GROSSSTEINBERG II

June 2010
Trying to handle the bitter feelings of loosing a friend by death, during the last
weeks, I have started to record inside and along a quarry in Großsteinberg
(Saxony, 25km from Leipzig) once again. It was one of the places, we visited
together regularly.

Sadly the breeding pair of Eagle Owls Bubo bubo had left this place, and most
of the Amphibians as well. The axcavation in the quarry has been boost anew.
For this reason a lot of small habitats were destroyed recently.

So I focused on the forest nearby and found a lot of interesting birds.

During one week four Turtle Doves Streptopelia turtur had been singing.
Once again the conditions for recording sound were not the best, but I enjoyed
listening to these rare birds very much. The doves were astonishingly shy, so
I couldn`t approach them closer then 150 meters – maybe an implication
caused by permanent persecution by men since decades.

100509, Turtle Dove, Song, Grosssteinberg, Germany

The simple song of the Common Cuckoo Cuculus canorus is well known in
general. But from a closer point of listening you can hear a odd sound that often
intersperses it´s eponymous syllable.

100505, Common Cuckoo, song, Grosssteinberg, Germany

Unexpectedly a Black Woodpecker Dendrocopos martius was drumming to
defend it´s territory.
There are only a few older trees, but it seems to be enough for one breeding pair
of them. In addition I observed some Stock Doves Columba oenas, who need
the Black Woodpeckers caves for breeding.

100502, Black Woodpecker, drumming, Grosssteinberg, Germany

Finally here´s a recording of the Wood Warbler Phylloscopus sibilatrix. The
population of this fine singer is about to decrease in a dramatic way since
several years. Maybe such a recording will become rare within the next years…

100502, Wood Warbler, song, Grosssteinberg, Germany