Rhineland birding (just)

This is a time of year when the locals enjoy their Fasnet celebrations - which are all very well and good. However, I do prefer the atmosphere of Karneval in the Rhineland and the kids have a strong preference for the Karneval processions as opposed to Fasnet (can't be anything to do with the quantity of sweets in the air, oh no indeed). So we often make our way up to my wife's home turf of Leverkusen for one or two Karneval processions and a little bit of Rhineland birding in between. This year we also needed to go into Globetrotter for a new tent before the rest of 'em go off on their Whitsun holidays, so there was another good reason to go.

The weather wasn't ideal, though we were crazy lucky with the one procession we visited, where the pelting rain paused for the time it took the procession to pass us and then began again while we were on the bus home. 

Only one birding trip was possible, along the banks of the Rhine downstream from the Hitdorf ferry towards Worringen. The day was leaden grey and there was more than a touch of snowy rain in the air when I started, but again, I was fortunate and the rain cleared as I set out.  

Looking upstream - not overly prepossessing

Downstream is a little more inspiring, but still very Rhineland

 

The Rhine was fairly high, barges laden with containers and what looked like coal labouring upstream, others riding high unladen and slipping down on the current towards the Netherlands at a brisk pace. There was little to see initially, with a handful of Mallards and Black-headed Gulls on the water; a small flock of Long-tailed Tits bringing some life to a patch of semi-submerged willows. Careful eyes on the ground reveal some signs of spring in the landscape: snowdrops and celandine flowers sheltering under the poplars and willows.

Some signs of spring under the trees: snowdrops are in flower

 

The first Lesser Celandine flower of the year!

 

Closer to the delights of the Chempark at Worringen, the high water had spread into some shallow banks of vegetation and there were more birds taking advantage of the slack water - a group of Canada Geese grazing on the edge of the water with a sprinkling of Mallards, a couple of Gadwall and a single Teal among them; a couple of Cormorants resting on a chunk of wood in the water next to two large gulls - one definitely a Yellow-legged, the other possibly a hybrid Herring x Yellow-legged; a Greylag swimming upstream appeared to be paired up with a Canada Goose; a male Goldeneye cautiously edging away from the bank in case I suddenly sprang at him. A reminder of the milder winters here, a flock of Meadow Pipits spooked out of the floating vegetation and sat up on some dead hogweed stems, squeaking with irritation at me. 

I headed back along the floodbank, which doubles as a cycle path, looking over sodden arable fields. The occasional parakeet in the air brought a touch of the exotic to the day - most of them Alexandrine Parakeets today, but a couple of Ring-neckeds also went over. The fields near the ferry were being used by further exotic fare - 30 or so Egyptian Geese grazing in a rough grassy meadow, along with a good 50 Ruddy Shelduck. Somewhere further into the fields, a Skylark let rip with a snatch of song for no apparent good reason. Sounded nice though.

Egyptian Geese

Canada Geese lurking in the long grass - a Grey Heron tucked away in the background

Cormorants.