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Birding in Germany

Fall 2006 Newsletter

I had the good fortune to take a trip to Germany this spring, and, although it was not a Birding Trip, I did have my binoculars along (but no field guide).

First-time birding in Europe is an exciting prospect. Every bird seen is a life bird, with the exception of English sparrows and starlings. English sparrows, by the way, are experiencing a decline in Europe, primarily due to changing agricultural practices. Aw, shucks! Perhaps we could export some of ours?

But seriously, it’s amazing how much one can see and hear if one keeps an eye and ear out for our avian friends. Good manners dictated that I mostly not carry the binoculars; after all, when someone is showing you the glories of a 16th century church, they’d rather you weren’t gawking at that little brown job in the bush next door.

Being forced to try and see birds without binoculars helps to sharpen birding skills—you learn to go slow, look for obvious field marks and think about shape, color and movement. An awareness of surroundings also helps — are you in a small town, a big city or out in the country? Is the bird you think you saw likely to be in that habitat?

One rainy afternoon I had the leisure to study some backyard birds through my binoculars from my hotel balcony. I made sketches and took notes to help me recall what I had seen when I got home and could pore over my Birds of Britain and Europe field guide. In all I positively identified 19 species and probably saw a dozen more that I can’t be sure about. Next time I go, I’ll bring the binocs and the field guide and set aside a few days just for the birds!

—Rickie Rachuy