Bavaria 11 – 17 May 2008
[LEFT]Having stayed with friends for a short break in a village called Kochel we decided to fly over for a week which we would give us plenty of time to explore the promising habitats, lakes, moors, mountaine and forest in the region. We went towards the end of May and this is our report.[/LEFT]
Sunday
[LEFT]We left Stansted on an empty easy jet flight and landed to bright sunshine which was to last the whole time. Picking up our hire car we typed in Ismaninger Stausee (reservoir) on the sat nav. It is only around the corner from Munich airport and we had heard good things about it. Sat nav was a big help as the instructions I picked up on the net were sometimes difficult to follow. It was packed with birds, every bit as good as we had heard. We even managed to find the green link fence described on the internet. Gadwall, Gargany, striking Red Crested Pochard, a dozen Black Necked Grebes in summer plumage, a bird I really wanted to see. Black Terns bobbed up and down among the Common Terns which breed there and we even saw a Black Swan. All of which made it more surprising when a couple proudly pointed out the colony of Cormorants, probably a rare breeding colony here .We got a bit lost and found ourselves walking along the side of the BMW test track. In the ditch alongside I was amazed to see a pair of Wood Duck which according to my printout was a Brutvogel (breeds there). Finding a great pub we sat outside drinking huge beers and eating an equally huge meal. It was there that I saw my favourite bird of the day - a Tree Sparrow, flying in and out of an outhouse window with nest material. Reluctantly we then hooked up with the motorway system to our holiday bungalow an hour or so away .It was Pfingsten (Whitsunday) and as we drove into the village we got stuck behind a torchlight procession. A brass band played hymns, the men in lederhosen and the women in costume - it was a magical sight. They stopped at a roadside chapel and we parked up to listen to them as it got dark. The Loisach stream could be heard outside our bedroom window and in the night we heard Tawny Owl and Short Eared Owl later during the week.
[/LEFT]
Monday
[LEFT]Every morning we started off scanning the local lake, Kochelsee, which always seemed to be empty but threw up the odd surprise now and then .Today we heard Serins and Grasshopper Warbler and a single Black Throated Diver appeared from nowhere. Afterwards we usually went on to the local moor. Having walked for hours with very little to show for it apart from Whinchat wheezing in the heat haze we got in the habit of parking up at a lay-by and scanning around. Last visit had a Buzzard perched on every post but now it seemed quiet. It was to improve as the week progressed. Another moor, the Murnauer Moos, regarded as the most important in Southern Germany is 15 mins drive away. As you drive into Murnau take a left at the lights and a sharp right a few meters past the petrol station. It is reputed to hold Rosefinch, Corncrake Pipits and shrikes but as it was a public holiday the usually quiet place was heaving. We found something even rarer though - a German birder. He explained that Penduline had arrived but were difficult to find and pointed out the best place to hear Rosefinch between the pub and car park apparently but we were too early. He tried to get me onto a Tree Pipit by way of consolation but just as I focused it had gone. I was to have lots of moments like that. Still I was to find and photograph my own later.[/LEFT]
Tuesday
[LEFT]We drove to Leipheim, a two hour trip along the motorway, our longest trek. We stopped off nearby where I scanned the huge church for the Peregrine which nests there until my wife pointed out we were in the wrong town! We stopped at the Volksfestplatz along the river. It’s a square park of widely spaced trees in the middle and a toilet block in the corner. We found Collared Flycatcher almost straight away mainly because a pair was divebombing a Greater Spotted Woodpecker which must have been too near its nest I had always wanted to catch up with Collared Fly and it was one of my target birds so I spent some time watching them. Later we drove to Echinger stausee. This necessitated driving through Munich as the ring road isn’t finished. Again we were relieved that we had sat nav. We gave Moosburger Lake a miss even though it is right next door and drove on to Eching. We decided to stop at Forellen Weg (the name of the street) and park. This was our favourite place last year and it was even better this trip. We walked up to the lake and heard Savi straight away just as a Hobby flew over. A pair of Little Gulls was a great find. From here you can walk all the way up to the church you can see on your right passing a newly built tower hide from where we heard Reed Warbler, Great Reed Warbler and Water Rail. Handsome Gargany proved quite confiding. We were joined in the hide by a very expert local birder who quickly pointed out Whiskered, Black and White Winged Black Tern. I thought he was pushing it a bit when he pointed out Green Sandpiper from its call. But he did show us the best place to find Bluethroat and later we heard it from the exact spot! We were also surprised to see a Red Footed Falcon. Someone told us that 15 had been seen a few days ago which must have been quite a sight![/LEFT]
Wednesday
[LEFT]Eating breakfast in the garden Redstarts popped up everywhere and we heard Black Woodpecker in the trees (Redstarts seemed to replace our Robin as a garden bird which we hardly ever saw). Also Nutcracker didn’t seem to be as common as our previous trip last year. We decided to drive back to Murnauer Moos which was quieter now and were immediately rewarded with prolonged views of a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker. It flew into the tree in front of us and stayed there for some time. We then had a distant view of a Shrike in the heat haze but we couldn’t really claim it. But we did hear Corncrake starting up from two different locations and saw Meadow Pipit and Nuthatch but not much else. Back at Kochel we had Goldeneye on the lake[/LEFT]
Thursday
[LEFT]We decided to take the cable car up into the mountains .We didn’t have the time last trip and we had heard so much about it. I had visions of Golden Eagle, Ptarmigan and Alpine Accentor all of which we were told we could get from the top of the Karvendel. You have to take the first one up which leaves at 8.30 to get a head start on the crowds. We arrived to find it left at 9 instead so we had some time to waste when an Owl flew right across my view up the slope. By the time I fumbled with my bins it had gone. I still can’t say what it was with any confidence. Buying our tickets we asked the way to the Dammkarhutte to be told we were at the wrong mountain. Still the view was stunning. Arriving at the top we spent ages watching a pair of Ring Ouzel and we also had a very handsome Water Pipit with a orange pink wash to its breast. But apart from a really nice Green Hairstreak we spent so much time chatting to intrigued locals that we didn’t see much so we decided to have a late breakfast at the lodge. On the way back to Kochel we stopped at our secret place under a motorway bridge to see if the Dipper were still there. There were two as well as Yellow Wagtails, Common Sandpiper and a late appearance by a Merganser![/LEFT]
Friday
[LEFT]Our last full day. We went for a walk along the local stream up in the forest which rushes down into the lake and is very scenic. We watched a pair of Bullfinch and heard Crested Tit. We then parked at our lay-by again at the Loisacher moor and saw a Stork walking in the freshly cut grass. It was an impressive sight. When we scanned around we saw amongst all the old fashioned barns a tower with a Stork sitting in its nest. It had been here all the time! Then a Hen Harrier starting quartering the meadow right infront of us. We spent a long time here watching them and both Red Kite and Black Kite tumbling in the air. When it got dark we were forced to drive back and pack. It was a memorable end to a magical holiday.[/LEFT]
TRIP LIST
1. Diver, Black throated
2. Diver, Red throated
3. Cormorant
4. Merganser
5. Goosander
6. Egret, Great White
7. Heron, Grey
8. Sandpiper, Common
9. Sandpiper, Green
10. Coot
11. Goose, Canada
12. Goose, Greylag
13. Gadwall
14. Gargany
15. Mallard
16. Pochard
17. Pochard, Red crested
18. Shoveler
19. Goldeneye
20. Tufted Duck
21. Wood Duck
22. Grebe, Black necked
23. Grebe, Great crested
24. Lapwing
25. Water Rail
26. Stork
27. Swan, Whooper
28. Swan, Black
29. Gull, black headed
30. Gull, yellow legged
31. Gull, Herring
32. Gull, Littlle
33. Tern, Common
34. Tern, Whiskered
35. Tern, White winged Black
36. Tern, Black
37. Pheasant
38. Kite, Black
39. Kite, Red
40. Buzzard
41. Falcon, Red footed
42. Kestrel
43. Hobby
44. Hen Harrier
45. Woodpecker, Green
46. Woodpecker, Black
47. Woodpecker, Greater spotted
48. Woodpecker, Lesser spotted
49. Wryneck
50. Cuckoo
51. Crow
52. Ring Ouzel
53. Raven
54. Magpie
55. Jay
56. Nutcracker
57. Owl, Short eared
58. Owl, Tawny
59. Song Thrush
60. Starling
61. Swift
62. Swallow
63. House Martin
64. Wood Pigeon
65. Rock Dove
66. Turtle Dove
67. Dipper
68. Dunnock
69. Corn Crake
70. Fieldfare
71. Blackbird
72. Chaffinch
73. Chiffchaff
74. Bluethroat
75. Bullfinch
76. Robin
77. Serin
78. Stonechat
79. Whinchat
80. Wagtail, Grey
81. Wagtail, Pied
82. Wagtail, yellow
83. Nuthatch
84. Reed Bunting
85. Blackcap
86. Black Redstart
87. Skylark
88. Pipit, Meadow
89. Pipit, Tree
90. Pipit, Water
91. Nightingale
92. Yellowhammer
93. Flycatcher, spotted
94. Flycatcher, collared
95. Warbler, Savis
96. Warbler, Willow
97. Warbler, Icterine
98. Warbler, Reed
99. Warbler, Great Reed
100. Warbler, Grasshopper
101. Sparrow, House
102. Sparrow, Tree
103. Goldfinch
104. Greenfinch
105. Tit, Willow
106. Tit, Blue
107. Tit, Great
108. Tit, Coal
109. Tit, Crested
110. Tit, Long tailed
111. Wren
Hello Savi,
sounds really good.
Lake Ismaninger Staussee I visited from time to time e.g. last saturday.
White Storck is really rare in Bavarian.
Buy the way the area in south of lake Kochel is an excellent spot for orchids.
Last year in June I saw thousends of them.
This year I was abroad during this time.
Best regards
Dieter
hi Dieter
yes we were suprised to see a pair of Storks,especially as they seemed to be breeding,
well, on a nest.We couldnt see any young but it was probably too early.(We saw more of them on our last visit in September).What do you think about the Wood Duck? The whole area is full of wildflowers and beautiful meadows and is a delight to ramble around.Like england was when my grandfather was a boy!
best wishes
Savi