The climate round Bonn was unpredictably risky in Could, with some extraordinarily sunny days adopted by a sequence of chilly and moist ones. This made being exterior moderately difficult, and I acquired me caught within the rain without warning a number of occasions. I assume it’s regular for climate to alter unexpectedly (and for the varied rain radars to be inaccurate), however leaving workplace on a sunny afternoon and getting house quarter-hour later drenched to the bone appears considerably uncommon. Both means, I resorted to not planning far forward (no less than on the subject of climate, not the opposite features of my life) and so one morning earlier than work I packed my birding gear and determined to remain the evening in Mannheim to go to the Wagbachniederung the subsequent morning: the climate seemed promising. I’ve been to the Wagbachniederung earlier than (see a earlier submit) and it appeared like a great website to go to once more, being barely easier to succeed in than the equally attention-grabbing close by Saalbachniederung when touring by public transport. Questioning my reliance on spontaneity, the rain was drumming onto the roof of the hostel after I wakened in my dorm mattress in Mannheim at 4AM. By the point I arrived on the Wagbachniederung, the rain had fortuitously cleared making means for a light-weight drizzle for the remainder of the morning. Not ideally suited situations, but it surely appeared as if the birds remained extra energetic and had been singing for longer as the warmth constructed up a lot later.
Frequent Nightingales and Frequent Cuckoos the place calling in every single place. Whereas I’ve heard and seen each species a number of occasions, these atmospheric songs within the humid daybreak, with songs of different species and the sound of water dripping via the foliage within the background, was already a spotlight of the day. Because it grew to become a bit brighter, I tried to see among the Frequent Nightingales however was principally left with fleeting darkish shapes within the undergrowth earlier than a fowl supplied me a good view. A Frequent Cuckoo seemingly needed to take issues extra slowly with its moist plumage, permitting me to look at it from a conceal because it was drying itself.
The reeds and waterbodies within the wetland host many waterbirds with chicks, together with Black-necked Grebe and Crimson-crested Pochards. It appeared to me that this species has a way more liberal method to elevating offspring in comparison with that different waterfowl: the younger chicks had been typically exploring the wetland dozens of meters away from the mom – up to now I feel I’ve all the time seen ducklings to comply with their dad and mom fairly intently. I’m wondering if the helicopter pochard dad or mum will probably be a factor in a couple of years.
Black-headed Gulls had been additionally breeding within the wetlands in massive numbers, turning into very agitated when a Western Marsh-Harrier quartered low over the reeds.
Different birds didn’t make an excessive amount of of a fuss concerning the harrier, together with a Savi’s Warbler whose cricket-like buzzing I heard earlier than finally recognizing it distant. This was a lifer I’d been hoping to see for some time, and my first Locustella. I initially wrote “second” as an alternative, having seen a Pallas’s Grasshopper Warbler in Sri Lanka, however then realized it’s not a Locustella. Then I remembered a sighting that also haunts me sometimes: the glimpse of a fowl close to my house in South Africa round 10 years in the past which I’m nonetheless 99.9% positive was a River Warbler, however the lacking 0.1% pressured me to just accept the Savi’s Warbler as my first Locustella. Whereas I frequently bear in mind some sightings of birds I’ll by no means know what species they had been, I fairly get pleasure from this as after I see them at some point (assuming I’ll), will probably be all of the extra satisfying they usually stay by some means particular even after I see them time and again sooner or later.
To spherical of this submit in fact, the compulsory Purple Herons (I’m unsure whether or not to name it a particular or a regular species of the Wagbachniederung) must be included. Their breeding mounts within the wetland had been eliminated, in all probability as a result of issues had been getting uncontrolled with photographers. I consider this can be a good factor as in all probability reduces the variety of guests, which can put fairly a pressure on different wetland species as properly.
