GERMANY: BIRDS & ART IN BERLIN & BRANDENBURG

GERMANY: BIRDS & ART

IN BERLIN & BRANDENBURG

SEPTEMBER 29–OCTOBER 8, 2019

A small part of the Great Bustard flock at Senzke. Photo Rick Wright

LEADER: RICK WRIGHT

LIST COMPILED BY: RICK WRIGHT

VICTOR EMANUEL NATURE TOURS, INC.

2525 WALLINGWOOD DRIVE, SUITE 1003

AUSTIN, TEXAS 78746

WWW.VENTBIRD.COM

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 2 Germany: Birds & Art

in Berlin & Brandenburg, 2019

GERMANY: BIRDS & ART IN BERLIN & BRANDENBURG

September 29–October 8, 2019

By Rick Wright

A few of the many hundreds of Northern Lapwings caught up in a cold-weather push at Linum.

Photo Rick Wright

ITINERARY:

September 29: en route to Berlin.

September 30: assemble 5:00 pm in hotel. Brandenburg Gate, Roma and Sinti Memorial.

Dinner Reichstag 7:20-9:40 pm. Reichstag dome 9:40-10:05. At hotel 10:35 pm. Breezy,

light rain, 50s F, after a day of very strong winds and occasional rain.



October 1: breakfast in hotel beginning 6:30 am.

Calm, 50 F, light rain. Optional Tiergarten walk

7:00-8:00. Departure 9:00 am. Tiergarten walk

9:00-11:55. Light rain, calm, mid-50s F. Lunch

Giraffe 12:00-1:20 pm. Break in hotel. Departure

for Nikolaiviertel 2:00 pm. Nikolaikirche 3:00-

3:30 pm. Drinks in Nikolaiviertel. Mid-50s, rain

stopping, calm, occasional sun. Spree River,

shopping, Nikolaiplatz. Dinner Altberliner

Weissbierhaus 6:10-8:25 pm. At hotel 8:50 pm.

High 40s F, clouds lifting, breeze rising.

October 2: breakfast in hotel beginning 6:30 am. Light rain, breezy, high 40s F. Departure

8:05 am. Light rain followed by only very occasional sprinkles. Arrive Strengsee 9:25 am.

Rain stopping, skies slowly clearing. Low 50s F. Leave Strengsee 11:45 am. Lunch Zille

Stube 12:00 to 1:20 pm. Skies clearing, breeze decreasing. Kloster Lehnin, including cake

and coffee, 1:30-4:20 pm. LIght sprinkles, then rainbows, dramatic clearing, and calm. At

hotel 5:30 pm. Dinner and checklist in hotel 6:30-8:55 pm. Mostly clear, high 40s F, calm.

Eurasian Wigeon. Photo Rick Wright

October 3: breakfast in hotel beginning 6:30 am. Dim, chilly, light drizzle. Departure 8:35

am. Light sprinkles ending, breeze increasing. Charlottenburg palace garden 8:55-11:20

am. High 40s to low 50s F, breezy, occasional very light mist. Coffee in Orangerie 11:20-

12:25. Lunch Mangiare Opera Italiana 12:30-2:00 pm. Wind increasing, air drying, clouds

dispersing, temperature falling back to high 40s F. Berggruen, Bröhan, and Scharf-

Gerstenberg Museums 2:00 pm; some returned to hotel 4:40 pm, some remained in

The Brandenburg Gate, from the dome of the Reichstag. Photo Rick Wright



museums until dinner. Dinner and checklist at Marjan Grill 6:30-8:15 pm. At hotel 8:20 pm.

Mostly clear, light breezes, ca. 50 F.

October 4: breakfast in hotel beginning

6:30 am. Departure 8:00 am. Rain, light

winds, 45 F. Senzke. Rain ending,

temperature rising to about 50 F. Gülper

See 10:35 to 12:55 pm. Occasional breaks

in clouds. Lunch Zur alten Stadtmauer,

Rathenow, 1:30-3:00 pm. At hotel 5:00

pm. Rain. Dinner in hotel 6:00-8:10 pm.

Cloudy, light breezes, low 40s F.

October 5: breakfast in hotel beginning 6:30 am. Rain, wind, low

40s F. Departure 9:30 am. Light rain, high winds, 40 F. Kaiser-

Wilhelm-Gedächtnis-Kirche 9:35-11:00 am. Coffee at Kulturforum

11:20-11:55 am. Rain diminishing, high winds, 40 F. Kulturforum

museums to 2:00 pm. Lunch at Kulturforum 2:00-3:15 pm.

Kulturforum museums; some return to hotel. Some to services,

with Bach cantata (BWV 161, “Komm, Du süße Todesstunde”), in

Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtnis-Kirche 6:00-7:00 pm. All dinner at

Josty 7:25-9:35 pm. Clearing, light breeze, high 30s F. At hotel

10:00 pm.

October 6: breakfast in hotel beginning 6:30 am. Departure 8:05

am. Sunny, calm, 35 F. Altfriedland ponds 9:45 am to 12:55 pm.

Sunny, calm, high 40s F. Lunch Klosterschänke 1:00-3:10 pm. At

hotel 4:40 pm. Dinner and checklist Brauhaus Lemke 6:30-8:30

pm. At hotel 8:40 pm. Mostly cloudy, calm, mid-30s F.

October 7: breakfast in hotel beginning 6:30 am. Departure 9:15 am. Bright sunshine,

calm, mid-40s F. Museums of Museum Island from 9:45 am; some also to German

“Cathedral,” some to German Historical Museum. Lunch on our own. Depart hotel 2:10 pm.

Mostly sunny, calm, low 50s F. Linum ponds 3:25-5:25 pm. At hotel 6:35. Depart hotel 7:10

pm. Dinner Einstein Unter den Linden 7:40-9:35. At hotel 9:55 pm. Light overcast, low 50s

F, calm.

Kloster Lehnin. Photo Rick Wright

Goat, goatherd, and Gray Heron at Charlottenburg. Photo Rick Wright



October 8: breakfast in hotel beginning

6:30 am. Tour ends.

How annoying to wake up in the middle of

a tour to find the temperature plunging, the wind howling, and a drizzle pelting down. How

annoying? Not overly, if it’s a birds and art tour based in one of the greatest cities in the

world.

We’d planned to start our Berlin morning with another walk through the 500-acre

Tiergarten, where our first stroll had produced Eurasian Nuthatches, Short-toed

Treecreepers, Great Spotted Woodpeckers, and a remarkably obliging Common Buzzard—

but the weather really was discouraging, even by birders’ standards.

On a “normal” tour, those stormy skies would

have put paid to our day, but we had the luxury

of simply prolonging our lavish breakfast and

hopping onto the train across the street for the

90-second ride to Berlin’s Zoo, whence it was a

two-minute walk to one of the city’s most

recognizable monuments. Originally built in the

1890s to honor modern Germany’s first emperor,

the old Kaiser-

Wilhelm-

Gedächtnis-Kirche

stands today as a

ruin, a warning to

the future and

simultaneously a marker of reconciliation, even forgiveness.

The beautifully somber modern church at its base would be

even more moving that evening, when some of us attended a

service featuring a J.S. Bach cantata.

A short ride took us from there to the Kulturforum, one of the

richest of Berlin’s many rich cultural sites. Stepping off the bus

behind the gold-clad Philharmonic, we tried hard to choose

Neues Museum. Photo Rick Wright

Common Buzzard. Photo Rick Wright

The windows of the new Kaiser Wilhelm Church. Photo Rick Wright



among the options ahead of us: the treasures of art and design in the

Kunstgewerbemuseum? Centuries of painting masterpieces in the Gemäldegalerie? The

famous drawings, etchings, and engravings of the Kupferstichkabinett? Happily, a single

ticket offers entry to all three museums, and we spent the rest of the day in and out of each

of them, with breaks for lunch and coffee and a singing (but invisible) Black Redstart

outside.

There’s not much that is more fun than birding with

artists or looking at art with birders. We all bring a

different experience to whatever the things we see,

and the combination of the ornithological gaze and

the artist’s critical eye can result in some novel

observations. Few, I think, are the visitors who can

debate the identity of the duck that provided the

inspiration for a particular set of Flemish angel’s

wings, or who can recognize the Eurasian Jay

patterns on their leading edge.

We ended our day nearby, at the Potsdamer Platz,

once and now again one of the most bustling city

squares in all of Europe, surrounded by elegant

stores and hotels and first-rate restaurants. We ate well that night, as we did every night

and noon and morning, and were thoroughly prepared for a day outside the next,

mercifully much nicer, day.

That windy Saturday, the first time we’d ever had to rearrange this tour’s schedule, neatly

proved our itinerary’s flexibility. The rest of our time together went just according to plan,

though, with visits to museums, historic buildings, and sadly evocative memorials

providing a counterpoint, a background, or often enough a foreground to some truly

exciting birding. We birded the Gülper See almost literally beneath the shadow of an

eighteenth-century windmill, Bean and Graylag geese and Common Cranes rising from the

shallows as White-tailed Eagles passed overhead.

At Altfriedland, we watched a Black Redstart

hunting from the gable of a thirteenth-century

Cistercian church while waterfowl and herons

loafed on the ancient ponds. Hard as it may be

to believe, our companionable group was

probably the only table watching Common

Chiffchaffs out the window as we waited for

our lunch in the Cloister Tavern.

The site of another Cistercian monastery,

Kloster Lehnin, was equally evocative. After a

morning of waterfowl and stunning Great Gray Shrikes at the Strengsee just a few minutes

away, we had lunch in a delightfully old-fashioned restaurant in town, then strolled the

peaceful walks of the monastery. Now in use as a hospital, staffed by Lutheran deaconesses,

The Trinity (detail). Flemish, ca. 1420. Gemäldegalerie Berlin. Photo Rick Wright

Altfriedland. Photo Rick Wright



Lehnin preserves some of the loveliest red-brick Gothic buildings in the region, some

dating to the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. Skies were blue for much of our

wandering, but when sprinkles

threatened, again, that afternoon, we

took shelter in the café, enjoying coffee

and cake in best German tradition as we

looked out on the monastery’s orchard,

herb garden, and incongruously beautiful

medieval barn.

In between these excursions into the

Brandenburg countryside, we birded

urban Berlin proper, exploring the woods

and lawns of the Tiergarten and the

always birdy parks surrounding the

seventeenth-century palace of

Charlottenburg. And always there was

art nearby: the modern painting and

sculpture of the Berggruen, the sometimes creepy (Piranesi!) works in the Scharf-

Gerstenberg, and of course Nefertiti, the Golden Hat, the Ishtar Gate, and all the other

glories of the Pergamon and the Neues Museum. We didn’t want for more purely physical

nourishment, either: food joined birds, art, and good conversation to fill our days and our

evenings together.

Whether it was Picasso’s “Crane” or the Common Cranes of Linum, all of us saw new things,

learned new things, and above all

made new friends in our short

time together in Berlin. I hope

you enjoyed our visit as much as

I did, and I look forward to the

next chance we get to explore

another of my favorite

landscapes, cultural and natural.

BIRDS

The church and cloister of Lehnin. Photo Rick Wright

Picasso, Crane. 1952. Berggruen Museum. Photo Rick Wright

Common Crane. Photo Rick Wright



Graylag Goose, Anser anser: low hundreds at Strengsee October 2. Well more than a

thousand at the Gülper See October 4, including at least two birds with yellow neck

collars; the one legible collar began with the letter “P,” identifying the bander as Polish,

but we have received no further details yet. The lake at Altfriedland October 6 had

about 2000 birds on it. Usually the most abundant of migrant geese, this species was far

outnumbered by Bean Geese at Linum October 7.

A Graylag banded in Poland, at the Gülper See. Photo Rick Wright

Tundra Bean Goose, Anser serrirostis:

about 100 at Strengsee October 2. Hundreds

were at the Gülper See October 4, with more

than 1000 at Altfriedland two days later.

This was the most conspicuous and most

abundant goose species at Linum October 7,

birds constantly in sight in the air and on

the water. Long-billed birds at the Gülper

See and at Altfriedland raised suspicions of

the much less common Taiga Bean Goose, but none gave leisurely views.

Greater White-fronted Goose, Anser albifrons: about a dozen at Strengsee October 2.

Less than 100 at the Gülper See October 4, but twice that many at Altfriedland October

6. Especially common and conspicuous at Linum October 7, constantly in sight and

hearing overhead.

Mute Swan, Cygnus olor: five at Strengsee October 2. A family of four at Charlottenburg

October 3, where a foolhardy photographer approached these big, aggressive birds

down to just a few terrifying feet. About 15 at Gülper See October 4 and a similar

number at Linum October 7. At least twenty-five at Altfriedland October 6; this is a

favored site for swans all year.

Common Shelduck, Tadorna tadorna: one at Strengsee October 2.

Northern Shoveler, Spatula clypeata: ten at Gülper See October 4. A dozen at Altfriedland

October 6, with only three at Linum the next day. These were notably low counts for the

species in October.

Gadwall, Mareca strepera: increasing throughout its range. We saw about eight at the

Gülper See October 4, a good 30 at Altfriedland two days later, and nearly that many

again at Linum October 7.

Eurasian Wigeon, Mareca penelope: impressive numbers at the Gülper See, 75 or more,

October 4. About eight at Altfriedland October 6. At least two at Linum October 7 were

hard to see among the geese.



Mallard, Anas platyrhynchos: about 10 in Tiergarten October 1, including one very

handsome chestnut-flanked bird of obvious domestic lineage. About fifteen at Strengsee

October 2. A dozen or so at Charlottenburg October 3. Ten at Gülper See October 4.

Eight at Altfriedland October 6. Half a dozen at Linum October 7.

Northern Pintail, Anas acuta: ten at Gülper See October 4.

Common Teal, Anas crecca: about 250 at Strengsee October 2. Fifty at Gülper See October

4. Twenty at Altfriedland October 6. Oddly, only about 4 at Linum October 7 (more must

have been lurking in ponds we could not see into).

Mandarin Duck, Aix galericulata: a dozen in Tiergarten October 1. About five at

Charlottenburg October 3.

Common Pochard, Aythya ferina: a good two dozen

at Altfriedland October 6.

Tufted Duck, Aythya fuligula: nine or ten at

Charlottenburg October 3. Four at Gülper See

October 4. Ten at Altfriedland two days later, and

five or six at Linum October 7.

Common Goldeneye, Bucephala clangula: one at

Strengsee October 2. One or two at Altfriedland

October 4.

Common Merganser, Mergus merganser: four at Strengsee October 2.

Ring-necked Pheasant, Phasianus colchicus: two roadside birds October 4.

Little Grebe, Tachybaptus ruficollis: four on the fish

ponds at Altfriedland October 6. One at Linum October

7.

Great Crested Grebe, Podiceps cristatus: a dozen at

the Gülper See October 4, a tally overshadowed by the

more than 35 at Altfriedland October 6.

Eared Grebe, Podiceps nigricollis: one at Altfriedland

October 6.

Feral Pigeon, Columba livia: common throughout.

Common Wood Pigeon, Columba palumbus: very common throughout. Even on a rainy

October 1, scores were passing over the Tiergarten. Flocks of ten to twenty at

Charlottenburg October 3 were taking acorns and beech seeds from the trees. Common

in the countryside as we drove to the Gülper See, Altfriedland, and Linum; only on cold,

damp, and windy October 5 did we miss seeing dozens of this attractive species.

Tufted Duck. Photo Rick Wright

Little Grebes. Photo Rick Wright



Eurasian Collared Dove, Streptopelia

decaocto: two in Rhinow October 4. Two

at the edge of Linum October 7.

Great Bustard, Otis tarda: a stunning

flock of 44 near Senzke, the largest

number we have ever seen on this tour

and nearly 20% of the entire German

population.

Water Rail, Rallus aquaticus: one heard

at Altfriedland October 6.

European Coot, Fulica atra: ten or more

at Charlottenburg October 3. Common at

Altfriedland October 6, but only about

eight at Linum October 7.

Eurasian Moorhen, Gallinula chloropus: one immature in Tiergarten October 1.

Common Crane, Grus grus: about ten at Strengsee October 2. A total of about 300 at and

around the Gülper See October 4. About 80 over Altfriedland October 6. Outstandingly

close views at Linum October 7, though the mass of the flock of several thousand there

was at a distance and screened from view by trees.

Black-bellied Plover, Pluvialis squatarola: one at Gülper See October 4.

Northern Lapwing, Vanellus vanellus: a flock of 110 at Strengsee October 2. About 50 at

Gülper See October 4. Two hundred or more overhead at Altfriedland October 6. At

least 400 near Linum October 7, obviously part of a movement inspired by clearing

skies and cooler temperatures.

Dunlin, Calidris alpina: two at great distance at Strengsee October 2. A dozen at Gülper

See October 4.

Spotted Redshank, Tringa erythropus: three sneaky birds feeding at Strengsee October 2,

then disappearing behind the reeds on the edge of the lake.

Black-headed Gull, Chroicocephalus ridibundus: about 90 at Strengsee October 2. A flock

of about 60 passed overhead at Charlottenburg October 3. A small loafing flock at

Gülper See October 4 totaled about 25 birds. At least 100 were at Altfriedland October

6.

Common Gull, Larus canus: one at Strengsee October 2. A dozen at Gülper See October 4.

Yellow-legged Gull, Larus michahellis: an adult over the Spree October 1. A flyover

immature gull at Charlottenburg October 3 was probably of this species, as were

occasional flybys at our other wetland sites.

Common Wood Pigeon. Photo Rick Wright



Caspian Gull, Larus cachinnans: difficult to identify, especially in misty conditions at a

distance, but there were four or five adults each at the Gülper See October 4 and

Altfriedland October 6.

Great Cormorant, Phalacrocorax carbo: two in Berlin October 1. About eight at Strengsee

October 2. Seven overhead at Charlottenburg October 3. At least 150 at Gülper See

October 4, and at least 200 at Altfriedland October 6. Constantly in view at Linum

October 7.

Gray Heron, Ardea cinerea: ten in Tiergarten October 1. Eight or ten at Strengsee October

2. At least three at Charlottenburg October 3. About ten at Gülper See October 4. One

high over Potsdamer Platz October 5. Forty or more at Altfriedland October 6. Three at

Linum October 7.

Great Egret, Ardea alba: five at Strengsee October 2; similar

numbers at Gülper See October 4 and Linum October 7. At

least 40 at Altfriedland October 6, a favored site for this still

rapidly increasing species in Germany.

Red Kite, Milvus milvus: a total of six October 4, with

outstandingly close views near Senzke.

White-tailed Eagle, Haliaeetus albicilla: four at Strengsee

October 2. Three or more at Gülper See October 4. At least

two at Altfriedland October 6. Surely it was eagles that

caused such anxiety in the goose flocks at Linum October 7,

but we never glimpsed one on our walk there.

Common Buzzard, Buteo buteo: a

remarkably tame adult in Tiergarten October

1. Three on the way to Strengsee October 2.

One in the woods at Charlottenburg October 3.

Six roadside birds October 4. Two at

Altfriedland October 6. At least four roadside

birds October 7.

Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Accipiter nisus: one

circling low at Charlottenburg October 3 had a

dangling, presumably broken leg. Two in

western Brandenburg October 4. Three in

eastern Brandenburg October 6.

Common Kingfisher, Alcedo atthis: two

sightings, probably of two different individuals, at Strengsee October 2. Four sightings,

perhaps involving that many individuals, at Altfriedland October 6.

White-tailed Eagle. Photo Rick Wright

Gray Heron. Photo Rick Wright



Great Spotted Woodpecker, Dendrocopos major: great looks at male in Tiergarten

October 1. A female busily hammering at Kloster Lehnin October 2. Two at Gülper See

October 4. Three at Altfriedland October 6.

Eurasian Green Woodpecker, Picus viridis: a roadside bird on the edge of Altfriedland

October 6 was unfortunately seen only by the leader, and had flown on by the time we

were able to reverse and return to the derelict orchard where it had been perched.

Eurasian Kestrel, Falco tinnunculus: one hovering across the Strengsee October 2. One

roadside bird October 7. We usually see slightly better numbers of this species.

Great Gray Shrike, Lanius excubitor: excellent views of two birds hunting the reeds at

Strengsee October 2, hovering and perching on fragile stems in front of the blind.

Eurasian Magpie, Pica pica: one at

Strengsee October 2. One over

Charlottenburg October 3. Three on the

way to Gülper See October 4. Six around

Altfriedland October 6. Two roadside birs

October 7.

Eurasian Jay, Garrulus glandarius: one in

Tiergarten October 1. Eight or more at

Charlottenburg October 3, giving excellent

views perched and in flight. About 20 at

Gülper See October 4, with similar

numbers overhead at Altfriedland two days

later. Fifteen flew over at Linum October 7.

Eurasian Jackdaw, Corvus monedula: one roadside bird October 4. This species is

generally quite uncommon in autumn around Berlin.

Carrion Crow, Corvus corone: one with Hooded Crows near Strengsee October 2. Two

near Gülper See October 4.

Hooded Crow, Corvus cornix: common throughout, including on the streets of Berlin.

Common Raven, Corvus corax: one acrobatic bird over the Strengsee October 2, rolling

and stooping in the breeze. An excellent total of at least 15 between Senzke and the

Gülper See October 4. Three at Altfriedland October 6. Two at Linum October 7.

Bearded Reedling, Panurus biarmicus: two at Altfriedland October 6. The female was

seen only briefly and in flight, but the spectacular male climbed a reed stalk quite close

to us for excellent views of what is perhaps Europe’s most beautiful passerine.

Bank Swallow, Riparia riparia: about ten at Altfriedland October 6.

Great Gray Shrike. Photo Rick Wright



Barn Swallow, Hirundo rustica: at least twenty at Strengsee October 2. Thirty or more at

Gülper See October 4. Twenty at Altfriedland October 6. About fifteen at Linum October

7.

Marsh / Willow Tit, Poecile palustris / montanus: a silent bird at Strengsee October 2

was probably a Marsh Tit. A fast-flying individual at Linum October 7 might have been

either of these species.

Eurasian Blue Tit, Cyanistes caeruleus: fairly common and conspicuous throughout,

though outnumbered everywhere by Great Tits.

Great Tit, Parus major: common and very conspicuous throughout. Singing heard several

times, including at Kulturforum October 5.

Eurasian Nuthatch, Sitta europaea: three or four seen well in Tiergarten October 1. One

heard at Kloster Lehnin October 2. Three at Charlottenburg October 3, one feeding on

the ground with Common Chaffinches.

Short-toed Treecreeper, Certhia brachydactyla: about three heard and one or two seen

in Tiergarten October 1.

Eurasian Wren, Troglodytes troglodytes: one seen briefly and one or two others heard in

Tiergarten October 1. One seen fleetingly at Charlottenburg October 3.

Common Firecrest, Regulus ignicapilla: a male seen by leader in Tiergarten October 1.

Common Chiffchaff, Phylloscopus collybita: two or three at Strengsee October 2. One at

Gülper See October 4. Several heard, and at least two seen well, at Altfriedland October

6. This is usually a much commoner October bird than our experience would suggest.

Eurasian Blackcap, Sylvia atricapilla: two seen well in Tiergarten October 1.

Black Redstart, Phoenicurus ochruros: an invisible singer at Kulturforum October 5.

Three roadside birds in an old orchard near Altfriedland October 6 were followed by

excellent views of a bird hunting the roof of the church there.

European Robin, Erithacus rubecula: two at water of Roma and Sinti Memorial

September 30. Five or six in Tiergarten October 1. One at Strengsee October 2. At least

three at Charlottenburg October 3. One at Gülper See October 4.



Song Thrush, Turdus philomelos: one seen

by some in Tiergarten October 1. Two flybys at

Strengsee October 2. Two flybys at

Charlottenburg October 3. One at Altfriedland

October 6.

Eurasian Blackbird, Turdus merula: eight or

ten in TIergarten October 1. About four around

Strengsee October 2. A dozen or more at

Charlottenburg October 3. Two at Gülper See

October 4. Three flybys at Altfriedland October

6.

Fieldfare, Turdus pilaris: one over the

Strengsee October 2.

Redwing, Turdus iliacus: three overhead at Charlottenburg October 3.

European Starling, Sturnus vulgaris: three going to roost on the Spree October 1. Four

near Strengsee October 2. Two or three at Charlottenburg October 3. A total of about

500 October 4. Two hundred or so roadside birds October 6. At least 400, including a

flock of half that on the edge of Linum, October 7.

White Wagtail, Motacilla alba: two on top of the blind at Strengsee October 2. Fifteen or

more feeding on the shore of the Gülper See October 4.

Common Chaffinch, Fringilla coelebs: a single flock of some 30 birds feeding on the trail

in the Tiergarten October 1. One hundred or more overhead at Charlottenburg October

3, with a flock of about 15 feeding on the path. A male at Altfriedland October 6.

European Greenfinch, Chloris chloris: one at Strengsee October 2.

Eurasian Siskin, Spinus spinus: at least forty feeding in alders at Strengsee October 2. Ten

or more in alders and birches at Altfriedland October 6.

European Goldfinch, Carduelis carduelis: two with siskins at Altfriedland October 6.

European Robin. Photo Rick Wright



Reed Bunting, Emberiza schoeniclus: about eight at

Strengsee October 2, difficult to see as they dodged

the hunting shrikes. The eight or ten at Linum

October 7 were significantly more obliging, landing

on the path to feed in front of us.

House Sparrow: Passer domesticus: fifteen or more in

Tiergarten October 1. A total of about 10 in villages

near Strengsee October 2. A dozen at Charlottenburg

October 3. About 20 at Altfriedland October 6. Four at

Linum October 7.

Eurasian Tree Sparrow: Passer

montanus: a flock of 10 or more

around the blind at Strengsee

October 2, including at least one

bird hoping to find something

edible in the nearby insect house.

Three at Altfriedland October 6.

MAMMALS

Bat sp.: three or four hunting

over the Roma and Sinti

Memorial the evening of

September 30.

European Rabbit, Oryctolagus cuniculus: several in Tiergarten October 1.

Eurasian Red Squirrel, Sciurus vulgaris: two in Tiergarten October 1. One at

Charlottenburg October 3.

Roe Deer, Capreolus capreolus: three at Strengsee October 2.

AMPHIBIANS

Frog sp.: one on wet grass at Linum.

BUTTERFLIES

Red Admiral, Vanessa atalanta: one photographed at Altfriedland.

House Sparrow. Photo Rick Wright

Mazzolino's Christ Child with goldfinch, in Berlin's Gemäldegalerie. Photo Rick Wright

Documents

GERMANY: BIRDS & ART IN BERLIN & BRANDENBURG