Tits et al. | Meisen et al.
Unlike puritan US-American people I am not afraid of tits – nor are my children or my wife – which is a rather good thing, because otherwise she would scream any moment she sees one ...!
Each winter we feed our songbirds. The family and myself truely enjoy watching them chirping and floating around and
I take pictures through the windows sometimes. The condition of our windows is partly responsible for the blurryness of some pictures below. It's not enough to make me clean them though ...
Where we live, we get most often the Great Tit (above, Kohlmeise, Parus major) and the Blue Tit (below, Blaumeise, Parus caeruleus) at the feeders. These two species also like to nest in the many bird houses we hung up. Without distracting from their beauty it can be said that they are pretty common over here.
These two Blue Tits had a good fight above some left over seeds from my Parrot, who had been sitting around on the terrace (the seeds, not the Parrot) together with other organic trash, waiting for lazy Falk to carry them away ...
The Blue Tit above is on its way to feed its chickens – behind a board IN our front door! The whole thing is chirping now! A crazy spot for building a nest for sure ...
Some other Tits are most obvious in the midst of the winter, when greater numbers come down from Scandinavia, the Baltics or Russia, to evade the even harsher climate up north and east. One of the cutest little Tit must be the tiny but Long-tailed Tit (Schwanzmeise, Aegithalos caudatus). Their tender fluteing sounds, short little beak, long tail and often up-side-down position far out on the branches, are always a delight to hear and see. My photos from this Tits were taken when they were high up in tall oak trees ...
Always close to the conifer trees in the woods at the village we have the Coal Tit (Tannenmeise, Parus ater). Even though my picture is underexposed due to low light conditions and back lighting, the dull black hood and the big black patch below the beak are obvious. Note some white feathers in the top neck region, those are good for determination.
The Crested Tit (Haubenmeise, Parus cristatus) is not that numerous over here. But if you know where to look, you may discover her at coniferous trees, searching for seeds etc. She seems to prefer Pine over Spruce, as I only have the later around the house and very seldom see her in my garden. But in the pine trees just 200m away, there she is ...
The pic shows the almost uncropped original frame; I consider this one of my better (i.e. lucky) shots.
{9} [600mm, F7.1, 1/320s]
Not often to be seen at my place either but nevertheless present in the fields is the Willow Tit (Weidenmeise, Parus montanus).
The later is almost identical colored and thus easily confused with the Marsh Tit (Sumpfmeise, Parus palustris), which also inhabitates the place and – at least – I can show in my pic above.
We got to see the Nuthatch (Kleiber, Sitta europaea) in the garden once in a while, all year round. He is more interested in the old trees and what can be discovered there, then in our feeders per se. They do breed regularly in artifical houses, hung up in the bushes aside the village – and prefer to stay over there in the first place. Always on the move and most times high up in a tree, they are hard to photograph at all. It took me quite some time and new optics, to be able to show this picture. The Nuthatch is associated with Tits, so I placed him here. In fact, its old but more or less obsolet German name is "Spechtmeise" – which translates to 'Woodpecker Tit' (for some Woodpeckers scroll down).
Okay – I've got to extend this special Tit site for a bit more birding experiences. There wont be more Tits, but eventually other lovely sights ...?!
Our smallest bird is the Goldcrest (Wintergoldhähnchen, Regulus regulus). With a total weight of only 80 grains, they not even get close to that of a standard field point! These tiny fellows are quite often guests in our spruce trees and I think they actually nest there in summer too. Today I photographed a Goldcrest hen (yellow cap vs. orange in males) when she moved from one spruce to an other, but took a short rest in a willow (see above).
Beside our Tits flocks of Sparrows (Hausspatz, Passer domesticus + Feldspatz, P. montanus) visit the feeders most often. They'll patrol them all in the neighbourhood and can have a devastating effect on the seed supply, within minutes. I don't care as I really do like them a lot! The first picture shows a male House Sparrow left and the female at right; the second pic shows a Tree Sparrow (botch genders equally colored) in the background. Notice the dark cheeks to tell them appart from male House Sparrows.
On first sight the Dunnock (Heckenbraunelle, Prunella modularis) can be confused with a Sparrow, but then you discover its small beak and its grey tint. It's also called "Hedge Sparrow" because of the similarities, but I suggest not to use this name, as it will only support existing confusions. Only at our feeder when everything is covered deep in snow – as it is now!
The Robin (Rotkehlchen, Erithacus rubecula) is a rather shy fellow but hangs around the whole day and will wait for his turn to catch his share. Two or three of them are always in the vicinity.
The Blackbird (Amsel, Turdus merula) is the ruler at the feeder. It's rather a pest as far as the Tits are concerned, because it will sit at or in the feeder, only to prevent others from geeting their chare. One only has to look at the first picture, which says it all! However, the males orange beak and sharply contrasting midnight black feathers, provide a spot of color in our generaly dull, wet, cold and depressing winter times – so they do get away with their bad manners. BTW: the dark brown females are generally worse then the males ...
Very seldom a Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) can be watched at our feeder. They do breed at the house and are so common from spring till autumn, that I not even cared to picture them then (I need to change that). They should head down to the Mediterranian in winter, but it seems as if not every bird knows about it, as I had them here in January! The photo above was snapped in mid winter with temps way below freezing point. It shows the bird in his winter colors. They'll change for more shiny black mating colors in spring.
These Siskins (f above, m in front; Erlenzeisig, Spinus spinus) are a rare sight at my place, especially when seen just in front of the window, as in this case.
The Chaffinch (Buchfink, Fringilla coelebs) stays with us throughout the year but only takes on the feeders when a good layer of snow makes it really hard to get at some natural seeds. Depicted is a male Chaffinch which has reddish cheeks and a blue-grey neck and head, to tell him appart from the female.
A male Bullfinch top left and a female bottom left (Gimpel oder Dompfaff, Pyrrhula pyrrhula ). These too will come down in numbers from the far north during the winter, to escape cold and starvation. Especially the males neat color is true eye candy in our generally grey and trist winter and together with their tender voice the Bullfinches are an asset to our woods. The females show a brownish grey breast (not tits).
To the right we have a vintage Ornithologist Club members porcelain tobacco pipe from probably 1830-50. It shows different grades of silver fittings but unfortunately lacks the original mouth piece. I soaked it in water for several years (!) to be able to drain out the stinky old tobacco sauces, which had accumulated in the hollow trunk and branches. I will reinstall a mouth piece of my own make and liking, polish the silver just little and this should be a great smoking conversation piece – again!
This Yellowhammer (Goldammer, Emberiza citrinella) was resting on a fencepost on the other side of a hedge row. I had a hard time to find a hole suitable to get any picture of her; I tried several and my efforts didn't went unnoticed – as can be seen quite clearly. This is a full frame with no cropping done, because I just love the blur and colors in this photo.
The Blue-headed Wagtail (Motacilla flava, Schafstelze); nothing special to tell about other then I like its colors and that its not so very common as the White Wagtail (Motacilla alba, Bachstelze) which I've not even pictured yet. {6} [600mm, F7.1, 1/800s]
We have at least one nest of Swallows (Hirundo rustica, Rauchschwalben) in the horse stables every year. The chicks in this photo are almost done and would by now like to perch more on the rim of the nest for a bit more space to each other. But with me fondling the camera infront of them, they tried to retreat – with barely a chance though 
{7} [300mm, F8, 1/180s, flash]
The Sand Martin (Uferschwalbe, Riparia riparia) is an endangered species where I live. Far to many natural escarpments along rivers or lakes are leveled or grown over completely, because the river was "tamed" and wont carve into its levees any more. Thus the Sand Martin has nowhere to dig its burrows into. These birds were known for their habit to build large colonies – well – the photo shows one bird of a single pair, which nests in a former gravel pit close by. {7} [600mm, F8, 1/200s]
Woodpeckers are always nice to see, but other then Maurice Thompson, I have no intention to shoot them out of the trees or elsewhere. Our largest bird of the family is the Black Woodpecker (Schwarzspecht, Dryocopus martius). I see and hear him quite regularly. Next in size would be the Green Woodpecker, which I see sometimes but it is a rare bird – not the least due to his specialisation to devor mostly ants. Since our Wood Ant (Waldameise, Formica rufa) is fully protected and 'nature evironmentalists' like to 'protect' every ant hill with chicken wire domes, they may do the ants a favor but have cut the food supply for the Green Woodpecker short and certainly helped to made him alsmost extinct. Wise chaps, aren't they?!
The Grey-headed Woodpecker (Grauspecht, Picus canus) is quite similar to the Green Woodpecker but I am not certain I have ever positvely identified one in the fields so far.
Green Woodpecker (Grünspecht, Picus viridis) in November and very low light conditions at the wall, just outside my window (dark area atop is the roof of the terrace). This is a true snap shoot! I had barely enough time to grap the camera, switch power on and take the shot, before the bird was gone again. I had to really pull the colors in postprocessing here, as the photo was way underexposed. But please imagine the woodpeckers hood more a bright red and the green a tud greener.
Our most common is the Great Spotted Woodpecker (Buntspecht, Picoides major). I see or hear him more or less on daily basis – but this is not to say I have good photo material of this bird, as you can see above. In general they are a little to far away or high up the tree, or obscured by branches or, more often, it is just to dimm to get away with shutter speeds suitable for anything close to a sharp picture. I show the pics anyway. Left is a Great Spotted Woodpecker male whose red neck can just be seen. The female (right) can be determined because she does not show any red on her head at all.
A little smaller and with an extended cap in bright red, is the Middle Spotted Woodpecker (Mittelspecht, Picoides medius) above. He is somehow prettier then the Great Spotted Woodpecker, but is unfortunately more rare also.
Our smallest is the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (Kleinspecht, Picoides minor) and where I grew up I remember them to be not scarce. Where I am living now (not to far away from the former place) I have never seen one so far. I guess this has more to do with the different time and less with the actual distance!?
There are (were?) a few more woodpecker species, but no need to mention them as I've never seen one of those at all.
The Wryneck (Wendehals, Jynx torquilla) is in some respects similar to Woodpeckers but belongs to a different family.
It is a rare bird and I am glad that I can show a photo at all as I only got a single snapshot chance on him.
Somehow the scientific name reminds me of Douglas Adams and his marvelous Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy! Sounds like an anagram of Gin Tonix – which term, as we now all know, is in the entire universe always designated to something to drink – from what kind of stuff it may ever be made of ... :-)
Our Short Toed Tree Creeper (Gartenbaumläufer, Certhia brachydactyla) is no Woodpecker. Like the Nuthatch this little bird goes up and down the trees without paying attention to its own oriantation or to gravitation at all!? But versus the Nuthatch the Tree Creeper has the advantage of woodpecker-like stout tail feathers, to support him in uppright position. But I see him as often upside-down as vice versa. Little harder to spot due to good camo and hard to photograph because he is always on the move.
I am proud to be able to include my namesake here which I was fortunate enough not only to see but to photograph recently! Been grown up with falconry, I have no problem recognizing rare birds of prey on a glance. It works like a charm and in split seconds! I know it is triggered by the characteristic flying silhouette of birds, and I am quite happy I somehow own this ability, even though friends like to joke about it. For example once during a BBQ at my place, while everybody else was occupied with beer and steak, I had to point my finger skywards: "Look! Look! A Golden Eagle!" Those guys however – uninitiated – never even looked, because they thought I was going mad (again)! [On their part they can claim, that the sighting of an Golden Eagle in our vicinity can be counted by one hand, for several decades!] But they certainly missed the point, and their chance, this time, as I've seen the same (juv.) bird little later again!
The Peregrine Falcon (Wanderfalke, Falco peregrinus) shown above was located in harsh winter between my place and the mayor city close by. It's quite a big female and she obviously had just finished her meal when I saw her dodging some Crows, several hundred yards away. A look through my binocs convinced me of the fact, that I was to be a lucky chap, as the winter sun was shining and I had my camera + tele lens ready as well. She did me the favor of settling down in plain sight and allowed me to close in to about 100 yards, two times. Jackpot!
Peregrine Falcons would probably be extinct over here, if not for long time breeding projects, founded mainly by falconeers societies – such as the Deutsche Falkenorden – where my late father was a member of. My own sightings of wild birds, as here, are maybe about once every third year. And thats for: far away, dashing through the sky at full bore! So you might understand, why I am still so excited right now?!
Having been annoyed by Crows and finally by a Kestrel (Turmfalke, Falco tinnunculus), the Peregrine took a final strike after the Kestrel (second pic) and left for good. Half an hour I will remember!
The adult male of the Red-backed Shrike (Rotrückenwürger oder Neuntöter, Lanius collurio) is characterised by the black mask and the white outer part of its tail. I see these little "birds of prey" on regular basis in rural parts a short walk from the village. But, when I went out to take the photos shown above, it was overcast and raining slightly. Just not enough light for my tele lense. I hope to present a better quality some day.
The female Red-backed Shrike (Rotrückenwürger oder Neuntöter, Lanius collurio) shows no red at all. Notice the light banding aside the breast (not tit!).
Cattle Egrets (Kuhreiher, Bubulcus ibis) are neofaunistic elements over here, with their origin probably in escaped zoo birds. This one actually was shot in a zoo. Though unclipped and abled to go his own ways, it liked all the bird feeding people around the fastfood stands at the zoo way to much, to make a get away.
Not to be confused with the Cattle Egret is the Great White Egret (Silberreiher, Casmerodius albus). It is much much larger, about the same size as the Blue Heron (below). It's also of neofaunistic character to my vicinity even though, it got here without the aid of man. During the last two years I was able to watch them on regular basis. First an exceptional view, the sensation has cooled down a bit now. However, I still like to look at them.
The Blue Heron (Graureiher, Ardea cinerea) is our native species. It is a common bird, at least for this size.
About 35 years ago it was still possible or at least not completely illegal, to hunt Herons. Hunting them, specially with Peregrine Falcons, was considered the sport of the Kings and the Nobles since the Middle Ages!
I remember that my father was eager to try this very feat, but with his Goshawk. Though, he was affraid his precious Hawk might get seriously injured by the Herons beak, he had to try nevertheless, because of the upper class status this sort of things always had and certainly because it had never been done before (with Goshawk instead of Falcons) or at least not for a long long time. So, I was fortunate enough to witness my fathers Goshawk catch a very few Herons! And she really went through with flying colors! I guess, this wasn't done ever since!?
All hawked Herons but one, could be released again later. Though, some had to be nursed a few days until fit to go. One Heron was hit so hard that he didn't made it and went into my fathers body mount collection instead. The mount is still in existence and shown here in the upper right position.
On a rainy summers day the White Stork (Weißstorch, Ciconia ciconia) aside had a rest on my neighbours roof, from where he could watch all the pastures to the south.
For half an hour he was busy with straightening and cleaning his feathers back into shape, befor he finaly went down, stalking small critters in the aforementioned pastures. The photo is one year old now but, just yesterday evening I took an other photo of one, doing just that, in the same place. Storks are not so numerous anymore as they used to be 30 years ago, but I think they will get through anyways.
The pictured fellow is unique insofar as he doesn't wear a ring of any sort. Over here bird "protecting" folks go crazy about putting a ring on every bird they can get hold of. Actionism ← which I doubt that it's of any use at all! For example, migratory behavior and flown routes are long known for every species. But, if people can put a ring on a bird, they think they have protected mother nature as a whole again 
What might be needed indeed is more respect for mother nature and it's creatures and the knowledge of ones own place in the whole grid, plus a genaral understanding of all the processes which rule the planet. These are all explain- or at least understandable by laws of physics, chemistry, biology. Given some good teachers you can get all in a single file with Geology/Paleontology. These later professions are also able to open peoples eyes and minds in other ways. Because the general distorted viewpoint of man is herewith set back in the correct time frame: Nature's – where a billion years can mean absolutely nothing and a few hours the whole world ...
Okay guys! Now! Try to relax ... and get over it!
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