Tuesday, 13 August 2013

Die Mosel (10th August)

My brother and I invested a whole day in search of our most sought after target species of the day, Rock Bunting.  The steep valleys, rocky slopes and vineyards that wind their way along the Mosel (a nearby river) are one of the only spots in Germany where we had the chance to track down this scarce breeder.  Unfortunately, another dip!  It seems late summer is a bad time of year to connect with this species so we’ll need to try a spring visit.  We did have partial compensation when 2 HONEY BUZZARDS drifted over the edge of the valley.  The first dark morph individual was a little less showy but a second paler male showed relatively well and circled low overhead affording excellent views and a brief opportunity for photography.

Honey Buzzard (a male)




Black Redstarts were easily the commonest species on the mountain side and were perched in and around almost every hedge.  2 Peregrines, Marsh Tits and a Hawfinch made the highlights and as always, butterflies made the trip all the more enjoyable.  Species on the wing included 2 Brown Hairstreaks, Wall Browns, 1 Clouded Yellow and lots of Jersey Tiger moths.

No comments:

Post a Comment