Mark James Pearson: Berlin, March '25

Monday, March 31, 2025

Berlin, March '25 - extras

Goshawks may have hogged the spotlight, but there were other birds - and indeed other joys to behold - during the week in Berlin.

While most of our time was focused on Tiergarten - a few minutes from our accommodation and centre of our attentions for locating (and enjoying) Goshawks and their territories - we mixed it up, with an afternoon wandering other urban parks (including the highly recommended Old St Mathew's Cemetery), and an excellent day's relaxed birding on Pfaueninsel (Peacock Island) in the south-western borderland of the city.

Other species included Hawfinches, Lesser Spotted, Middle Spotted (top two photos), Green and Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Firecrests (above), Jays, Common Buzzards, Sparrowhawks (in a distinct minority!), the commoner tits, Short-toed Treecreepers, Nuthatches (below), the first arriving Chiffchaffs and various other standard woodland fare, with Mandarins, Grey Herons and Cormorants on the wooded ponds.

Up in the blue skies above the city, Russian White-fronted Geese, Common Cranes and Great Egrets migrated in flocks, while Red Squirrels (below and further down) were abundant and tame, which is of course ideal for a certain large Accipiter bringing up its chicks.....

We also explored our neighbourhood and found great places to eat and hang out, and had a couple of very fun nights out (thanks to my old friend and resident Berlin connoisseur Michel).

Raven (above) and Short-toed Treecreeper (below), both ubiquitous in Tiergarten and beyond

I also squeezed in a couple of runs, as I try to do on any trips I'm lucky enough to take - both in Tiergarten, and both under the blue skies we came to expect throughout our stay.