After having explored some vineyards above the village of Rüdesheim am Rhein just lately, I made a decision to go birding in an identical space nearer to Bonn. I learn that the realm round Leutesdorf, simply north of the town of Koblenz, is an efficient spot for Rock Bunting, nonetheless my most important quarry within the space. Though the climate didn’t look too rosy it’s a simple journey by prepare from Bonn, so I made a decision to pay the realm a morning go to realizing that I might pop into the prepare again if the climate turned too ghastly.
Ascending the vineyards from the prepare station in Leutesdorf, I heard the distinctive high-pitched name and certain sufficient, a Rock Bunting was perched on the wires supporting the grape vines. Mission achieved! Seeing this fowl instantly after arriving jogged my memory of my current Cirl Bunting sighting, additionally the primary fowl I noticed on my final outing to search for buntings. This looks as if a wierd – however welcome – flip of occasions after having did not see this species a number of occasions within the area.
Though I just about simply got here for the Rock Bunting, I made a decision to walk round a bit extra, additionally hoping to get extra sightings of the fowl. The inclement climate hampered the birding fairly a bit and birds appeared slightly inactive, however I did stumble throughout European Serin, Crimson-backed Shrike and Eurasian Blackcap, amongst others.
An enormous European Hare was cute to look at as effectively, a pleasant change from the European Rabbits which can be quite common in our native park. It initially ran off, however then adopted a unique technique by crouching on the bottom and counting on its camouflage, its massive eyes trying up at me.
I additionally received just a few extra views of Rock Buntings, together with an immature. This fowl was very nondescript (though a clearer photograph would doubtlessly present extra options!), and jogged my memory a little bit of a first-winter feminine Widespread Reed Bunting. Non-breeding or feminine buntings will be fairly difficult to ID, which makes all of them the extra thrilling since there is perhaps just a few vagrants strewn in there as effectively – most likely not in a winery within the center Rhine valley, however thrilling species flip up annually alongside the coast throughout migration season (resembling on Heligoland).
I made a decision to make a transfer when the drizzle turned extra intense. As I used to be ready for the prepare on the platform, I noticed a Rock Bunting calling from the winery simply 10 meters away. Humorous how generally you seek for birds for ages and if you’re in the fitting space, or by probability, they’re virtually too simple to see. I skilled an ideal illustration of this a few years in the past once I was touring in New Zealand with my household. One night, my dad alerted me to the presence of a Weka (a flightless rail) and I frantically scrambled up a path, tripping dramatically on the best way however nonetheless managing to see the fowl. Over the following few days, I spotted, that the trouble was pointless, as Wekas have been just about behind each bush, even stealing socks from us and different hikers and campers. My household nonetheless commonly jogs my memory of that sighting once I get enthusiastic about birds.
