The morning started off like this but quickly turned to a solid gray sky.
When I left my home to go to a NABU birdwatching event in Tiergarten with Derk Ehlert (probably the most knowledgeable person in the world when it comes to wildlife in Berlin), it still seemed rather dark, and it had started to rain slightly, so I wondered whether I would be the only person turning up. Wrong again. I always forget how Berliners completely ignore the weather. I counted over 60 (sixty – six-zero) people.
In his inimitable style of a combination of boundless knowledge, sunny disposition, enthusiasm and humour, Derk Ehlert kept us entertained for 1,5 hours. I saw several birds I had never seen before. One of them a “Mittelspecht” – the most rare and endangered of the three types of woodpeckers in Berlin. Due to the rain and the lack of light, I did not take any photos.
Just two with my phone of the water which was red. I could not hear the explanation properly but it was a natural phenomenon and not some sort of an environmental catastrophe.
I then went on to Tempelhofer Feld in the hope of hooking up with Lisa K. and her gang of Sunday walkers (every Sunday starting at noon or 13.00, usually about eight to ten km, e-mail her here in English or German if you want to get on her mailing list) – and that worked out well. I also managed to take these photos, despite the poor lighting conditions:
And on this one, the bird is blurred, but I would not have noticed the little flowers if I had not taken this picture:
After the walk, we (about 12 people) had a meal in Restaurant Seerose at Südstern, with a buffet of vegetarian and vegan dishes, a hearty, healthy and tasty meal at very reasonable prices, and a chance to chat with the others. Altogether an excellent day despite the weather.