Outlook and goals for 2015
I started year-listing three years ago, with previous listing ambitions having been limited to my life list. While it’s been a fun ride, and while I certainly will continue to keep year lists for the time being, it seems appropriate to quickly reflect on the three reasons I gave way back in 2012 to get involved in the game:
- Show Corey how the cow eats the cabbage (revenge for him seeing a Grace’s Warbler in NY on Jan 1st during a time when I was scarcely seeing anything but House Sparrows)
- Re-connect with many common or regular WP birds I hadn’t seen in many years through sheer neglect, focussing on regular German species.
- Take advantage of upcoming business/birding trips abroad which might lead to rather high year totals (after scarcely getting over 250 for quite some years).
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So, how did I do in the last three years?
I have beaten Corey three times in a row and now consider the Grace’s Warbler incident avenged.
During the last three years, I managed to see the vast majority of regular WP birds I had seen pre-2012, with very few regular German species left (e.g. Red-breasted Goose and Capercaille). Major European gaps are now limited to species whose ranges are restricted to areas I haven’t been able to visit, e.g. northern Scandinavia, mainland Spain, or Turkey. Therefore, I also consider this mission to be accomplished.
Two year lists of over 550 and one exceeding 600 are amazing by my standards, and the only time I reached comparable numbers was during the 1990s when I frequently visited Scandinavia and southern Africa. I guess that goal is also reached, with a very bright outlook onto the future.
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The ability to look back on the last three years of year-listing with a deep feeling of satisfaction certainly has implications on my targets for 2015, which I thus define as follows:
- In order to allow myself more freedom in my birding endeavors, I will actively NOT try to beat Corey. I will also not try to beat Corey subconsciously.
- To have at least some numerical motivation, I’ll try and surpass 500 species again.
- After neglecting my participation in ornitho.de (the German equivalent to eBird) in the second half of 2014, I will try and enter more than 8,000 observations in 2015.
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The outlook for 2015 is rather bright again, albeit slightly less definite than in the previous years. The year started out fine on the beautiful and birdy island of Mallorca. I have an invitation to visit Indonesia again in October or November, and family trips are fixed for the Black Forest in February, NE Germany in August, and Mallorca as a very likely destination in late December once more. Kazakhstan might happen again, and I hope to make it to a new destination either in S Asia or in Africa, but that’s not so likely.
The overall lay-out and structure of this year list follows the previous lists from 2013 and 2014.
Diving into a new birding year!
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The birding diary
January
Jan 1: We start the year slowly in Sant Elm, Mallorca. “Slowly” however means that I observe Gannets, Shags, Audouin’s Gulls and Red Crossbills without even leaving the bungalow. Oh, birding Mallorca sure can be nice. After a long breakfast, we take a walk to a former watch tower just north of Sant Elm. I fail to find the hoped-for Balearic Warbler (none during the entire trip), but the local Osprey, a blue rock Thrush and a brookei-Peregrine make this failure less painful. In the afternoon, we visit Palma with friends. The biggest attraction for me of course is not the cathedal but the 4 Booted Eagles I see en route… Birders!
Jan 2: Another very quiet day on Mallorca spent only in Sant elm and with our friends in Peguera.
Jan 3: A fine long birding day. We traverse the island towards the Safari Park near Sa Coma. Near Manacor, two Spotless Starlings are the first i see since 2001. The Safari Park is also quite interesting, with large numbers of common passerines (e.g. Serin, Meadow Pipits) and no less than 16 Hoopoes, clearly taking advantage of the many “pellets”. After the Safari Park, we visit the beach at Port d’Alcudia and are amazed: the entire tourist infrastructure there is abandoned for the winter and resembles old Ghost Towns from the Wild West. The beach is great, with an Audouin’s Gull and a surprise Arctic Diver. After some time on the beach, the family grants me a short stray into the famous S’Albufera reserve, and we walk along the canal at the entrance. Sadly no Knob-billed Coot, but Purple Swamphens show very well, my first after 2001.
Jan 4: We drive north towards the large bay at Port de Pollenca to give our son a last day at the beach. Birding along the route and the beach is quite nice, with some Booted Eagles again, Sandwich Terns, and many Crag Martins. A visit to Cala St Vincente sadly does not reveal any Balearic Warblers, but the sea produces many goodies, most notably a group of 8 Balearic Shearwaters which can be seen nicely from the short.
Jan 5: An early morning’s departure for the airport. En route, I spot one of the largest flocks of Starlings I have seen, measuring approximately 1.3 km in length. My estimate of 130.000 is likely a vast underestimate. The drive along the German autobahn from Frankfurt to Heidelberg produces my first woodpecker of the year: a Black Woodpecker. Corey is not going to like this…
Jan 6 to 12: In line with my wanting to take it slow this year, I only do “light” birding from my office window, balcony etc. and therefore add only a few common garden birds to my year list. The grey weather doesn’t help.
Jan 13: Finally a sunny day in Heidelberg, after yet another long period of 100% cloud cover. I spend the day looking out of my office windows … er … working really hard. Nothing special, but it is nice to see a landscape in colours on such a spring-like day.
Jan 14: A short visit to a site in the Odenwald nearby. Due to the clouds and the rain, there is not much pleasure in birds to be found, just some common “firsts”.
Jan 17: Running some errands in downtown Heidelberg leaves me with enough time to quickly check the banks of the river Neckar. The usual feral waterfowl assemblage is joined this time by a flock of more than 200 Black-headed Gulls, which I scan – fruitlessly – for anything special. A Goosander on the river is a nice surprise.
Jan 19: Our landscape is covered in powdered sugar, a mixture of hoar frost and frozen fog. Upon entering my office and glancing out of my window, I notice a “Starling” with a strange flight style. A peek through my binoculars confirms this is a lone Waxwing, a very sweet bird for a non-influx year!
Jan 23: A rather strong snow storm crushes our plans of visiting Frankfurt. Dropping a few parcels off at the post office leads to my first of the year Long-tailed Tits.
Jan 24: The darkness continues, and we rejoice at every minute we can see blue skies or even – gasp! – the sun. During an epic snow ball fight with my son in the fields south of Pfaffengrund, I observe a small flock of Skylarks – firsts for the year – and some Meadow Pipits, both of which aren’t bad for January.
Jan 26: A nice day of “office birding” thanks to a Black Woodpecker flying by less than 20 m outside my window and a large flock of Linnets.
Jan 28: Around noon I depart for a two-nights business trip to Hannover and arrive there just in time to twitch a Ruddy Duck on the Große Koldinger See. Another highlight is a huge female Goshawk fighting with and dwarfing a Common Buzzard! Possibly the most impressive Goshawk I’ve ever seen.
Jan 29: A boring office day at Hannover yields a few Herring Gulls outside the windows.
Jan 30: The drive back allows me to check for a dodgy Red-breasted Goose that had been hanging around with Greylag and Egyptian Geese near the Silbersee Roxheim. It isn’t there anymore, which I don’t really mind as I’d prefer to see a non-dodgy one after such a long time.
The Blue Tit is the best winter bird in the world – even on cloudy days
February
Feb 05: A Lesser Spotted Woodpecker outside my office window, at less than 5 m, is the best one in quite a few years.
Feb 08: A very peculiar change in the colour of the sky has occurred during the last two days. We are occasionally seeing hints of an unearthly blue through the greyness, and these spots of blue are lacking the familiar structure and pattern of our usual carpet of clouds. I guess it’s the end of the world as we know it… Anyway, a short visit with family and friends at the Lingentaler Hof includes a short walk through the adjacent forests and fields and also short bursts of sunlight through spots of blue skies, and last but not least some nice first-of-year tits and yellowhammers, all of which are sadly heard-onlys.
Feb 09: We fade to grey – again…
Feb 11: Still, grey skies dominate. A Red Kite, my personal “sign of spring”, flies by the office.
Feb 15 – 20: A short family holiday in Trichtingen, 20 minutes south of Stuttgart, mostly spent at our vacation home with short walks in the immediate surroundings and a short trip to Stuttgart zoo. Beautiful days with a feeder on the balcony, Bullfinches, Willow Tits, Lesser Redpolls etc.
Feb 24: Back at the office, a nice day reaches its climax with 14 bramblings flying through. Not the millions at the known roosts near Lörrach or in Hessen, but I am not complaining.
Feb 25: during an “official” visit to the nearby Leimen quarry, I finally see my Eagle Owl of the year – more than expected but nice nonetheless.
Feb 26: An uneventful day trip to Wetzlar for a meeting with no time for birding but a very early Black Kite over the Autobahn near Mannheim.
This very confiding European Robin was one of the great feeder birds we had during our week at Trichtingen.
March
Mar 05: The weather has improved and the first clear signs of spring are showing up, e.g. my first Chiffchaff for Germany a few days ago here in Leimen. Today, a Middle Spotted Woodpecker flew by my office. Not unexpected but good nonetheless.
Mar 09: It seems the dark age has come to an end, and it is not so infrequent now to see blue skies over Heidelberg. On my drive home from work, two cranes fly low towards the north. Nice but not exceedingly rare for the Heidelberg area.
Mar 18: Slow month, but a short vacation (probably to northern Italy) is not too far off. Today, the weather is spectacular, with clear blue skies and spring-like temperatures reaching close to 20°C. Very good migration outside my office window, with quite some nice raptors and a first-of-year Woodlark.
We had joy, we had fun, we had Kestrels in the sun
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April
Apr 02: Our plans to rent a caravan and head off to northern Italy for 10 days are thwarted when we all – the entire family – are down with influenza! Well, effing great: instead of Short-toed Snake-eagles and a try at one of my last European potential lifers (stone partridge), we spend 10 days at home in bed trying to survive and not kill each other in a bout of cabin fever.
Apr 08: While I am sick, I may as well spend a day at the office to send a few urgent reports out. Well, the first swallow of the spring – Barn Swallow of course – is some miniature consolation for missing out on the birds of northern Italy.
Apr 09: Since this is the first day none of us has fever, we quickly pack our things and go on a spontaneous short trip to Prague to get at least something out of this year’s Easter holidays. Due to our departing in the afternoon, we only make it to Nürnberg on our first day, where we spend the night in a hotel near the inner city.
Apr 10: We arrive in Prague around noon and visit the castle area and inner city, afte enjoying some Pilsener goulash and Urquell beer.
Apr 11: A day at the wonderful Prague zoo, where I get to see my first-ever Shoebill (yes, of course it doesn’t count – but it is such a cool bird) and my first-of-year Common Redstart.
Apr 12: We depart Prague around noon, stop over at Amberg for lunch, and are back in Heidelberg at 17:00, very tired after such an exhausting short trip, but happy we were able to do anything at all this Easter.
Apr 13: first day back at the office, and a nice spring day it is, too. blackcaps are singing in force, the trees are in bloom, and this year’s birding has been so ridiculous that I really need to do something about it. Luckily, my field survey period will start soon, and times are bound to change for the better. The last 3 weeks have been way too depressing…
Apr 17: Finally, finally, finally … some birding! I quickly visit the sand dunes near Sandhausen to look for a reported Ortolan Bunting and find two! Very sweet species for this neck of Germany. Afterwards, I lead a guided tour near Nussloch which also yields a few first-of-year migrants, most notably heard-only Wrynecks. Birding sure feels good!
Apr 20: A business trip to Schelklingen allows for a quick visit of the Gundelfinger Moos, which is just brilliant. In the best weather imaginable, I find year bird after year bird. An evening tour near Schelklingen is also great, with a calling Long-eared Owl (the first in many, many years) and a breeding Eagle Owl.
Apr 21: Before departing back towards Heidelberg, I visit the Schmiechener See which also has amazing birds in equally amazing weather, with the highlight being a Jacksnipe spooked by a hunting Red Kite.
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Statistics and maps
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The almighty list
The list for species seen in the WP will follow the taxonomy of Clements (as provided on the site www.club300.de) while I will add species seen outside (e.g. hopefully in Indonesia) to the bottom of the list in the order that is most convenient (most likely order of appearance in a field guide), just like I did in 2014.
Abbreviations for German “Bundesländer” (states, provinces, whatever…):
BW: Baden-Württemberg
BY: Bayern
HE: Hessen
MV: Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
NI: Niedersachsen
RP: Rheinland-Pfalz
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- Greater White-fronted Goose Anser albifrons: Mooswaldsee NW, BY, Germany, 20 Apr
- Greylag Goose Anser anser: Port de Pollenca, Mallorca, Spain, 4 Jan
- Canada Goose Branta canadensis: Heidelberg, BW, Germany, 17 Jan
- Mute Swan Cygnus olor: Mosbach, BW, Germany, 14 Jan
- Egyptian Goose Alopochen aegyptiaca: Heidelberg, BW, Germany, 5 Jan
- Ruddy Duck Tadorna ferruginea: Mooswaldsee NW, BY, Germany, 20 Apr
- Gadwall Anas strepera: S’Albufera, Mallorca, Spain, 3 Jan
- Mallard Anas platyrhynchos: Palma de Mallorca, Mallorca, Spain, 1 Jan
- Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata: S’Albufera, Mallorca, Spain, 3 Jan
- Garganey Anas querquedula: Mooswaldsee NW, BY, Germany, 20 Apr
- Common Teal Anas crecca: Mooswaldsee NW, BY, Germany, 20 Apr
- Red-crested Pochard Netta rufina: Mooswaldsee NW, BY, Germany, 20 Apr
- Common Pochard Aythya ferina: Großer Koldinger See, NI, Germany, 28 Jan
- Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula: Großer Koldinger See, NI, Germany, 28 Jan
- Common Goldeneye Bucephala clangula: Großer Koldinger See, NI, Germany, 28 Jan
- Smew Mergellus albellus: Großer Koldinger See, NI, Germany, 28 Jan
- Common Merganser Mergus merganser: Heidelberg, BW, Germany, 17 Jan
- Ruddy Duck Oxyura jamaicensis: Großer Koldinger See, NI, Germany, 28 Jan – my fist in Europe
- Grey Partridge Perdix perdix: Kriegsheim, RP, Germany, 15 Jun
- Common Quail Coturnix coturnix: Münsingen, BW, Germany, 18 May
- Common Pheasant Phasianus colchicus: Heidelberg, BW, Germany, 4 Feb
- Arctic Diver Gavia arctica: Port d’Alcudia, Mallorca, Spain, 3 Jan
- Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis: Vohenstrauß, BY, Germany, 10 Apr
- Red-necked Grebe Podiceps grisegena: Binz, MV, Germany, 10 Aug
- Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus: Großer Koldinger See, NI, Germany, 28 Jan
- Black-necked Grebe Podiceps nigricollis: Mooswaldsee NW, BY, Germany, 20 Apr
- Cory’s Shearwater Calonectris diomedea: Cala St Vincenc, Mallorca, Spain, 4 Jan
- Balearic Shearwater Puffinus mauretanicus: Cala St Vincenc, Mallorca, Spain, 4 Jan
- Black Stork Ciconia nigra: Heidelberg, BW, Germany, 26 Apr
- White Stork Ciconia ciconia: Heidelberg, BW, Germany, 16 Jan
- Northern Gannet Morus bassanus: Sant Elm, Mallorca, Spain, 1 Jan
- Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo: Palma de Mallorca, Mallorca, Spain, 1 Jan
- European Shag Phalacrocorax aristotelis: Sant Elm, Mallorca, Spain, 1 Jan
- Grey Heron Ardea cinerea: S’Albufera, Mallorca, Spain, 3 Jan
- Purple Heron Ardea purpurea: Wagbachniederung, BW, Germany, 4 May
- Great Egret Ardea alba: Port de Pollenca, Mallorca, Spain, 4 Jan
- Little Egret Egretta garzetta: Port d’Alcudia, Mallorca, Spain, 3 Jan
- Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis: Sant Elm, Mallorca, Spain, 1 Jan
- Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax: S’Albufera, Mallorca, Spain, 3 Jan
- Osprey Pandion haliaetus: Sant Elm, Mallorca, Spain, 1 Jan
- European Honey Buzzard Pernis apivorus: Leimen, BW, Germany, 13 May
- Red Kite Milvus milvus: Leimen, BW, Germany, 11 Feb
- Black Kite Milvus migrans: near Mannheim, BW, Germany, 26 Feb
- White-tailed Eagle Haliaeetus albicilla: Gasin, MV, Germany, 8 Aug
- Western Marsh Harrier, Circus aeruginosus: Port de Pollenca, Mallorca, Spain, 4 Jan
- Pallid Harrier Circus macrourus: Adlum, NI, Germany, 21 Sep
- Eurasian Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus: near Port de Pollenca, Mallorca, Spain, 4 Jan
- Northern Goshawk Accipiter gentilis: Großer Koldinger See, NI, Germany, 28 Jan
- Common Buzzard Buteo buteo: south of Frankfurt airport, HE, Germany, 5 Jan
- Booted Eagle Hieraaetus pennatus: near Palma, Mallorca, Spain, 1 Jan
- Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus: near Palma, Mallorca, Spain, 1 Jan
- Red-footed Falcon Falco vespertinus: Leimen, BW, Germany, 9 Sep
- Merlin Falco columbarius: Adlum, NI, Germany, 21 Sep
- Eurasian Hobby Falco subbuteo: Sandhausen, BW, Germany, 17 Apr
- Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus: Sant Elm, Mallorca, Spain, 1 Jan
- Water Rail Rallus aquaticus: Schmiechener See, BW, Germany, 21 Apr
- Baillon’s Crake Porzana pusilla: Schmiechener See, BW, Germany, 18 May
- Spotted Crake Porzana porzana: Schmiechener See, BW, Germany, 4 May
- Purple Swamphen Porphyrio porphyrio: S’Albufera, Mallorca, Spain, 3 Jan
- Eurasian Moorhen Gallinula chloropus: S’Albufera, Mallorca, Spain, 3 Jan
- Eurasian Coot Fulica atra: S’Albufera, Mallorca, Spain, 3 Jan
- Common Crane Grus grus: Heidelberg, BW, Germany, 9 Mar
- Eurasian Stone-curlew Burhinus oedicnemus: somewhere in BW, Germany, 29 Apr
- Northern Lapwing Vanellus vanellus: somewhere west of Prague, Czech Republic, 12 Apr
- Common Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula: Wagbachniederung, BW, Germany, 28 May
- Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius: Mooswaldsee NW, BY, Germany, 20 Apr
- Eurasian Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus: Hannover, NI, Germany, 6 Jun
- Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos: Schmiechener See, BW, Germany, 30 Apr
- Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus: Burglengenfeld, BY, Germany, 17 Jul
- Spotted Redshank Tringa erythropus: Schurrsee, BY, Germany, 20 Apr
- Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia: Mooswaldsee NW, BY, Germany, 20 Apr
- Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola: Schurrsee, BY, Germany, 20 Apr
- Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus: Mooswaldsee NW, BY, Germany, 20 Apr
- Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata: Schurrsee, BY, Germany, 20 Apr
- Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa: Schurrsee, BY, Germany, 20 Apr
- Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres: Binz, MV, Germany, 10 Aug
- Ruff Calidris pugnax: Schurrsee, BY, Germany, 20 Apr
- Jacksnipe Lymnocryptes minimus: Schmiechener See, BW, Germany, 21 Apr
- Common Snipe Gallinago gallinago: Schurrsee, BY, Germany, 20 Apr
- Eurasian Woodcock Scolopax rusticola: Michelstadt, HE, Germany, 24 May
- Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus: Palma de Mallorca, Mallorca, Spain, 1 Jan
- Little Gull Hydrocoloeus minutus: St. Tropez, Cote d’Azur, France, 30 Dec
- Audouin’s Gull Ichthyaetus audouinii: Sant Elm, Mallorca, Spain, 1 Jan
- Common Gull Larus canus: Weinheim, BW, Germany, 5 Jan
- Herring Gull Larus argentatus: Hannover, NI, Germany, 29 Jan
- Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis: Sant Elm, Mallorca, Spain, 1 Jan
- Caspian Gull Larus cachinnans: Malchow, MV, Germany, 15 Aug
- Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus: Binz, MV, Germany, 10 Aug
- Great Black-backed Gull Larus marinus: Binz, MV, Germany, 9 Aug
- Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia: Binz, MV, Germany, 9 Aug
- Common Tern Sterna hirundo: Schurrsee, BY, Germany, 20 Apr
- Sandwich Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis: Port de Pollenca, Mallorca, Spain, 4 Jan
- Common Pigeon Columba livia: Sant Elm, Mallorca, Spain, 1 Jan
- Stock Dove Columba oenas: Leimen, BW, Germany, 12 Feb
- Common Wood Pigeon Columba palumbus: Sant Elm, Mallorca, Spain, 1 Jan
- European Turtle Dove Streptopelia turtur: Wagbachniederung, BW, Germany, 4 May
- Eurasian Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto: Sant Elm, Mallorca, Spain, 1 Jan
- Rose-ringed Parakeet Psittacula krameri: Heidelberg, BW, Germany, 5 Jan
- Common Cuckoo Cuculus canorus: Mooswaldsee, BY, Germany, 20 Apr
- Eurasian Eagle Owl Bubo bubo: Leimen, BW, Germany, 25 Feb
- Tawny Owl Strix aluco: Blaubeuren, BW, Germany, 4 May
- Long-eared Owl Asio otus: Schelklingen, BW, Germany, 21 Apr
- Alpine Swift Apus melba: Lörrach, BW, Germany, 11 Jun
- Common Swift Apus apus: Sandhausen, BW, Germany, 17 Apr
- Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis: S’Albufera, Mallorca, Spain, 3 Jan
- European Bee-eater Merops apiaster: Neuenburg am Rhein, BW, Germany, 29 Apr
- Eurasian Hoopoe Upupa epops: around Manacor, Mallorca, Spain, 3 Jan
- Eurasian Wryneck Jynx torquilla: Nussloch, BW, Germany, 17 Apr
- Lesser Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos minor: Leimen, BW, Germany, 5 Feb
- Middle Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos medius: Leimen, BW, Germany, 5 Mar
- Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major: Heidelberg, BW, Germany, 11 Jan
- Black Woodpecker Dryocopus martius: south of Frankfurt airport, HE, Germany, 5 Jan
- European Green Woodpecker Picus viridis: Leimen, BW, Germany, 7 Jan
- Grey-headed Woodpecker Picus canus: Leimen, BW, Germany, 14 Apr
- Red-backed Shrike Lanius collurio: Münsingen, BW, Germany, 18 May
- Eurasian Golden Oriole Oriolus oriolus: Wetzlar, HE, Germany, 22 May
- Eurasian Jay Garrulus glandarius: Heidelberg, BW, Germany, 13 Jan
- Eurasian Magpie Pica pica: south of Frankfurt airport, HE, Germany, 5 Jan
- Western Jackdaw Corvus monedula: Heidelberg, BW, Germany, 11 Jan
- Rook Corvus frugilegus: Heidelberg, BW, Germany, 11 Jan
- Carrion Crow Corvus corone: south of Frankfurt airport, HE, Germany, 5 Jan
- Hooded Crow Corvus cornix: Binz, MV, Germany, 9 Aug
- Northern Raven Corvus corax: Port de Pollenca, Mallorca, Spain, 4 Jan
- Bearded Reedling Panurus biarmicus: Wagbachniederung, BW, Germany, 4 May
- Crested Lark Galerida cristata: Waghäusel, BW, Germany, 4 May
- Thekla Lark Galerida theklae: around Palma airport, Mallorca, Spain, 3 Jan
- Eurasian Skylark Alauda arvensis: Heidelberg, BW, Germany, 24 Jan
- Woodlark Lullula arborea: Leimen, BW, Germany, 18 Mar
- Sand Martin Riparia riparia: Schurrsee, BY, Germany, 20 Apr
- Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica: Leimen, BW, Germany, 8 Apr
- Eurasian Crag Martin Ptyonoprogne rupestris: Port d’Alcudia, Mallorca, Spain, 3 Jan
- Common House Martin Delichon urbicum: Nussloch, BW, Germany, 17 Apr
- Marsh Tit Poecile palustris: Mosbach, BW, Germany, 14 Jan
- Willow Tit Poecile montanus: Lingentaler Hof, BW, Germany, 08 Feb
- Coal Tit Periparus ater: Lingentaler Hof, BW, Germany, 08 Feb
- European Crested Tit Lophophanes cristatus: Trichtingen, BW, Germany, 16 Feb
- Great Tit Parus major: Sant Elm, Mallorca, Spain, 1 Jan
- Eurasian Blue Tit Cyanistes caeruleus: Sant Elm, Mallorca, Spain, 1 Jan
- Eurasian Penduline Tit Remiz pendulinus: Nussloch, BW, Germany, 17 Apr
- Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus: Heidelberg, BW, Germany, 23 Jan
- Eurasian Nuthatch Sitta europaea: Mosbach, BW, Germany, 14 Jan
- Eurasian Treecreeper Certhia familiaris: Trichtingen, BW, Germany, 16 Feb
- Short-toed Treecreeper Certhia brachydactyla: Großer Koldinger See, NI, Germany, 28 Jan
- Eurasian Wren Troglodytes troglodytes: Leimen, BW, Germany, 7 Jan
- White-throated Dipper Cinclus cinclus: Blaubeuren, BW, Germany, 4 May
- Common Goldcrest Regulus regulus: Leimen, BW, Germany, 7 Jan
- Firecrest Regulus ignicapilla: Sant Elm, Mallorca, Spain, 1 Jan
- Cetti’s Warbler Cettia cetti: S’Albufera, Mallorca, Spain, 3 Jan
- Willow Warbler Phylloscopus trochilus: Mooswaldsee NW, BY, Germany, 20 Apr
- Common Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita: Safari Park near Sa Coma, Mallorca, Spain, 3 Jan
- Wood Warbler Phylloscopus sibilatrix: Mooswaldsee NW, BY, Germany, 20 Apr
- Melodious Warbler Hippolais polyglotta: Neuleiningen, RP, Germany, 15 Jun
- Icterine Warbler Hippolais icterina: Bensheim, HE, Germany, 25 May
- Sedge Warbler Acrocephalus schoenobaenus: Wagbachniederung, BW, Germany, 4 May
- Eurasian Reed Warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus: Mooswaldsee NW, BY, Germany, 20 Apr
- Marsh Warbler Acrocephalus palustris: Heidelberg, BW, Germany, 18 May
- Great Reed Warbler Acrocephalus arundinaceus: Plessenteich, BY, Germany, 19 May
- Common Grasshopper Warbler Locustella naevia: Schelklingen, BW, Germany, 30 Apr
- Eurasian Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla: Leimen, BW, Germany, 13 Apr
- Garden Warbler Sylvia borin: Mooswaldsee NW, BY, Germany, 20 Apr
- Lesser Whitethroat Sylvia curruca: Schmiechener See, BW, Germany, 21 Apr
- Sardinian Warbler Sylvia melanocephala: Sant Elm, Mallorca, Spain, 1 Jan
- Common Whitethroat Sylvia communis: Leimen, BW, Germany, 14 Apr
- Spotted Flycatcher Muscicapa striata: Bensheim, HE, Germany, 25 May
- European Robin Erithacus rubecula: Sant Elm, Mallorca, Spain, 1 Jan
- Common Nightingale Luscinia megarhynchos: Heidelberg, BW, Germany, 20 Apr
- Bluethroat Luscinia svecica: Hannover, NI, Germany, 6 Jun
- European Pied Flycatcher Ficedula hypoleuca: Hannover, NI, Germany, 3 May
- Collared Flycatcher Ficedula albicollis: Schurrsee, BY, Germany, 20 Apr
- Common Redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus: Prague zoo, Czech Republic, 11 Apr
- Black Redstart Phoenicurus ochruros: Sant Elm, Mallorca, Spain, 1 Jan
- Blue Rock Thrush Monticola solitarius: Sant Elm, Mallorca, Spain, 1 Jan
- Whinchat Saxicola rubetra: Schmiechener See, BW, Germany, 30 Apr
- European Stonechat Saxicola rubicola: Sant Elm, Mallorca, Spain, 1 Jan
- Northern Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe: Hannover, NI, Germany, 1 May
- Ring Ouzel Turdus torquatus: Schelklingen, BW, Germany, 20 Apr
- Common Blackbird Turdus merula: Sant Elm, Mallorca, Spain, 1 Jan
- Fieldfare Turdus pilaris: Heidelberg, BW, Germany, 28 Jan
- Redwing Turdus iliacus: Leimen, BW, Germany, 2 Mar
- Song Thrush Turdus philomelos: S’Albufera, Mallorca, Spain, 3 Jan
- Mistle Thrush Turdus viscivorus: Leimen, BW, Germany, 19 Jan
- Common Starling Sturnus vulgaris: Sant Elm – Palma, Mallorca, Spain, 1 Jan
- Hedge Accentor Prunella modularis: S’Albufera, Mallorca, Spain, 3 Jan
- Blue-headed Wagtail Motacilla flava: Mooswaldsee NW, BY, Germany, 20 Apr
- Grey-headed Wagtail Motacilla thunbergi: Clauen, NI, Germany, 21 Sep
- Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea: Sant Elm, Mallorca, Spain, 3 Jan
- White Wagtail Motacilla alba: Palma, Mallorca, Spain, 1 Jan
- Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis: Safari Park near Sa Coma, Mallorca, Spain, 3 Jan
- Tree Pipit Anthus trivialis: Nussloch, BW, Germany, 17 Apr
- Red-throated Pipit Anthus cervinus: Heidelberg, BW, Germany, 7 Sep
- Water Pipit Anthus spinoletta: Schurrsee, BY, Germany, 20 Apr
- Bohemian Waxwing Bombycilla garrulus: Leimen, BW, Germany, 20 Jan
- Yellowhammer Emberiza citrinella: Lingentaler Hof, BW, Germany, 08 Feb
- Ortolan Bunting Emberiza hortulana: Sandhausen, BW, Germany, 17 Apr
- Common Reed Bunting Emberiza schoeniclus: Mooswaldsee NW, BY, Germany, 20 Apr
- Corn Bunting Emberiza calandra: Heidelberg, BW, Germany, 14 May
- Common Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs: Sant Elm, Mallorca, Spain, 1 Jan
- Brambling Fringilla montifringilla: Leimen, BW, Germany, 24 Feb
- European Greenfinch Chloris chloris: Sant Elm, Mallorca, Spain, 1 Jan
- Red Crossbill Loxia curvirostra: Sant Elm, Mallorca, Spain, 1 Jan
- Lesser Redpoll Acanthis cabaret: Trichtingen, BW, Germany, 16 Feb
- Eurasian Siskin Spinus spinus: Großer Koldinger See, NI, Germany, 28 Jan
- European Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis: Sant Elm, Mallorca, Spain, 1 Jan
- Common Linnet Carduelis cannabina: Sant Elm, Mallorca, Spain, 1 Jan
- European Serin Serinus serinus: Palma, Mallorca, Spain, 1 Jan
- Eurasian Bullfinch Pyrrhula pyrrhula: Trichtingen, BW, Germany, 16 Feb
- Hawfinch Coccothraustes coccothraustes: Leimen, BW, Germany, 19 Jan
- House Sparrow Passer domesticus: Sant Elm, Mallorca, Spain, 1 Jan
- Eurasian Tree Sparrow Passer montanus: Trichtingen, BW, Germany, 17
Please don’t beat me in any way…
You mean that sticks and stones may break your bones but lists can never hurt you?
Good Luck and most importantly…have fun! 🙂
Thanks, Clare – the same to you. So far the “have fun” part is working out well…