After having explored some vineyards above the village of Rüdesheim am Rhein not too long ago, I made a decision to go birding in an analogous space nearer to Bonn. I learn that the realm round Leutesdorf, simply north of town of Koblenz, is an effective spot for Rock Bunting, nonetheless my predominant quarry within the space. Though the climate didn’t look too rosy it’s a straightforward 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 completed! Seeing this fowl instantly after arriving jogged my memory of my latest Cirl Bunting sighting, additionally the primary fowl I noticed on my final outing to search for buntings. This looks like an odd – however welcome – flip of occasions after having didn’t 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 quite inactive, however I did stumble throughout European Serin, Purple-backed Shrike and Eurasian Blackcap, amongst others.
An enormous European Hare was cute to look at as nicely, a pleasant change from the European Rabbits which are 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 acquired a number of 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 Frequent Reed Bunting. Non-breeding or feminine buntings could be fairly difficult to ID, which makes all of them the extra thrilling since there may be a number of vagrants strewn in there as nicely – in all probability not in a winery within the center Rhine valley, however thrilling species flip up annually alongside the coast throughout migration season (corresponding to 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 typically you seek for birds for ages and once you’re in the proper space, or by probability, they’re virtually too straightforward to see. I skilled an ideal illustration of this a few years in the past after 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 subsequent few days, I spotted, that the hassle was pointless, as Wekas had been just about behind each bush, even stealing socks from us and different hikers and campers. My household nonetheless frequently jogs my memory of that sighting after I get enthusiastic about birds.