birding...

Grey Heron Ardea cinerea©Ashley Beolens http://www.beolens.co.uk/photography/

Hessen, ein für Ornithologen wenig bekanntes Bundesland
Hesse, a federal state little known by ornithologists

With a surface area of some 21,220 km², Hesse is located in the heart of Germany and consists of three administrative districts (Kassel, Giessen, and Darmstadt). Bordering Hesse, in a clockwise direction from the west, are the states of Rhineland Palatinate, North-Rhine Westphalia, Lower Saxony, Thuringia, Bavaria and Baden-Wuerttemberg. The larger centres of population include Frankfurt am Main, Offenbach, Darmstadt, Wiesbaden (state capital), Giessen, Marburg und Kassel.

Climatically, Hesse lies on the periphery of the Atlantic influenced zone. The state as a whole lies south of the German central low mountain range chain and extensive lowland areas are to be found in the central and southern regions only.

This is the Upper Rhine Lowlands region and its northerly trough merges into the largely cultivated Wetterau district. Hesse has no large natural stretches of water, but is rich in rivers and streams. The larger rivers flowing through the state include the Rhine, Main, Kinzig, Lahn, Eder, Fulda, Werra and Weser. Interesting areas for ornithologists lie in particular on the River Rhine (Inselrhein near Ruedesheim, Kuehkopf-Knoblochsaue and the Lampertheimer Altrhein). Some man-made bodies of water have been created over the past 100 years. In North Hesse these are the Edersee, Diemelsee and Affoldener reservoirs. In central Hesse, in addition to the Aartal reservoir with its small front weir created for conservation purposes, there are a number of reclaimed gravel pits between Marburg and Wetzlar. In the Wetterau there are some flooded former open-cast brown coal mines and several other bodies of water such as the Mooser pond complex in Vogelberg. More reclaimed gravel pits lie south of the River Main.

Hesse is also a well-forested state, as over 40 % of its surface area is covered with woodland. The larger deciduous forests consist mainly of the European Beech Fagus sylvatica. Of these beech forests, the Kellerwald has been designated a national park. Beech woodland also characterises the Rhoen biosphere reserve which has the Wasserkuppe, where gliding was invented, as its highest point.

The characteristic bird of the Rhoen is the Red Kite Milvus milvus and individual Black Grouse Tetrao tetrix can also be seen here. These woods are also ideal habitat for woodpeckers such as the Middle Spotted Dendrocopos medius, Black Dryocopus martius, and four other woodpecker species. The Honey Buzzard Pernis apivorus also breeds here. The Marsh Tit Parus palustris (called locally the Nun Tit – Nonnenmeise) is a regular resident in the beech forests through the year. Some 25 % of the world population breed in Germany. In northern and central Hesse on the other hand, the Black Stork Ciconia nigra can be found. A good area for owl lovers lies north of Marburg. It is known as the Burgwald and is home to the Pygmy Glaucidium passerinum and Tengmalm's Owl Aegolius funereus. An unusual feature is to be found in the Westerwald, which is part of the Rhine slate hill country on the western boundary of the state. So-called “low woods” still exist here. These consist of trees which regenerate from stumps or roots. They are cut back every 20 to 30 years and re-grow. The Hazel Hen Bonasa bonasia still lives in these woods today. These “Haubergen”, managed by the Hauberg cooperative under ancient rights, are also home to the Nightjar Caprimulgus europaeus which otherwise has its largest population in the pine woods of the River Main plain. The region where the Rhine Lowland Plain meets the slate hill country is the Rheingau, a well-known wine-growing area. Here, upriver from Ruedesheim, the Rock Bunting Emberiza cia can be observed.

Large areas of cultivated land, where the Dotterel Chardrius morinellus regularly stops over on migration, lie in the Wetterau. Here are also many historic towns and villages and the region is one of the oldest settled areas in Germany. The loess soil which occurs here was used by the Romans to build their fortified wall (Limes) against the wild northern German tribes and its most northerly point is in the Wetterau. The waterway system in the region was the first water meadow complex in Germany to be given protected status. The regular flooding attracts water birds and waders on migration. Species such as the Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus and Spotted Crake Porzana porzana breed in parts of the region. Under ideal conditions, when there is a shallow water level in the meadows, one of the largest Common Crane Grus grus migration stopovers in Western Germany can be found in the Wetterau where several thousand birds remain for a long period in autumn.

Hesse also has a comparatively large number of mixed orchard meadows where, in central and southern Hesse, the Little Owl Athene noctua is a relatively common bird. After North-Rhine Westphalia, Hesse has the largest Little Owl population in Germany