BAVARIAN TRIP REPORT
Kochel am See – September 1 - 5
Having been invited by friends who had moved to southern Germany we decided to take the bull by the horns and spend a few days on a recce in Bavaria. We landed to a cold drizzle and had a bad start when Europecar gave us the wrong car. Upgraded to an estate when we specified hatchback a spectacularly rude clerk told us we could wait until one came back if we liked but we had been upgraded so where was the problem. Why do the car hire firms always get away with such shoddy service?
One major plus was the sat nav we got for 5 euros a day. It proved to be a Godsend. (While sorting ourselves out in the car park an English guy came up to us and asked us the way to Salzburg. I showed him on the map but he still looked really worried so I told him about the sat nav and I think he went off to hire one himself). It allowed me to look out of the window instead of burying my head in the map. I noticed the wife, who hates map reading and so does all the driving on our trips, didn’t panic or question it even stuck in the middle of Munich in the rush hour where it had puzzlingly taken us on the way back to the airport(in the past I have seen us drive past a turn off on the motorway despite my instructions to take the next turning!). I was able to spend the whole time looking out of the window!
Thanks to Dieters help I was able to sketch out a rough Itinerary and we stopped off at a few lakes on the way to our friends in Kochel. The first lake, Moosberg just north on the motorway A92 was easy to reach - just come off at Moosberg Sud. At our first stop we saw 5 Goosander right in front of us and then 100s of Pochards and Red Crested Pochards as well as Coots. I had heard Grebes and Feruginous might be there but I couldn’t conjure any up. A pair of Fieldfare landed on a bush right next to us and gave us great views. At one point a Hobby flew over. The lake was a spectacular sight and we stopped off at three different viewpoints, one next to an Aral petrol station where we had delicious coffee and cake. (I never did track down any Black Forest Gateau during the trip!). I think at the right time of year it could a great place to see a fantastic array of birds as would most of the lakes around the Munich area. Next stop was Echinger Lake just a bit further up the road which seemed not surprisingly to hold pretty much the same birds.
We decided not to stop off at Ismanniger lake, another lake close to the airport, and planned to go on our way back instead. Big mistake. I had read about the lake in an old 1969 copy of John Gooders book Where to Watch Birds in Europe and it sounded mouth-watering. He describes it as one of the most important wetlands in Germany but he also said it was private. Dieter, my online Guru said there were still parts where access was possible so we decided to stop off on the way back as it is so close to the airport. In the end we got stuck in horrendous traffic and had to miss it.
On the way to Kochel we stopped off at a few lay bys on the motorway and saw Goldcrests and a Firescrest and what looked like a Wood warbler. They are really great places to stop and have a quick look. Buzzards were everywhere in the fields by the side of the road. We finally arrived at our destination and celebrated by drinking their excellent local beer, which is very strong and sweet and reminded me of Devon beer! About an hour and half south of the airport it had taken us the best part of the afternoon to get there!
The next morning feeling a bit delicate we were taken to have a typical Bavarian breakfast of white beer and white sausages! Later in the day we followed a stream called the Lainbach which meandered up through the forests and looked like it might be good for dipper but we dipped on that. Then we drove a mile up the road to a reserve just past the Kochel See as you drive out of the village. Park where it says Landwirtshaft and walk or just scope it from the car. We saw shed loads of Buzzards and Kestrels. Great White Egrets were pointed out to us by a local so we supposed they were a rarity for the region, probably on their way south. There certainly were a lot of them, as well as Red kite and a single Winchat. The whole area looked great for Owls and in spring Chats, Shrike and Pipits with any luck. Stopping off at the local lake on the way home we saw and heard a warbler in the bushes along the bank. It looked very like Reed Warbler but its song was definitely not. We stayed for ages until it got dark and came to the conclusion that it was a Marsh Warbler.
The next day we sat on the balcony having breakfast when a jay flew past and landed. It turned out on closer inspection to be one of my target birds, a Nutcracker.The woods near Kochel seemed to be full of them! It sounds and looks like a jay in flight so it is worth examining every flyby you see very carefully. We also saw both Redstarts and a what appeared to be Red Breasted Flycatcher another target bird. After a quick scan of the local Kochel lake where we saw 4 Black Necked Grebes and a single Red Necked Grebe we set off for the Karvendel mountains. On the way we stopped off at a likely looking stream and sure enough we found three very confiding Dippers as well as a party of Grey Wagtail. We spent ages watching their antics and trying to photograph them. When we got to the cable car at the foot of the Karvendel we read that the last one came back down at four in the afternoon and so we had left it too late too explore but it might be a great place for alpine birds like Accentor, Snow Finch and Choughs. Something we shall definitely have to do next year. Later we stopped off at the reserve and saw ten Storks obviously feeding up before making the attempt over the mountains.
Our final full day of birding started with heavy thunder! We drove up to the Murnauer Moos a huge moor which looks like it could be good in spring. Reported to have breeding Corncrakes it has been described as one of the most important marshlands in southern Germany. However in the rain it was pretty dismal. Another target bird of mine the Rosefinch breeds there. Since missing out on a rare twitch to Norfolk I have always wanted to see one. I can still remember its call which I played in the car on the way there. We did however hear 5 Whimbrel calling as they flew overhead. I couldn’t find out where to hire bikes so it is probably best to park up have a look around, then drive to a different part of the moor and scope or walk from there. On the way back we went to the nearby Starnberger Lake where King Ludwig was murdered. Compared to the other lakes it was completely deserted! In Monings book, Birds of Southern Germany, it is regarded as the best place in Germany apart from the coast for seaduck and Divers between October and April. Well that might well be the case but in September the pond in my back garden has more birds in it! Still at least the rain was warm and to think in England summer had finally arrived and it was 23 degrees! But the lake is in a beautiful location with lots of restaurants and cafes and it should be brimming with birds at the right time of year. Bavaria has a variety of habitats, mountains, lakes, forest and moors which should offer a fantastic hoard of birds on a longer visit in Spring. I cant wait to go back.
BIRD LIST
Black necked Grebe
Red necked Grebe
Great crested Grebe
Little Grebe
Cormorant
Litte Egret
Great Egret
Grey Heron
White Stork
Mute Swan
Canada Goose
Mallard
Gadwall
Pochard
Red crested Pochard
Tufted Duck
Goosander
Red Kite
Marsh Harrier
Common Buzzard
Kestrel
Sparrowhawk
Hobby
Goshawk
Pheasant
Water Rail
Moorhen
Coot
Common Sandpiper
Whimbrel
Black headed Gull
Common Gull
Herring Gull
Black Tern
Wood Pigeon
Grey headed Woodpecker
Sand Martin
House Martin
Swallow
Meadow Pipit
Pied Wagtail
Grey Wagtail
Wren
Dipper
Robin
Redstart
Black Redstart
Wheatear
Whinchat
Stonechat
Fieldfare
Blackbird
Blackcap
Reed Warbler
Marsh Warbler
Willow Warbler
Wood Warbler
Goldcrest
Firecrest
Spotted Flycatcher
Red breasted Flycatcher
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Crested Tit
Willow Tit
Long tailed Tit
Nuthatfch
Treecreeper
Magpie
Jay
Nutcracker
Rook
Raven
Crow
Starling
House Sparrow
Chafffinch
Linnet
Goldfinch
Greenfinch
Yellowhammer
Hello Savi,
this year it is very strange. Last weekend 25 Centigrad and sunny, today 10 ecntigrad and rain. This change we had permantly this september.
On lake Ismaninger Speichersee I saw Little Gull and 13 x Black Tern 3 and 4 weekends ago.
The agriculture is to strong, so only very few birds possible outside the hotspots.
The area around Berlin and near Baltic sea is complete different. There are bird assemblies everywhere. Somethimes You have clouds of birds.
But Bavaria has different areas included alpine birdlife.
Ismaninger Speichersee is not so simple.
The east part is all time open.
The west part is accesible in the middle ( view from the connection damm ).
The south of the west part is privat area from EON and only for authorized people included bavarian bird club ( Bayrische Ornitologische Gesellschaft ).
Somethimes Manfred Siering makes some guided tours.
The north part of west lake is almost closed during the week ( test area of BMW ).
But You can access is near the begin, if You walk few meters through the bush.
Best regards
Dieter
Tag dieter
Issmaniger lake does seem problematic-not least actually getting there.But any birder worth his salt will find his way round it,especially with your notes.It certainly seems worth it.As I said I havent been there yet but we only had a few days.we want to go for a week maybe next year.but the other lakes,and there are plenty,are also full of birds and quite close together which is handy.I know what you mean about agri business killing off bird life.still we found some Moors in kochel and Murnau which should be good at the right time of year.I bet the lakes will be filling up soon!
best wishes
savi