: Camargue, Provence, France, 1 Jan
172. Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus: Camargue, Provence, France, 1 Jan
173. Little Gull Hydrocoloeus minutus: Johanneshofer Wiesen, MV, Germany, 16 Aug
174. Mediterranean Gull Ichthyaetus melanocephalus: Wagbachniederung, BW, Germany, 19 Apr
175. Common Gull Larus canus: Werrich, NW, Germany, 8 Jan
176. Ring-billed Gull Larus delawarensis: Hitdorf ferry port, NW, Germany, 15 Jan – very rare vagrant!
177. Herring Gull Larus argentatus: Hannover, NI, Germany, 14 Jan
178. Caspian Gull Larus cachinnans: Heidelberg, BW, Germany, 3 Feb
179. Heuglin’s Gull Larus heuglini: Aqtau, Mangghystau Province, Kazakhstan, 10 Oct
180. Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis: Camargue, Provence, France, 1 Jan – 1st bird of 2013!
181. Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus: Camargue, Provence, France, 3 Jan
182. Little Tern Sternula albifrons: Poel, MV, Germany, 11 May
183. Black Tern Chlidonias niger: Grosse Rosin, MV, Germany, 10 May
184. White-winged Tern Chlidonias leucopterus: Grosse Rosin, MV, Germany, 10 May
185. Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybrida: Mooswaldsee, BY, Germany, 1 May
186. Common Tern Sterna hirundo: Mooswaldsee, BY, Germany, 1 May
187. Arctic Tern Sterna paradisaea: Poel, MV, Germany, 11 May
188. Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica: Freiburg/Elbe, NI, Germany, 13 Jun
189. Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia: Johanneshofer Wiesen, MV, Germany, 17 Aug
190. Sandwich Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis: Camargue, Provence, France, 1 Jan
191. BRIDLED TERN Onychoprion anaethetus: Muara Angke, Java, Indonesia, 13 Apr
192. Pomarine Skua Stercorarius pomarina: Les Sept Isles, Bretagne, France, 28 Aug
193. Arctic Skua Stercorarius parasiticus: Les Sept Isles, Bretagne, France, 28 Aug
194. Long-tailed Skua Stercorarius longicaudus: Les Sept Isles, Bretagne, France, 28 Aug
195. Razorbill Alca torda: Camargue, Provence, France, 1 Jan – first since 2001!
196. Black-bellied Sandgrouse Pterocles orientalis: Shetpe, Mangghystau Province, Kazakhstan, 07 – 10 Oct
197. CHESTNUT-BELLIED SANDGROUSE Pterocles exustus: Dubai airport, Dubai, UAE, 3 Nov
198. Feral (Rock) Pigeon Columba livia: Camargue, Provence, France, 1 Jan
199. Stock Dove Columba oenas: Stuttgart, BW, Germany, 22 Jan
200. Common Wood Pigeon Columba palumbus:  somewhere en route through France, 5 Jan
201. Turtle Dove Streptopelia turtur: Waghäusel, BY, Germany, 6 May
202. Eurasian Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto:  Camargue, Provence, France, 1 Jan
203. Laughing Dove Streptopelia senegalensis – first since 2000
204. Island Collared Dove Streptopelia bitorquata:  Cirebon, Java, Indonesia, 5-12 Apr
205. Spotted Dove Streptopelia chinensis: Jakarta, Java, Indonesia, 5 Apr
206. Zebra Dove Geopelia striata: Jakarta, Java, Indonesia, 12 Apr
207. Pink-necked Green-Pigeon Treron vernans:  Cirebon, Java, Indonesia, 5-12 Apr
208. Cinnamon-headed Green-pigeon Treron fulvicollis: Tarjun, S Kalimantan, Indonesia, 11 – 15 Nov
209. LITTLE GREEN-PIGEON Treron olax: Tarjun, S Kalimantan, Indonesia, 11 – 15 Nov
210. Large Green-pigeon Treron capellei: Tarjun, S Kalimantan, Indonesia, 11 – 15 Nov
211. PINK-HEADED FRUIT-DOVE Ptilinopus porphyreus: Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park, Java, Indonesia, 9 Nov
212. RUDDY CUCKOO-DOVE Macropygia emiliana:  Cirebon, Java, Indonesia, 5-12 Apr
213. Blue-crowned Hanging-parrot Loriculus galgulus: Tarjun, S Kalimantan, Indonesia, 11 – 15 Nov
214. BLUE-RUMPED PARROT Psittinus cyanurus: Tarjun, S Kalimantan, Indonesia, 11 – 15 Nov
215. Long-tailed Parakeet Psittacula longicauda: Tarjun, S Kalimantan, Indonesia, 11 – 15 Nov
216. Rose-ringed Parakeet Psittacula krameri: Heidelberg, BW, Germany, 6 Jan
217. RED-BREASTED PARAKEET Psittacula alexandri: Jakarta, Java, Indonesia, 5 Apr
218. YELLOW-CROWNED AMAZON Amazona ochrocephala: Stuttgart Wilhelma, BW, Germany, 28 Apr
219. Common Cuckoo Cuculus canorus: Wagbachniederung, BW, Germany, 19 Apr
220. SUNDA CUCKOO Cuculus lepidus: Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park, Java, Indonesia, 9 Nov
221. Banded Bay Cuckoo Cacomantis sonneratii: Cirebon, Java, Indonesia, 5-12 Apr
222. Plaintive Cuckoo Cacomantis merulinus: Cirebon, Java, Indonesia, 5-12 Apr
223. Rusty-breasted Cuckoo Cacomantis sepulcralis: Cirebon, Java, Indonesia, 5-12 Apr
224. Red-billed Malkoha Phaenicophaenus javanicus: Cirebon, Java, Indonesia, 5-12 Apr
225. Chestnut-breasted Malkoha Phaenicophaeus curvirostris: Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park, Java, Indonesia, 9 Nov
226. Raffle’s Malkoha Rhinorta chlorophaeus: Tarjun, S Kalimantan, Indonesia, 11 – 15 Nov
227. SHORT-TOED COUCAL Centropus rectungius: Tarjun, S Kalimantan, Indonesia, 11 – 15 Nov
228. Lesser Coucal Centropus bengalensis: Cirebon, Java, Indonesia, 5-12 Apr
229. Greater Coucal Centropus sinensis: Tarjun, S Kalimantan, Indonesia, 11 – 15 Nov
230. Barn Owl Tyto alba: Heidelberg, BW, Germany, 28 Sep
231. Eurasian Eagle Owl Bubo bubo: Heidleberg, BW, Germany, 26 Feb
232. Barred Eagle-owl Bubo sumatranus: Tarjun, S Kalimantan, Indonesia, 11 – 15 Nov
233. Little Owl Athene noctua: Belziger Landschaftswiesen, BB, Germany, 9 May
234. Long-eared Owl Asio otus: Heidelberg, BW, Germany, 8 Feb
235. JAVAN SCOPS OWL Otus angelinae: Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park, Java, Indonesia, 9 Nov
236. Tawny Owl Strix aluco: Langhagen, MV, Germany, 11 May
237. MALAYSIAN EARED-NIGHTJAR Eurostopodus temminckii: Tarjun, S Kalimantan, Indonesia, 11 – 15 Nov
238. Savanna Nightjar Caprimulgus affinis: Cirebon, Java, Indonesia, 5-12 Apr
239. LARGE-TAILED NIGHTHAWK Caprimulgus macrurus: Cirebon, Java, Indonesia, 4-8 Nov
240. SALVADORI’S NIGHTJAR Caprimulgus pulchellus: Cibodas Botanical Garden, Java, Indonesia, 8 Nov
241. Eurasian Nightjar Caprimulgus europaeus: Viernheimer Heide, HE, Germany, 12 Jul
242. WATERFALL SWIFTLET Hydrochous gigas: Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park, Java, Indonesia, 9 Nov
243. Edible-nest Swiftlet Aerodramus fuciphaga: Cirebon, Java, Indonesia, 5-12 Apr
244. Mossy-nest Swiftlet Aerodramus salangana: Tarjun, S Kalimantan, Indonesia, 11 – 15 Nov
245. Black-nest Swiftlet Aerodramus maximus: Tarjun, S Kalimantan, Indonesia, 11 – 15 Nov
246. Cave Swiftlet Collocalia linchii: Jakarta, Jave, Indonesia, 5 Apr
247. Glossy Swiftlet Collocalia esculenta: Tarjun, S Kalimantan, Indonesia, 11 – 15 Nov
248. ASIAN PALM-SWIFT Cypsiurus balasiensis: Tarjun, S Kalimantan, Indonesia, 11 – 15 Nov
249. SILVER-RUMPED NEEDLE-TAIL Rhaphidura leucopygialis: Tarjun, S Kalimantan, Indonesia, 11 – 15 Nov
250. Common Swift Apus apus: Wagbachniederung, BW, Germany, 19 Apr
251. Fork-tailed Swift Apus pacificus: Cirebon, Java, Indonesia, 5-12 Apr
252. House Swift Apus affinis: Cirebon, Java, Indonesia, 5-12 Apr
253. Alpine Swift Apus melba: Achern, BW, Germany, 1 Jun
254. Grey-rumped Swiftlet Hemiprocne longipennis: Tarjun, S Kalimantan, Indonesia, 11 – 15 Nov
255. Javan Trogon Harpactes reinwardtii: Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park, Java, Indonesia, 9 Nov
256. Dollarbird Eurystomus orientalis: Tarjun, S Kalimantan, Indonesia, 11 – 15 Nov
257. Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis: Camargue, Provence, France, 5 Jan
258. Blue-eared Kingfisher Alcedo meninting: Cirebon, Java, Indonesia, 5-12 Apr
259. Small Blue Kingfisher Alcedo coerulescens: Cirebon, Java, Indonesia, 5-12 Apr
260. RUFOUS-BACKED KINGFISHER Ceyx rufidorsa: Tarjun, S Kalimantan, Indonesia, 11 – 15 Nov
261. Javan Kingfisher Halcyon cyanoventris: Cirebon, Java, Indonesia, 5-12 Apr
262. Collared Kingfisher Todiramphus chloris: Cirebon, Java, Indonesia, 5-12 Apr
263. Hoopoe Upupa epops: Sandhausen, BW, Germany, 14 Jun – #350 CHECK!
264. Blue-tailed Bee-eater Merops phillipinus: Cirebon, Java, Indonesia, 5-12 Apr
265. Blue-throated Bee-eater Merops viridis: Tarjun, S Kalimantan, Indonesia, 11 – 15 Nov
266. European Bee-eater Merops apiaster: Maisbach, BW, Germany, 27 May
267. Oriental Pied Hornbill Anthracoceros albirostris: Tarjun, S Kalimantan, Indonesia, 11 – 15 Nov
268. Black Hornbill Anthracoceros malayanus: Tarjun, S Kalimantan, Indonesia, 11 – 15 Nov
269. Rhinoceros Hornbill Buceros rhinoceros: Tarjun, S Kalimantan, Indonesia, 11 – 15 Nov
270. WRINKLED HORNBILL Aceros corrugatus: Tarjun, S Kalimantan, Indonesia, 11 – 15 Nov
271. WREATHED HORNBILL Aceros undulatus: Tarjun, S Kalimantan, Indonesia, 11 – 15 Nov
272. Fire-tufted Barbet Psilopogon pyrolophus: Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park, Java, Indonesia, 9 Nov
273. RED-CROWNED BARBET Megalaima rafflesii: Tarjun, S Kalimantan, Indonesia, 11 – 15 Nov
274. Red-throated Barbet Megalaima mystacophanos: Tarjun, S Kalimantan, Indonesia, 11 – 15 Nov
275. YELLOW-CROWNED BARBET Megalaima henricii: Tarjun, S Kalimantan, Indonesia, 11 – 15 Nov
276. Blue-eared Barbet Megalaima australis: Tarjun, S Kalimantan, Indonesia, 11 – 15 Nov
277. Brown-throated Barbet Megalaima corvina: Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park, Java, Indonesia, 9 Nov
278. Black-banded Barbet Megalaima javensis: Cirebon, Java, Indonesia, 5-12 Apr
279. Orange-fronted Barbet Megalaima armillaris: Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park, Java, Indonesia, 9 Nov
280. Coppersmith Barbet Megalaima haemacephala: Cirebon, Java, Indonesia, 4-8 Nov
281. Brown Barbet Calorhamphus fuliginosus: Tarjun, S Kalimantan, Indonesia, 11 – 15 Nov
282. Eurasian Wryneck Jynx torquilla: Leimen, BW, Germany, 02 Apr
283. RUFOUS PICULET Sasia abnormis: Tarjun, S Kalimantan, Indonesia, 11 – 15 Nov
284. GREY-CAPPED PYGMY WOODPECKER Dendrocopos canicapillus: Tarjun, S Kalimantan, Indonesia, 11 – 15 Nov
285. WHITE-BELLIED WOODPECKER Dryocopus javensis: Tarjun, S Kalimantan, Indonesia, 11 – 15 Nov
286. Fulvous-breasted Woodpecker Dendrocopos macei: Cirebon, Java, Indonesia, 5-12 Apr
287. Lesser Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos minor: Neuenhofen, RP, Germany, 10 Mar
288. Middle Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopus medius: Heidelberg, BW, Germany, 26 Jan
289. Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major: Dinslaken, NW, Germany, 8 Jan
290. Banded Woodpecker Chrysophlegma mineaceus: Tarjun, S Kalimantan, Indonesia, 11 – 15 Nov
291. SUNDA WOODPECKER Picoides moluccensis: Muara Angke, Java, Indonesia, 13 Apr
292. Black Woodpecker Dryocopus martius: Leimen, BW, Germany, 28 Feb
293.  European Green Woodpecker Picus viridis: Leimen, BW, Germany, 7 Jan
294. Grey-headed Woodpecker Picus canus: Leimen, BW, Germany, 7 Jan
295. Banded Broadbill Eurylaimus javanicus: Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park, Java, Indonesia, 9 Nov
296. Black-and-yellow Broadbill Eurylaimus ochromalus: Tarjun, S Kalimantan, Indonesia, 11 – 15 Nov
297. HOODED PITTA Pitta sordida: Tarjun, S Kalimantan, Indonesia, 11 – 15 Nov – my first pitta!
298. Red-backed Shrike Lanius collurio: Mooswaldsee, BY, Germany, 1 May
299. Great Grey Shrike Lanius excubitor: Hannover, NI, Germany, 14 Jan
300. Iberian Grey Shrike Lanius meridionalis: Fournes, Provence, France, 30 Dec – first since at least 2001, possibly 1995
301. Long-tailed Shrike Lanius schach: Cirebon, Java, Indonesia, 5-12 Apr
302. Eurasian Golden Oriole Oriolus oriolus: Mooswaldsee, BY, Germany, 3 May
303. Dark-throated Oriole Oriolus xanthonotus: Tarjun, S Kalimantan, Indonesia, 11 – 15 Nov
304. White-breasted Wood-Swallow Artamus leucorhynchus: Jakarta, Java, Indonesia, 5 Apr
305. Black Drongo Dicrurus macrocercus: Cirebon, Java, Indonesia, 5-12 Apr
306. Ashy Drongo Dicrurus leucophaeus: Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park, Java, Indonesia, 9 Nov
307. GREATER RACKET-TAILED DRONGO Dicrurus paradiseus: Tarjun, S Kalimantan, Indonesia, 11 – 15 Nov
308. RACKET-TAILED TREEPIE Crypsirina temia: Cirebon, Java, Indonesia, 5-12 Apr
309. BORNEAN BLACK MAGPIE Platysmurus aterrimus: Tarjun, S Kalimantan, Indonesia, 11 – 15 Nov
310. Spotted Nutcracker Nucifraga caryocatactes: Schelklingen, BW, Germany, 2 May
311. Red-billed Chough Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax: Camaret-sur-mer, Bretagne, France, 4 Sep
312. Eurasian Jay Garrulus glandarius: Leimen, BW, Germany, 7 Jan
313. Eurasian Magpie Pica pica: Camargue, Provence, France, 1 Jan
314. Western Jackdaw Corvus monedula: Camargue, Provence, France, 2 Jan
315. HOUSE CROW Corvus splendens: Singapore airport, Singapore, 4 Apr
316. Rook Corvus frugilegus: Camargue, Provence, France, 4 Jan
317. Carrion Crow Corvus corone: Camargue, Provence, France, 2 Jan
318. Hooded Crow Corvus cornix: Langhagen, MV, Germany, 20 Feb
319. LARGE-BILLED CROW Corvus macrorhynchos: Jakarta, Java, Indonesia, 4 Nov
320. SLENDER-BILLED CROW Corvus enca: Tarjun, S Kalimantan, Indonesia, 11 – 15 Nov
321. Northern Raven Corvus corax: somewhere en route in Germany, 14 Jan
322. Brown-necked Raven Corvus ruficollis: Shetpe, Mangghystau Province, Kazakhstan, 07 – 10 Oct – first since early 1980s!
323. Bornean Bristlehead Pityriasis gymnocephala: Tarjun, S Kalimantan, Indonesia, 11 – 15 Nov
324. Bearded Reedling Panurus biarmicus: Langhagen, MV, Germany, 10 May
325. Calandra Lark Melanocorypha calandra: Shetpe, Mangghystau Province, Kazakhstan, 07 – 10 Oct
326. Bimaculated Lark Melanocorypha bimaculata: Shetpe, Mangghystau Province, Kazakhstan, 07 – 10 Oct
327. Black Lark Melanocorypha yeltonensis: Shetpe, Mangghystau Province, Kazakhstan, 07 Oct
328. Greater Short-toed Lark Calandrella brachydactyla: Shetpe, Mangghystau Province, Kazakhstan, 07 – 10 Oct
329. Lesser Short-toed Lark Calandrella rufescens: Shetpe, Mangghystau Province, Kazakhstan, 07 – 10 Oct
330. Crested Lark Galerida cristata: Camargue, Provence, France, 1 Jan
331. Eurasian Skylark Alauda arvensis: Camargue, Provence, France, 4 Jan
332. Oriental Skylark Alauda gulgula: Shetpe, Mangghystau Province, Kazakhstan, 07 – 10 Oct
333. Woodlark Lullula arborea: Leimen, BW, Germany, 5 Mar
334. Horned Lark Eremophila alpestris: Shetpe, Mangghystau Province, Kazakhstan, 07 – 10 Oct
335. Sand Martin Riparia riparia: Wagbachniederung, BW, Germany, 19 Apr
336. Rock Martin Ptyonoprogne fuligula: Dubai airport, Dubai, UAE, 3 Nov
337. Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica: Schwetzinger Schlosspark, BW, Germany, 01 Apr
338. House Swallow Hirundo tahitica: Jakarte – Cirebon, Java, Indonesia, 5 Apr
339. Striated Swallow Cecropis striolata: Cirebon, Java, Indonesia, 5-12 Apr
340. House Martin Delichon urbicum: Wagbachniederung, BW, Germany, 19 Apr 
341. Pygmy Tit Psaltria exilis: Cibodas botanical Garden, Java, Indonesia, 8 Nov
342. Marsh Tit Poecile palustris: Dinslaken, NW, Germany, 8 Jan
343. Willow Tit Poecile montanus: Hitdorf ferry port, NW, Germany, 15 Jan
344. Coal Tit Periparus ater: Dinslaken, NW, Germany, 8 Jan
345. European Crested Tit Lophophanes cristatus: Heidelberg, BW, Germany, 7 Jan
346. Great Tit Parus major: Camargue, Provence, France, 1 Jan
347. Eurasian Blue Tit Cyanistes caeruleus. Camargue, Provence, France, 1 Jan
348. Eurasian Penduline Tit Remiz pendulinus: Altmühlsee, BY, Germany, 5 May
349. Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus: Heidelberg, BW, Germany, 13 Jan
350. Blue Nuthatch Sitta azurea: Cibodas Botanical Garden, Java, Indonesia, 8 Nov
351. Eurasian Nuthatch Sitta europaea: Leimen, BW, Germany, 7 Jan
352. Eurasian Treecreeper Certhia familiaris: Stuttgart, BW, Germany, 22 Jan
353. Short-toed Tree-creeper Certhia brachydactyla: Dinslaken, NW, Germany, 8 Jan
354. Eurasian Wren Troglodytes troglodytes: Camargue, Provence, France, 1 Jan
355. White-throated Dipper Cinclus cinclus: Warstein, NW, Germany, 29 May
356. Lesser Shortwing Brachypteryx leucophrys: Cibodas Botanical Garden, Java, Indonesia, 8 Nov
357. White-browed Shortwing Brachypteryx montana:  Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park, Java, Indonesia, 9 Nov
358. Black-winged Flycatcher-shrike Hemipus hirundinaceus: Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park, Java, Indonesia, 9 Nov
359. SUNDA CUCKOO-SHRIKE Coracina larvata: Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park, Java, Indonesia, 9 Nov
360. Pied Triller Lalage nigra: Cirebon, Java, Indonesia, 5-12 Apr
361. Small Minivet Pericrocotus cinnamomeus: Cirebon, Java, Indonesia, 5-12 Apr
362. Sunda Minivet Pericrocotus miniatus: Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park, Java, Indonesia, 9 Nov
363. Common Iora Aegithina tiphia: Cirebon, Java, Indonesia, 5-12 Apr
364. Green Iora Aegithina viridissima: Tarjun, S Kalimantan, Indonesia, 11 – 15 Nov
365. Black-headed Bulbul Pycnonotus atriceps: Tarjun, S Kalimantan, Indonesia, 11 – 15 Nov
366. BLACK-AND-WHITE BULBUL Pycnonotus melanoleucos: Tarjun, S Kalimantan, Indonesia, 11 – 15 Nov
367. Grey-bellied Bulbul Pycnonotus cyaniventris: Tarjun, S Kalimantan, Indonesia, 11 – 15 Nov
368. Sooty-headed Bulbul Pycnonotus aurigaster: Jakarta, Java, Indonesia, 5 Apr
369. Yellow-vented Bulbul Pycnonotus goiavier: Cirebon, Java, Indonesia, 5-12 Apr
370. Olive-winged Bulbul Pycnonotus plumosus: Tarjun, S Kalimantan, Indonesia, 11 – 15 Nov
371. Cream-vented Bulbul Pycnonotus simplex: Tarjun, S Kalimantan, Indonesia, 11 – 15 Nov
372. Red-eyed Bulbul Pycnonotus brunneus: Tarjun, S Kalimantan, Indonesia, 11 – 15 Nov
373. Spectacled Bulbul Pycnonotus erythropthalmos: Tarjun, S Kalimantan, Indonesia, 11 – 15 Nov
374. Grey-cheeked Bulbul Alophoixus bres: Muara Angke, Java, Indonesia, 13 Apr
375. Orange-spotted Bulbul Pycnonotus bimaculatus: Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park, Java, Indonesia, 9 Nov
376. Sunda Bulbul Iole virescens: Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park, Java, Indonesia, 9 Nov
377. Common Goldcrest Regulus regulus: Dinslaken, NW, Germany, 8 Jan
378. Firecrest Regulus ignicapilla: Camargue, Provence, France, 1 Jan
379. Golden-bellied Gerygone Gerygone sulphurea: Cirebon, Java, Indonesia, 5-12 Apr
380. Mangrove Whistler Pachycephala cinerea: Tarjun, S Kalimantan, Indonesia, 11 – 15 Nov
381. Cetti’s Warbler Cettia cetti: Camargue, Provence, France, 3 Jan
382. YELLOW-BELLIED WARBLER Abroscopus superciliaris: Cirebon, Java, Indonesia, 4-8 Nov
383. Sunda Warbler Seicercus grammiceps: Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park, Java, Indonesia, 9 Nov
384. JAPANESE LEAF WARBLER Phylloscopus xanthodryas: Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park, Java, Indonesia, 9 Nov
385. KAMTCHATKA LEAF WARBLER Phylloscopus examinandus: Tarjun, S Kalimantan, Indonesia, 11 – 15 Nov 
386. Mountain Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus trivirgatus: Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park, Java, Indonesia, 9 Nov
387. Willow Warbler Phylloscopus trochilus: Leimen, BW, Germany, 17 Apr
388. Common Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita: Camargue, Provence, France, 1 Jan
389. Siberian Chiffchaff Phylloscopus tristis: Shetpe, Mangghystau Province, Kazakhstan, 07 – 10 Oct
390. Iberian Chiffchaff Phylloscopus ibericus: Kniebis, BW, Germany, 1 Jun – vagrant!
391. Western Bonelli’s Warbler Phylloscopus bonelli: Regensburg, BY, Germany, 4 May
392. Wood Warbler Phylloscopus sibilatrix: Ludwigsburg, BW, Germany, 1 May
393. Greenish Warbler Phylloscopus trochiloides: Langhagen, MV, Germany, 12 May
394. Icterine Warbler Hippolais icterina: Streng, BB, Germany, 9 May
395. Melodious Warbler Hippolais polyglotta: Hattenheim, HE, Germany, 14 Jun
396. Sedge Warbler Acrocephalus schoenobaenus: Wagbachniederung, BW, Germany, 19 Apr
397. Eurasian Reed Warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus: Wagbachniederung, BW, Germany, 19 Apr
398. Marsh Warbler Acrocephalus palustris: Waghäusel, BW, Germany, 6 May
399. Clamorous Reed Warbler Acrocephalus stentoreus: Muara Angke, Java, Indonesia, 13 Apr
400. Great Reed Warbler Acrocephalus arundinaceus: Kronau, BW, Germany, 1 May
401. Common Grasshopper Warbler Locustella naevia: Wagbachniederung, BW, Germany, 19 Apr
402. Savi’s Warbler Locustella luscinioides: Wagbachniederung, BW, Germany, 19 Apr
403. River Warbler Locustella fluviatilis: Streng, BB, Germany, 9 May
404. Zitting Cisticola Cisticola juncidis. Camargue, Provence, France, 2 Jan
405. Javan Tesia Tesia superciliaris: Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park, Java, Indonesia, 9 Nov
406. Common Tailorbird Orthotomus sutorius: Cirebon, Java, Indonesia, 5-12 Apr
407. Ashy Tailorbird Orthotomus ruficeps: Muara Angke, Java, Indonesia, 13 Apr
408. Olive-backed Tailorbird Orthotomus sepium: Cirebon, Java, Indonesia, 4-8 Nov
409. MOUNTAIN TAILORBIRD Orthotomus cuculatus: Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park, Java, Indonesia, 9 Nov
410. Rufous-tailed Tailorbird Orthotomus sericeus: Tarjun, S Kalimantan, Indonesia, 11 – 15 Nov
411. Dark-necked Tailorbird Orthotomus atrogularis: Tarjun, S Kalimantan, Indonesia, 11 – 15 Nov
412. Plain Prinia Prinia inornata: Cirebon, Java, Indonesia, 5-12 Apr
413. Yellow-bellied Prinia Prinia flaviventris: Cirebon, Java, Indonesia, 5-12 Apr
414. Bar-winged Prinia Prinia familiaris: Cirebon, Java, Indonesia, 5-12 Apr
415. Brown Prinia Prinia polychroa: Cirebon, Java, Indonesia, 5-12 Apr
416. Garden Warbler Sylvia borin: Leimen, BW, Germany, 18 Apr
417. Eurasian Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla: Heidelberg, BW, Germany, 24 Mar
418. Barred Warbler Sylvia nisoria: Buckow, BB, Germany, 9 May
419. Asian Desert Warbler Sylvia nana: Shetpe, Mangghystau Province, Kazakhstan, 07 – 10 Oct
420. Common Whitethroat Sylvia communis: Leimen, BW, Germany, 17 Apr
421. Lesser Whitethroat Sylvia curruca: Wagbachniederung, BW, Germany, 19 Apr
422. Dartford Warbler Sylvia undata: Cote du Granit Rose, Bretagne, France, 26 Aug
423. Sardinian Warbler Sylvia melanocephala: Camargue, Provence, France, 1 Jan
424. Spotted Flycatcher Muscicapa striata: Regensburg, BY, Germany, 4 May
425. ASIAN BROWN FLYCATCHER Muscicapa dauurica: Cirebon, Java, Indonesia, 4-8 Nov
426. European Robin Erithacus rubecula: Camargue, Provence, France, 1 Jan
427. Thrush Nightingale Luscinia luscinia: Zarnekow-Upost, MV, Germany, 10 May
428. Common Nightingale Luscinia megarhynchos: Leimen, BW, Germany, 18 Apr
429. Bluethroat Luscinia svecica: Wagbachniederung, BW, Germany, 19 Apr
430. Indigo Flycatcher Eumyias indigo: Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park, Java, Indonesia, 9 Nov
431. Little Pied Flycatcher Ficedula westermanni: Cibodas Botanical Garden, Java, Indonesia, 8 Nov
432. Pied Flycatcher Ficedula hypoleuca: Hannover, NI, Germany, 26 Apr
433. Collared Flycatcher Ficedula albicollis: Leipheim, BY, Germany, 1 May
434. Red-breasted Flycatcher Ficedula parva: Neukalen, MV, Germany, 12 Jun
435. YELLOW-RUMPED FLYCATCHER Ficedula zanthopygia: Cirebon, Java, Indonesia, 4-8 Nov
436. Snowy-browed Flycatcher Ficedula hyperythra: Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park, Java, Indonesia, 9 Nov
437. HILL BLUE-FLYCATCHER Cyornis banyumas: Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park, Java, Indonesia, 9 Nov
438. Rufous-tailed Fantail Rhipidura phoenicura: Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park, Java, Indonesia, 9 Nov
439. Pied Fantail Rhipidura javanica: Muara Angke, Java, Indonesia, 13 Apr
440. EYE-BROWED WREN-BABBLER Napothera epilepidota: Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park, Java, Indonesia, 9 Nov
441. PYGMY WREN-BABBLER Pnoepyga pusilla: Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park, Java, Indonesia, 9 Nov
442. Chestnut-winged Babbler Stachyris erythroptera: Tarjun, S Kalimantan, Indonesia, 11 – 15 Nov
443. Chestnut-rumped Babbler Stachyris maculata: Tarjun, S Kalimantan, Indonesia, 11 – 15 Nov
444. Black-capped Babbler Pellorneum capistratum: Cirebon, Java, Indonesia, 5-12 Apr
445. Horsfield’s Babbler Malacocincla sepiarium: Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park, Java, Indonesia, 9 Nov
446. SHORT-TAILED BABBLER Malacocincla malaccensis: Tarjun, S Kalimantan, Indonesia, 11 – 15 Nov
447. WHITE-BIBBED BABBLER Stachyris thoracica: Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park, Java, Indonesia, 9 Nov
448. Crescent-chested Babbler Stachyris melanothorax: Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park, Java, Indonesia, 9 Nov
449. Striped Tit-babbler Macronous gularis: Cirebon, Java, Indonesia, 5-12 Apr
450. Bold-striped Tit-babbler Macronous bornensis: Tarjun, S Kalimantan, Indonesia, 11 – 15 Nov
451. Chestnut-capped Babbler Timalia pileata: Cirebon, Java, Indonesia, 5-12 Apr
452. Javan Fulvetta Alcippe pyrrhoptera: Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park, Java, Indonesia, 9 Nov
453. Spotted Crocias Crocias albonotatus: Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park, Java, Indonesia, 9 Nov
454. Chestnut-fronted Shrike-babbler Pteruthius aenobarbus: Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park, Java, Indonesia, 9 Nov
455. Sunda Blue Robin Cinclidium diana: Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park, Java, Indonesia, 9 Nov
456. Sunda Forktail Enicurus velatus: Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park, Java, Indonesia, 9 Nov
457. White-crowned Forktail Enicurus leschenaulti: Cibodas Botanical Garden, Java, Indonesia, 8 Nov
458. Javan Cochoa Cochoa azurea: Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park, Java, Indonesia, 9 Nov
459. Common Redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus: Leimen, BW, Germany, 17 Apr
460. Black Redstart Phoenicurus ochruros: Camargue, Provence, France, 1 Jan
461. Blue Rock Thrush Monticola solitaria: Les Baux, Provence, France 31 Dec
462. Whinchat Saxicola rubetra: Wagbachniederung, BW, Germany, 19 Apr
463. European Stonechat Saxicola rubicola: Camargue, Provence, France, 3 Jan
464. Northern Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe: Neupotz, RP, Germany, 25 Apr
465. Finsch’s Wheatear Oenanthe finschii: Shetpe, Mangghystau Province, Kazakhstan, 07 – 10 Oct
466. Isabelline Wheatear Oenanthe isabellina: Shetpe, Mangghystau Province, Kazakhstan, 07 – 10 Oct
467. Oriental Magpie-robin Copsychus saularis: Tarjun, S Kalimantan, Indonesia, 11 – 15 Nov
468. Sunda Whistling-thrush Myiophoneus glaucinum: Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park, Java, Indonesia, 9 Nov
469. Common Blackbird Turdus merula: Camargue, Provence, France, 1 Jan
470. Ring Ouzel Turdus torquatus: Ruhestein, BW, Germany, 1 Jun
471. Song Thrush Turdus philomelos: Camargue, Provence, France, 4 Jan
472. Fieldfare Turdus pilaris: Heidelberg, BW, Germany, 13 Jan
473. Redwing Turdus iliacus: Leimen, BW, Germany, 17 Jan
474. Mistle Thrush Turdus viscivorus: Leimen, BW, Germany, 16 Jan
475. Javan Myna Acridotheres javanicus: Singapore airport, Singapore, 4 Apr
476. Common Myna Acridotheres tristis: Dubai airport, Dubai, UAE, 3 Nov
477. Common Hill-myna Gracula religiosa: Tarjun, S Kalimantan, Indonesia, 11 – 15 Nov
478. Asian Glossy Straling Aplonis panayensis: Jakarta, Java, Indonesia, 5 Apr
479. BLACK-WINGED STARLING Sturnus melanopterus: Muara Angke, Java, Indonesia, 13 Apr
480. PURPLE-BACKED STARLING Sturnus sturninus: Jakarta, Java, Indonesia, 4 Nov
481. Common Starling Sturnus vulgaris: Camargue, Provence, France, 1 Jan
482. Plain-throated Sunbird Anthreptes malacensis: Cirebon, Java, Indonesia, 5-12 Apr
483. Red-throated Sunbird Anthreptes rhodolaema: Tarjun, S Kalimantan, Indonesia, 11 – 15 Nov
484. Ruby-cheeked Sunbird Anthreptes singalensis: Cirebon, Java, Indonesia, 5-12 Apr
485. Copper-throated Sunbird Leptocoma calcostetha: Tarjun, S Kalimantan, Indonesia, 11 – 15 Nov
486. Crimson Sunbird Aethopyga siparaja: Tarjun, S Kalimantan, Indonesia, 11 – 15 Nov
487. White-flanked Sunbird Aethopyga eximia: Cibodas Botanical Garden, Java, Indonesia, 8 Nov
488. JAVAN SUNBIRD Aethopyga mystacalis: Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park, Java, Indonesia, 9 Nov
489. Purple-throated Sunbird Nectarinia sperata: Cirebon, Java, Indonesia, 5-12 Apr
490. Olive-backed Sunbird Nectarinia jugularis: Cirebon, Java, Indonesia, 5-12 Apr
491. PURPLE-NAPED SUNBIRD Hypogramma hypogrammicum: Tarjun, S Kalimantan, Indonesia, 11 – 15 Nov
492. Little Spiderhunter Arachnothera longirostra: Cirebon, Java, Indonesia, 5-12 Apr
493. LONG-BILLED SPIDERHUNTER Arachnothera robusta: Tarjun, S Kalimantan, Indonesia, 11 – 15 Nov
494. Yellow-eared Spiderhunter Arachnothera chrysogenys: Tarjun, S Kalimantan, Indonesia, 11 – 15 Nov
495. Crimson-breasted Flowerpecker Prionochilus percussus: Tarjun, S Kalimantan, Indonesia, 11 – 15 Nov
496. Orange-bellied Flowerpecker Dicaeum trigonostigma: Cirebon, Java, Indonesia, 5-12 Apr
497. Scarlet-headed Flowerpecker Dicaeum trochileum: Cirebon, Java, Indonesia, 5-12 Apr
498. Blood-breasted Flowerpecker Dicaeum sanguinolentum: Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park, Java, Indonesia, 9 Nov
499. Asian Fairy-bluebird Irena puella: Tarjun, S Kalimantan, Indonesia, 11 – 15 Nov
500. Oriental White-eye Zosterops palpebrosus: Muara Angke, Java, Indonesia, 13 Apr
501. MOUNTAIN WHITE-EYE Zosterops montanus: Cibodas Botanical Garden, Java, Indonesia, 8 Nov
502. Javan Grey-throated White-eye Lophozosterops javanicus: Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park, Java, Indonesia, 9 Nov
503. Hedge Accentor Prunella modularis: Leimen, BW, Germany, 9 Jan
504. Alpine Accentor Prunella collaris: Les Baux, Provence, France 31 Dec – last addition to 2013 year list
505. White Wagtail Motacilla alba: Pont du Gard, Provence, 4 Jan
506. Pied Wagtail Motacilla yarrellii: Lezardrieux, Bretagne, France, 27 Aug
507. Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea: somewhere en route through France, 5 Jan
508. Blue-headed Wagtail Motacilla flava: Wagbachniederung, BW, Germany, 19 Apr
509. Grey-headed Wagtail Motacilla thunbergi: Karrendorfer Wiesen, MV, Germany, 17 Aug
510. Ashy-headed Wagtail Motacilla cinereocapilla: Dümmer, NI, Germany, 26 Apr – self-found vagrant!
511. British Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flavissima: Wagbachniederung, BW, Germany, 19 Apr – self-found vagrant!
512. Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis: Camargue, Provence, France, 1 Jan
513. Water Pipit Anthus spinoletta: Wagbachniederung, BW, Germany, 19 Apr
514. Eurasian Rock Pipit Anthus petrosus: Cote du Granit Rose, Bretagne, France, 26 Aug
515. Tree Pipit Anthus trivialis: Schelklingen, BW, Germany, 3 May
516. Red-throated Pipit Anthus cervinus: Heidelberg, BW, Germany, 19 Sep
517. Paddyfield Pipit Anthus rufulus: Singapore airport, Singapore, 4 Apr
518. Tawny Pipit Anthus campestris: Berzdorfer See, SN, Germany, 30 May
519. Bohemian Waxwing Bombycilla garrulus: Bönninghardt, NW, Germany, 8 Jan – #100
520. Yellowhammer Emberiza citrinella: Camargue, Provence, France, 5 Jan
521. Cirl Bunting Emberiza cirlus: Rüdesheim, HE, Germany, 14 Jun
522. Ortolan Bunting Emberiza hortulana: Belziger Landschaftswiesen, BB, Germany, 9 May
523. Rock Bunting Emberiza cia: Rüdesheim, HE, Germany, 14 Jun
524. Common Reed Bunting Emberiza schoeniclus: Camargue, Provence, France, 1 Jan
525. Corn Bunting Emberiza calandra: Belziger Landschaftswiesen, BB, Germany, 9 May
526. Common Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs: Camargue, Provence, France, 1 Jan
527. Brambling Fringilla montifringilla: Leimen, BW, Germany, 10 Jan
528. Desert Finch Rhodospiza obsoleta: Shetpe, Mangghystau Province, Kazakhstan, 07 – 10 Oct
529. Scarlet Rosefinch Carpodacus erythrinus: Raciborovice Gòrne, Lower Silesia, Poland, 31 May
530. European Greenfinch Chloris chloris. Camargue, Provence, France, 1 Jan
531. Red Crossbill Loxia curvirostra: Schelklingen, BW, Germany, 3 May
532. Lesser Redpoll Acanthis cabaret: Heidelberg, BW, Germany, 23 Feb
533. Eurasian Siskin Spinus spinus: Dinslaken, NW, Germany, 8 Jan
534. European Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis: Camargue, Provence, France, 1 Jan
535. Twite Carduelis flavirostris: Heidelberg, BW, Germany, 21 Jan – very exceptional inland record
536. Common Linnet Carduelis cannabina: Camargue, Provence, France, 5 Jan
537. Citril Finch Serinus citrinella: Schliffkopf, BW, Germany, 1 Jun
538. European Serin Serinus serinus: Heidelberg, BW, Germany 4 Feb
539. MOUNTAIN SERIN Serinus estherae: Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park, Java, Indonesia, 9 Nov
540. Eurasian Bullfinch Pyrrhula pyrrhula: Leimen, BW, Germany, 7 Jan
541. Hawfinch Coccothraustes coccothraustes: Heidelberg, BW, Germany, 6 Jan
542. House Sparrow Passer domesticus: Camargue, Provence, France, 1 Jan
543. Spanish Sparrow Passer hispaniolensis: Shetpe, Mangghystau Province, Kazakhstan, 07 – 10 Oct
544. Eurasian Tree Sparrow Passer montanus: Camargue, Provence, France, 1 Jan
545. Rock Sparrow Petronia petronia: Pont du Gard, Provence, France, 4 Jan
546. Tawny-breasted Parrotfinch Erythrura hyperythra: Cibodas Botanical Garden, Java, Indonesia, 8 Nov
547. Java Sparrow Padda oryzivora: Cirebon, Java, Indonesia, 5-12 Apr
548. Java Munia Lonchura leucogastroides: Cirebon, Java, Indonesia, 5-12 Apr
549. Scaly-breasted Munia Lonchura punctulata: Cirebon, Java, Indonesia, 5-12 Apr
550. White-headed Munia Lonchura maja: Jakarta, Java, Indonesia, 5 Apr
551. Dusky Munia Lonchura fuscans: Tarjun, S Kalimantan, Indonesia, 11 – 15 Nov
552. WHITE-BELLIED MUNIA Lonchura leucogastra: Tarjun, S Kalimantan, Indonesia, 11 – 15 Nov
553. Chestnut Munia Lonchura atricapilla: Tarjun, S Kalimantan, Indonesia, 11 – 15 Nov