a couple of hours at Echinger Stausee, near Munich (1 Viewer)

[lazza]

I was in Munich for work this week, and had a couple of hours free so headed up the A92 to Echinger Stausee near Moosburg. A beautiful setting, and clearly a very important habitat for several species... and apart from a single cyclist, not one other person there except for me!

I had been hoping for a night heron, as I had understood they have been known to breed there, but I didn't manage to see any. However, the bird species list in 2 hours (walking along only about a third of one side of the lake) was quite good:

On the lake:
Mute swans (well over 200)
Coot (at least 500)
Mallard (100-150)
Pochard (40-50)
Reed warbler (30-40)
Great-crested grebe (15-20)
Greylag goose (5, plus one presumed hybrid that was mostly white, except for a grey-brown neck and back, but also showing the white forehead of a whitefront)
Tufted duck (50-60)
Common tern (20-30)
Black-headed gull (100-150)
Little gull (2)
Grey heron (2)
Gadwall (8-10)
Cormorant (20-25)
Lapwing (80-100)
Common sandpiper (6)
Little egret (1)
And an unidentified grey-brown, slender duck with bright pink-red bill (red-crested pochard??)


In the woods:
Coal tit (2)
Great tit (2)
Blue tit (20-25)
Woodpigeon (10)
Nuthatch (1)
Chaffinch (8)
Chiffchaff (1 heard)
Marsh tit (1)
Blackcap (2)
Icterine Warbler (1) - a lifer for me :t:

Also
Barn swallows (50-60) and House martins (10-15)

 

[lazza]

And an unidentified grey-brown, slender duck with bright pink-red bill (red-crested pochard??)

So the mystery was solved through the geniuses at teh "Bird identification" thread... the unidentified bird turns out to be an escaped Black-bellied Whistling Duck!

 

[albatross02]

Nice report, Echinger Stausee I prefer on Monday because often the water level is down and good for waders.

From Munich lake Ismaninger Speichersee ( between Munich and Airport ) is more interesting for birding.

But in April and October Echinger Stausee is interesting for Water Rail and Spotted Crake.

Also Night Heron is breeding there, but hard to find if You do not know the place.

 

[lazza]

Nice report, Echinger Stausee I prefer on Monday because often the water level is down and good for waders.

From Munich lake Ismaninger Speichersee ( between Munich and Airport ) is more interesting for birding.

But in April and October Echinger Stausee is interesting for Water Rail and Spotted Crake.

Also Night Heron is breeding there, but hard to find if You do not know the place.

Thanks albatross. I'll remember that for next time.

I actually set out to hoping to find the Night Heron, but did not succeed! But I was really pleased with the Icterine Warbler - not at all common in the UK.

It seemed to be a beautiful location, and I was really almost the only person there.

I have only one complaint...and it's a familiar sight in the UK also:

During my visit, there was a large, noisy, yellow tractor slowly driving along the paths cutting down all the grass and flowers for about 1.5m either side of the path. The parts that were not cut were full of wild flowers in bloom and of course also full of insects - many different butterflies and bees. The path was easy to walk along and quite wide, so why was it necessary to destroy this great habitat in an area listed as a nature reserve??!

 

[albatross02]

Night Heron I saw in May in this area. But I was not able to find it by myself.
A local birder helped me.
Good place is Katzenbergleiten at river Inn ( Europe Reserve Unterer Inn ).
There is good place for Night and Purple Heron.

Icterine Warbler is not to difficult to hear, but more difficult to see.

Why they destroy this great habitat ?
They are only interested in making money.

Compare agriculture area in south Germany with Brandenburg ( area around Berlin ). In Brandenburg You will define 25 - 30 different birds before You have reached an protected area.
In south Germany especially Baden Wuertemberg, You can drive 2 h with bicycle and You will see Blackbird and Crow. Only maximum of money is interesting.
Northeast Germany will go the same direction, I have been told the number of breeding birds decreased over 50 % since 1990. But still many birds there, much more than in the south, but how long it will be like this ?

 

[Blechroller]

Summer is not the best time for "Echinger". Oktober to April will be better there. And if you are at the "Echinger" it will be good idea also to go to the "Moosburger", a lake rd. 5km west from "Echinger" near to the motorway A92.

Olli