GERMANY Alpine & Berchtesgaden 6 – 13 June 2015

TOUR REPORT

Leader: Stephen Daly

Tour Highlights

• White-backed and black woodpeckers at Murnauer Moos Nature Reserve • , water pipit, spotted at the Wankberg summit • Red-backed shrike, red-crested pochard and warblers at Lake Zell • The stunning array of Alpine and meadow plants, butterflies and other wildlife

We saw a good deal of birdlife but with the warm weather helped us to see and enjoy quite a few wonderful alpine plants and a good selection of butterflies both on the green Alpine pastures and down on the meadows around Lake Kochel.

Day 1 - Saturday 6th June The group arrived into airport on an afternoon flight from London. The weather was warm and sunny as we drove down the autobahn to our first hotel for three nights on the side of the Ammersee. The G7 summit had been planned to take place close to our traditional hotel at Kochel-am-See and it was decided to divert for the first three nights to Herrsching as the disruption with protesters and associated numbers of police might disrupt our normal movement in the area. En route there were a few to see that included common buzzards, red kites, wood pigeon and starlings.

After checking in to the hotel we relaxed before meeting on the terrace where the hotel staff invited us for a relaxing drink. Out on the lake we saw a great crested grebe with a chick, Canada geese and mallards. Barn swallows, sand and house martins were catching over the small flotilla of yachts and rowing boats anchored in front of the hotel’s small jetty, as common swifts sped across the lake. After dinner we retired as a large thunderstorm passed through the area.

Day 2 - Sunday 7th June It was mostly clear skies when we awoke the next day and the night’s rain had cleared the air and everything looked and felt fresh. Chaffinches sang from the treetops, fieldfares chattered and blackbirds also sang from the rooftops. At 7:00am we took a stroll along the lakeside before breakfast. Three families of goosanders were being shepherded by their mothers very close to the shoreline; one group came right along the pebbled waters’ edge feeding on algae and small fish. At one stage a carrion crow landed close by eyeing up one of the straggling ducklings, but the alert mother quickly chased the off.

White wagtails flitted from the boat jetty catching flying insects as a black redstart male did the same from the roof of a small hut. Coal tits, blue tits and great tits were watched feeding in the taller tree close to the lakeside path as a robin and a garden warbler sang. A song thrush and fieldfare were watched while out on the lake several small groups of common gulls, black-headed gulls and common terns fished. Great cormorants and great crested grebes were also seen. On the way back to the hotel for breakfast we saw many tree sparrows, some nesting, as well as a few goldfinches.

We set off after breakfast and drove across to Lake Zell where the clear blue skies showed off the distant Alpine chain in all its glory. A hobby was seen as we stopped for a photo opportunity and a male yellowhammer was perched on a post. Common buzzards and three distant red kites wheeled in the warm air as the thermals started to build up over the green farmland. At Lake Zell we took a walk past the reed beds coming upon three red-backed shrikes: two males perched on a fence gave us excellent views. A yellowhammer was heard calling as was sedge warbler, reed bunting and a few cuckoos. There were a few dragonflies around as well as many common blues, red-eyes and bluetails. We also saw some butterflies and these included a few red admirals, large tortoiseshell, green-veined whites and a small skipper.

Red-crested pochards, common pochard, two garganey, a few eclipse gadwall, mallards and tufted ducks were on the lake with little grebes, mute swans, greylag geese and coots. A firecrest came in from the forest edge and a goldcrest was heard closeby. Spotted flycatchers were seen on the way back to the parking area and great reed warbler, reed warbler and sedge warbler were all seen back at the reeds.

We took an early Sunday lunch at a local gasthof and enjoyed a selection of traditional Bavarian dishes. After lunch we walked from the gasthof to the nearby Eibenwald forest where we strolled through this beautiful preserve of ancient yew trees, which was once the source for many longbows in ; the wood was ‘cured’ and sold to many military craftsmen from all over Europe. It was fairly quiet in the forest, but the whole place was quite enchanting: there is a well laid out series of gentle walks through the undulating and stream-filled greenery, with varied understorey that thrives on the thin rich soil above a hard rocky limestone base. Song thrushes, chiffchaffs, robins, long-tailed tits and chaffinches were all calling from the high beech canopy and beautiful and copper demoiselles flitted along the streams or were watched perched on the low vegetation. A few Roman snails were seen and a few day flying moths as well as a pair of speckled wood butterflies.

Later we made our way back to the Ammersee and relaxed before writing up our species list and then took dinner as the golden shadows of the yacht masts cast shadows towards the restaurant as the sun went down.

Day 3 - Monday 8th June ‘The early bird catches the worm’. Before breakfast and before dawn a huge thunderstorm came through the Ammersee and we had torrential rain before our scheduled pre-breakfast walk along the lake’s shoreline. Fortunately, we dodged most of the heavy rain and managed to see some the same birds as yesterday plus took time to watch a family of five nuthatches feeding very close to the lake.

It was a bit misty and much cooler as we left the hotel and headed around to Diessen. Close to the town we saw lapwings and curlews feeding in the wet meadows. In the town near the marina we stopped again to watch fieldfares feeding with blackbirds and starlings. We then parked and took a walk along the duckboards over the wet meadows towards the tower hide where the mosquitos were plentiful! The rain had stopped (sort of) and we watched great crested grebes, common terns, red kite, reed buntings, reed warbler and a few other species.

As the rain stopped and started we took shelter at a local café and then continued on towards the Starnbergersee. En route we stopped to watch a large flock of white storks feeding on open meadows near Weilenback. Three birds sat on a barn and we counted over 35 birds in total at this site, which was the best score for this species on our Bavaria tours over the years! Delighted with this impressive sight we continued over to the next lake, watched a fast flying group of serins and a few hunting buzzards and then took lunch outside on the terrace of a lovely gasthof.

Diving over to Pupplinger Au via Kloster Schäftlarn we passed the River Isar and followed the canal along to the sawmills and fish farm at Aumüle. As if on cue, a male black woodpecker called and flew high across the road in front of us. We then walked across the canopy or covered bridge and saw some white wagtails, chaffinches, robins, lots of tufted ducks on the canal and then headed back across country to Herrsching as the sky once again darkened and the humidity and air pressure told us that we might get seriously wet…Dinner at the hotel was again excellent and another huge storm had come through causing some serious flooding locally. Tomorrow we were off to Kochel-am-See as the G7 summit was over.

Day 4 - Tuesday 9th June Our voluntary pre-breakfast stroll close to the hotel was again productive and gave us an appetite not only for breakfast, but also for more birds and other creatures! The rain had stopped and the forecast was for better weather during the day. We were leaving our Ammersee location and heading down to the Kochelsee and as we drove south the rain started, by the time we got to Kochel-am-See and dropped off our bags at the hotel we decided to take a tour of the Franz Marc Art Gallery close to the hotel. Franz Marc was a German painter and printmaker, one of the key figures of the German Expressionist movement. He was a founding member with Kandinsky of Der Blaue Reiter, ‘The Blue Rider’, a magazine publication series.

Inspired by both the culture and the wonderful art on display we drove down to the nature reserve at Murnauer Moos and took lunch at a local gasthof as black redstarts fed outside underneath an impressive oak tree. The sky was getting brighter and there were only a few spots of rain as we took a stroll through the nature reserve. A black woodpecker flew past and there were many parties of blue and great tits hungrily feeding after the rain. Wood warbler was heard as was sedge warbler, but marsh warbler kept on flitting in and out of the small bushes where they were singing and only offering us fleeting views. It wasn’t until later that we had wonderful views of this energetic and very loud bird.

Common rosefinch was found a little further along the path and we enjoyed great views of a singing male. Two white-backed woodpeckers came in and landed on a dead tree close to the rosefinch and we saw that it was a male feeding it’s quite large but newly fledged offspring, also a male. We watched them for some

time and as they flew off in search of more food we came across a female black woodpecker hammering loudly at the top of a rotten stump.

Long-tailed tits and nuthatches were also here as were many very vocal fieldfares. A few song thrushes sang as did many blackbirds, blackcaps and chiffchaffs after the rain. On the way back to the minibus we watched the marsh warblers a bit more closely, saw more spotted flycatchers and another perched male common rosefinch. Mist was still hugging the lake as we took dinner in the hotel’s dining room, but by now the far side of the lake was visible and made an excellent backdrop.

Day 4 - Wednesday 10th June A new location provided us with an alpine feel and before breakfast we took a look at the area. Walking along the local river a grey wagtail showed up on a local barn roof, then four or five fieldfares chattered and called from various high treetops. Blackcaps and blackbirds sang in unison as reed buntings stood tall on the reeds and chiffchaffs called monotonously from various perches. A single crossbill was also seen and heard passing overhead.

Walking further along the river we stopped and listened to a male bluethroat singing from a small willow in the flooded meadow and we managed to get favourable views of this often, secretive little bird. It was a great start to any day! With breakfast over we drove up and over past the above Kochel and picked up views of some early hunting black kites. Driving down through Garmisch-Partenkirchen we parked up at the foot of the Wankberg and then took the cable car to the mountain summit.

Our day was spent exploring the many paths around the higher elevations where we found water pipits, black redstarts, dunnocks and excellent views of several ring ouzels and a single nutcracker, which was calling from a high . Butterflies had begun to fly in the sunshine as the day warmed up. Down below the town, the mist covered most of the landscape with views of the valley below appearing and disappearing as the sun burnt holes in the mist. It was a spectacular warm, sunny day on top and we were definitely in the right place to see key birds. We took lunch at one of the two gasthofs at the top of the mountain, sitting out on the terrace enjoying the stunning views of the massive alpine chain across to the impressive high peak of the .

We explored the tracks and looked for more birds as well as many new butterflies. Two Alpine swifts came hurtling past in the company of common swifts and we took time to watch more black redstarts. Taking the cable car down to the middle station we stopped and looked for more butterflies and also found some day- flying moths. Back at the hotel we relaxed after a great day out in the Alpine sun.

Day 5 - Thursday 11th June It was fairly quiet for bird species on our hour’s pre-breakfast walk, although we did see grey wagtails and listened to the early morning call of curlews across the lake. Wood warblers and chiffchaffs sang and there was a profusuion of newly fledged white wagtails catching flying insects along the lakeside. A few tufted ducks and mute swans patrolled the water with the ever-present great crested grebes.

After breakfast we departed and drove to the Kuhfluchtgrabens at Farchant. En route we saw a single juvenile golden eagle being mobbed by a common buzzard. We also saw a pair of bullfinches fly across the road in front of the vehicle. It was a beautiful sunny day when we parked the minibus on the edge of the town and there was only a light breeze. We then followed the trail through mixed forest with many large clearings where quite a few butterflies fed.

Following the trail to the river we heard Bonelli’s warbler and firecrest singing and then watched (Alpine) willow tits feeding in a pine tree at the river’s edge. Several family groups of coal tits also fed and a little further on we saw some grey wagtails. Climbing up the track more butterflies were seen and also our first dipper. On the descent we saw at last Bonelli’s warbler almost in the same place where we had earlier

heard a bird singing. Just before we exited the trail we found a very smart looking male red-backed shrike sitting on top of a small pine beautifully lit up in the sun with the dark forest as a backdrop.

In Farchant we sat outside and took lunch in the garden of a local restaurant and afterwards drove back towards Kochel-am-See and to the wet meadow nature reserve and the adjoining grass meadows where large areas of uncut grassland was peppered with many different types of butterflies. These included pearly heath, speckled wood, pale clouded yellow, small skipper, spotted fritillary, painted lady and peacock. There was quite a special ‘trip event’ when one of the grazing dairy cows gave birth to a calf very close to where we were searching for butterflies. The farmer arrived with tractor and trailer and another farmhand and took the mother and calf off to the safety and comfort of a barn stall. As this was taking place there were good numbers of black and red kites and also common buzzards to be seen patrolling the meadows and profiting from the nearby mowing that was taking place. Many of the birds were clutching small mammals taken from the area.

Day 7 - Friday 12th June We had an early start in order to drive to the Eibsee above Garmisch-Partenkirchen after breakfast to take the cable car directly to the top of the Zugspitze. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky and visibility was excellent. Taking the cable car to the summit we had a stunning picture-postcard view of the Eibsee, a beautifully green-blue coloured lake set again the verdant green surrounding forest and meandering valley that leads back down to Garmisch-Partenkirchen. As we ascended in the large cable car carriage we past the craggy grey limestone outcrops of the mountain and started to get a tremendous view of the surrounding countryside.

At the panoramic platform at the summit we could walk around on all sides looking into Austria, Italy and back down to the Bavarian countryside as far as the lakes of Ammer and Stranberger where the morning sun had lit up their surface. Alpine choughs started to arrive and tumbled and displayed in the sun before descending and settling on the walls next to the benches and tables at the cafes. We stayed for some time on top of Germany’s highest mountain – almost 3,000 metres, then some took the cable car down while others waited on the cog and pinion train back down to the station at the Eibsee.

Those in the cable car had views of nutcracker flitting over the pine forest canopy and watched red kites from above as the skirted the shores of the Eibsee. We all met up for lunch on the terrace of a local restaurant, enjoying both the food and the banter from a Romanian waiter. While sitting at the restaurant a single black woodpecker flew overhead and several Nutcrackers were heard calling on the edge of the forest. Jays, black redstarts, spotted flycatchers, fieldfares and blackbirds were also watched.

After lunch we walked through the adjacent alpine meadow looking at the life, then crossed into the forest where a juvenile crested tit was seen. A honey-buzzard glided overhead and robins and chaffinches were quite vocal. Driving back to Kochel-am-See, we stopped for an ice cream in the town beside the large statue of the blacksmith who, legend tells, single-handedly held off an invading force from nearby Austria many years ago…

Back at the hotel we enjoyed another lovely dinner and equally beautiful sunset over the lake and talked about the week’s birding and wildlife highlights.

Day 8 - Saturday 13th June A few took a pre-breakfast walk listening to and watching a Wren and White Wagtails along the shore as great crested grebes, goosanders mute swans and tufted ducks swam and fed out on the lake. We took breakfast then finished off our packing and a short while later said our farewells to the hotel staff before droving off towards Munich. We took a leisurely break at wonderful old convent gasthof where we sat out and enjoyed coffees and delicious strawberry cake. Our last half hour run to Munich airport went without any traffic problems.

SYSTEMATIC LIST OF SPECIES RECORDED

BIRDS Grey Partridge Perdix perdix Small flock feeding in maize field en route to Ammersee Common Quail Coturnix coturnix Heard calling early morning at Kochel wiesen Greylag Goose Anser anser Small groups at the Ammersee and Lake Zell Canada Goose Branta canadenis Small groups at the Ammersee Mute Swan Cygnus olor Noted every day, with two pair plus young present on lake Kochel, Lake Zell and seven at the Ammersee Gadwall Anas strepera A pair was seen at Lake Zell with other birds also noted on Lake Kochel Garganey Anas querquedula A pair seen at Lake Zell Mallard Anas platyrhynchos Seen every day, present on Lake Kochel and meadows. Red-crested Pochard Netta rufina 30 or so birds were present at Lake Zell, with several more noted on the lake at Ammersee Common Pochard Aythya ferina A few recorded at Lake Zell Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula Seen most days at various sites Goosander Mergus merganser Three large family groups with ducklings at different stages of development on the Ammersee in front of our hotel. Several females seen daily in flight at Kochelsee Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis Seen on four days at lake and wetland sites Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus Common and seen every day White Stork Ciconia ciconia. Record numbers this year near with a group of 35 bird watched feeding near Weilenbeck Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo Recorded on the lakes and River Isar Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus Common, seen daily Eurasian Hobby Falco subbuteo Singles see on two days European Honey-buzzard Pernis apivorus Singles seen twice around Garmish-Partenkirchen Red Kite Milvus milvus Seen most days with good views of hunting birds at Kochel wiesen Black Kite Milvus migrans Seen daily Common Buzzard Buteo buteo Common, seen daily Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos One juvenile seen being mobbed by a Common Buzzard close to Garmish-Partenkirchen Eurasian Coot Fulica atra Recorded daily on the Ammersee, Lake Kochel and several others seen at Lake Zell

Northern Lapwing Vanellus vanellus Watched in farmland on two occasions Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata Heard calling in the early morning across the lake at Kochel-am-See Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis Seen every day of the tour Common Gull Larus canus Seen on the lakes most days Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus Large breeding colony at Lake Zell and watched at Ammersee, Starnbergersee and at Lake Kochel Common Tern Sterna hirundo Seen most mornings at Ammersee and at the Starnbergersee Feral Pigeon Columba livia Seen every day Wood Pigeon Columba palumbus Seen every day Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto Seen every day Common Cuckoo Cuculus canorus Heard daily at various sites and a few distant birds seen in flight Common Swift Apus apus Recorded daily Alpine Swift Tachymarptis melba One pair recorded from the Wankberg summit White-backed Woodpecker Dendrocopos leucotos Superb close views of an adult male feeding a young male at Murnauer Moos Nature reserve Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major Singles seen mostly on several occasions Black Woodpecker Dryocopus martius A few single birds in flight were noted but great views of a female collecting grubs at a rotten tree at Maurnauer Moos reserve Green Woodpecker Picus viridis One bird heard calling at Kochel-am-See Red-backed Shrike Lanius collurio Best views were of three birds at Lake Zell and a lovely close male at Farchant. There were a few distant birds in flight on two more occasions. Garrulus glandarius Common seen daily Magpie Pica pica Common seen daily Nutcracker Nucifraga caryocatactes One calling bird was watched for a while at the Wankberg summit and a few birds seen and heard calling at the Eibsee Alpine Chough Pyrrhocorax graculus At least 20 birds were seen at the summit of the Zugspitze. Eurasian Jackdaw Coloeus monedula Seen most days in open countryside Carrion Crow Corvus corone Common, seen daily. Rook Corvus frugilegus Seen most days Common Raven Corvus corax Seen most days, with nice views had of birds on our visit to the Zugspitze

Marsh Tit Poecile palustris Seen near the hotel and at the Ammersee Alpine Willow Tit Poecile montanus At least two were seen well at Murnauer Moos, with another seen near the hotel and three birds at the Eibsee Coal Tit Periparus ater Fairly common and recorded daily Crested Tit Lophophanes cristatus One juvenile seen at the Eibsee Great Tit Parus major Recorded daily mostly in family groups Blue Tit Cyanistes caeruleus Common, noted daily Sand Martin Riparia riparia Only one group of four passing birds at the Ammersee Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica Common, seen daily House Martin Delichon urbicum Recorded daily Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus Noted most days Great Reed Warbler Acrocephalus arundinaceus Singing birds were recorded at Starnbergersee and Lake Zell Eurasian Reed Warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus Heard and seen in suitable habitat Marsh Warbler Acrocephalus palustris Heard more than seen but we had very good views of two birds at Murnauer Moos Sedge Warbler Acrocephalus schoenobaenus Seen and heard at Lake Zell and also herd calling at Murnauer Moos Icterine Warbler Hippolais icterina Singing birds were heard at Murnauer Moos Willow Warbler Phylloscopus trochilus One of the commonest singing warblers Common Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita Common, recorded daily Western Bonelli’s Warbler Phylloscopus bonelli Only one bird seen at Farchant woodlands Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla Seen and heard daily. Generally good views at all sites Garden Warbler Sylvia borin Becoming a scarce bird although we did have a few good views and did hear some singing Common Whitethroat Sylvia communis One heard then seen at Murnauer Moos then another heard calling at Farchant Firecrest Regulus ignicapilla Singing birds were most days with a few birds seen Goldcrest Regulus regulus Singing birds were recorded at Ammersee and Murnauer Moos Wren Troglodytes troglodytes Fewer birds seen this year but most were heard at different locations Nuthatch Sitta europaea Recorded daily in the woodland area by the hotel Short-toed Treecreeper Certhia brachydactyla Singing birds were seen at Murnauer Moos, Starnbergersee and Ammersee

European Starling Sturnus vulgaris Common, seen every day Ring Ouzel Turdus torquatus Six birds seen on the Wankberg. Eurasian Blackbird Turdus merula Common, recorded daily Fieldfare Turdus pilaris Seen and heard ‘chacking’ most days, looking great in breeding plumage Song Thrush Turdus philomelos A few birds seen Mistle Thrush Turdus viscivorus Recorded on four dates, with good views of feeding birds at Ammersee European Robin Erithacus rubecula Recorded daily Bluethroat Luscinia svecica A male was found at Kochel early morning Black Redstart Phoenicurus ochruros Common, seen daily European Stonechat Saxicola rubicola Only one bird at Kochel meadows Spotted Flycatcher Muscicapa striata Seen daily with a resident pair opposite our hotel and good views of feeding family group at Murnauer Moos Dipper Cinclus cinclus A few birds seen at Farchant House Sparrow Passer domesticus Easily seen primarily around urban areas Tree Sparrow Passer montanus Good numbers this year at many locations Dunnock Prunella modularis Singing birds seen on the summit of Wankberg was the only site Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea Recorded around the lake edges and nearby river banks as well as at the Farchant waterfall White Wagtail Motacilla alba Common, widespread and seen daily. Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis Surprisingly scarce with only a few noted singing on the nearby farmland. Tree Pipit Anthus trivialis One singing bird at Murnauer Moos Water Pipit Anthus spinoletta Four birds, the majority singing males were seen at the summit of the Wankberg Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs Common and widespread, seen daily Serin Serinus serinus A small flock was seen at Lake Zell woodland Greenfinch Chloris chloris Seen most days Linnet Linaria cannabina One pair seen briefly at Kochelsee Common Rosefinch Carpodacus erythrinus Great views of up to four males and two females at Murnauer Moos NR, with one more heard on our prebreakfast walk on 9th Common Crossbill Loxia curvirostra

A single bird flew over before breakfast on 10th Bullfinch Pyrrhula pyrrhula A pair were seen flying near Garmisch-Partenkirchen Yellowhammer Emberiza citronella Several birds were heard and seen. Reed Bunting Emberiza schoeniclus Easily heard and seen in suitable habitat.

MAMMALS Roe Deer Capreolus capreolus

AMPHIBIANS Marsh Frog Rana ridibunda / lessonae

REPTILES Common Lizard Zootoca vivipara

BUTTERFLIES Swallowtail Papilio machaon Orange-tip Anthocharis cardamines Clouded Yellow Colias croceus Brimstone Gonepteryx rhamni Wood White Leptidea sinapis Small Copper Lycaena phlaeas Green-underside Blue Glaucopsyche alexis Adonis Blue Polyommatus bellargus Common Blue Polyommatus icarus Duke of Burgundy Hamearis lucina Peacock Inachis io Painted Lady Vanessa cardui Small Tortoiseshell Aglais urticae Marbled Fritillary Brenthis daphne Pearl-bordered Fritillary Clossiana euphrosyne Spotted Fritillary Melitaea didyma False Heath Fritillary Melitaea diamina Alpine Grayling Oeneis glacialis Ringlet Aphantopus hyperantus Pearly Heath Coenonympha arcania Chequered Skipper Carterocephalus palaemon Small Skipper Thymelicus sylvestris Large Skipper Ochlodes venatus

MOTHS Hummingbird Hawk-Moth Macroglossum stellatrum Silver Y Autographa gamma Black-veined Moth Siona lineata Blood-vein Timandra comae Burnet Companion Euclydia glyphica Hummingbird Hawk-moth Macroglossum stellatrum

DRAGONFLIES Beautiful Damselfly Calopteryx virgo Azure Bluet Coenagrion puella

Banded Demoiselle Calopteryx splendens Common Emerald Damselfly Lestes sponsa Variable Bluet Coenagrion pulchellum Common Bluet Enallagma cyathigerum Southern Skimmer Orthetrum brunneum Blue Chaser Libellula fulva

ALPINE PLANTS [A simple list of some of those plants seen] Alpine Willow Herb Orange Hawkweed Shrubby Milkwort Alpine Lady’s Mantle Mountain Avens Purple Gentian Red Helliborine Dragon’s Teeth Yellow Wood Violet Birdseye Primrose Oxslip Spring Gentian Trumpet Gentian Alpine Butterwort Clustered Bellflower Black Vanilla Orchid Early Purple Orchid Pyramidal Orchid Southern Marsh Orchid Common Spotted Orchid Whorled Soloman’s Seal May Lily