Germany's Wild Birds - Rulers of the Air | Free Documentary Nature

[Music] [Music] and then [Music] [Music] me [Music] so [Music] two [Music] [Music] birds they are found almost everywhere on earth they differ from all other animals by virtue of distinct threats only birds have feathers [Music] all birds have a bill and hardly any other group comes in so many different colors shapes and sizes [Music] please [Music] we humans have dreamed of this for countless generations [Music] to be able to conquer the space between earth and sky [Music] but over the course of evolution this space was conquered by one group of creatures by day birds are the undisputed rulers of the air birds have fascinated people since the dawn of time but what is it about birds that so inspires people [Music] is it the brightly colored plumage or their eye-catching behavior [Music] maybe it's their melodic song [Music] or the ability to move in all three elements on land [Music] in the water and in the air [Music] follow me whilst i film from the alps to the north sea i will show you the best places to watch birds that i've encountered in germany as a wildlife filmmaker come with me on a fascinating journey of germany's wild birds [Music] the vestibule lakes seven artificial fishing lakes in the region between cologne and frankfurt created by the counts of ved in the 17th century now they are a man-made nature paradise hackenburg in the western world a charming little medieval town is the starting point for the first filming session [Music] the famous altamart hachenborg's showpiece with its half-timbered houses the two churches as well as the steinerness house or steinhaus built in 1439 one of the oldest inns in the country only a few kilometers away dryfelden with the dryfeldavaya the largest of the seven lakes it can be reached from the nearby village via a boardwalk the walk around the lake occasionally provides direct access to the water's edge the first bird watching opportunities in the bankside scrub a common white throat a typical bird of this region mute swarms a few species of duck great crested and little graves live here as well as smaller birds such as peat wax tails raptors such as red kites breed in the surrounding woodlands and for many years rare species such as the redneck grieve have come here to breed in the higher regions of the western coots are found on nearly every stretch of water if you're here at the right time you can witness a fantastic spectacle every april and may depending on the weather hobbies pass through on their way from their african wintering quarters to their breeding grounds further north these speedy flyers can be seen hunting dragonflies and other large [Music] insects opposite trifelden in the village of zeborg is a lake that is easily seen from the road [Music] the hayden fire home to many water birds and especially thanks to the large number of fish the hunting grounds of the grey heron but for some years now they've faced competition great white egrets have recently discovered the lakes and are giving the grey herons a hard time these elegant birds with white plumage and yellow bill are no less cunning hunters with great endurance and patience in the water and on land great white egrets hunt by side and use a special method they startled their prey when it then tries to flee they grab it with their sharp beaks the successful hunting strategy [Music] so it's understandable that there are frequent conflicts between the two harren species the first great white egrets arrived in the late 1990s these days up to 50 birds may be present on any given day [Applause] they are now a fixture in the autumnal bird life of the westerweight lakes sometimes they stay over winter young birds in particular still have much to learn about successful fishing as the prey tries to escape where there are several grey herons and great white egreds bird watching is never boring the birds are always moving and showing off their flying skills [Music] where possible the herons keep a respectful distance from one another aimed and caught and what a fish it takes just moments before the live fish disappears down the egret's throat so no one else can steal its prey [Applause] finally the young grey harren has made a catch but it's taken the fish awkwardly it won't go down its throat like this so now what a big fish attracts attention the young grey harren is being surrounded and finally gives up grey herons have bred in germany for a very long time ornithologists are expecting the first proven breeding of great white egrets in the near future it's still unclear where the actual home of these great white egrets is they've all gone by the end of april and only return in the autumn the great white egrets of the heightened fire a joy to watch in the vestavalt lakes [Music] our journey takes us from the westervalt in the west to the hafeland in the northeast this regions in brandenburg to the north west of berlin the hearthland was made famous by the writer theodore fontan and his poem about her von rebeck of rebecc imhaferland landscape where the rare corn bunting is at home [Music] in which cranes are still present all through the summer [Music] and where the nightingale sings [Music] the luge meadows of western brandenburg and neighboring saxony unhealth are also home to the last remaining great bastards in germany weighing up to 18 kilograms they are the heaviest flying birds in the world it is a bit of a journey to get to the last individuals of this species this is why visitors should only visit the signposted bird hides so as not to disturb the great bastards a town not far from the bust of reserve is garlits a one street village with 400 inhabitants far from the main road and rail networks it looks back on a varied history the people here are very familiar with great busted but few of them remember the birds from their childhood one of them is max born in garlits in 1928 in his youth he tells us there were so many bastards here in some years that parents would send their children to the fields to chase them away those times are long gone there are only about 100 of these imposing birds known locally as brandenburg ostriches left in the wild a sad leftover population whose survival relies on a carefully managed environment and human help shortly before world war ii there were still over 4 000 busted here just 20 years later there were only 1 200 of these splendid birds these days specially built observation towers allow people to watch them particularly in april and may that is the mating season and the vegetation is still short the male busted fly from the observation towers during the day often to the most distant meadows on the horizon in those conditions even a good telescope won't provide a satisfactory bird watching experience as the shimmer from the heat is far too strong early in the morning when it's still cold the chances are much better it's just after sunrise a corn bunting is singing at song close to the observation tower the first male busted of the morning but unfortunately he flies past as he put the young robot to flight many other animals profit from the bastards nature reserve such as the cranes then finally only around 100 meters away from the observation tower a male busted ready to mate marches over the field proud and dignified apparently up for anything all the signs point to him starting his courtship display but he's hesitating as far as the eye can see there are no handbusters around this early in the morning that could put him in the right mood so his show is over before it really started he leaves the leg with his head held high maybe he'll return later and have more luck with the ladies then unsuccessful a moment ago now there is a chance for him after all the busted female may be following him at a respectful distance but she doesn't seem that interested deer and hair are unperturbed by the bastard's courtship suddenly he springs into full display he looks utterly different as if he has dressed up and donned a white suit in fact all he's done is turn his underwings to the outside and inflated his throat sack this busted lady seems to like it and approaches this really gets him going now his show is in full swing this transformation artist is pulling out all the stops almost nothing can be seen of his rusty brown breeding plumage in this grotesque masquerade his performance is silent the courtship of the last great bastards a highlight for any nature lover only continued conservation work will make it possible to continue seeing them in the heiferland [Music] our journey goes on from the harford london brandenburg into the eiffel mountains of the rhineland palatinate a land of extinct volcanoes around 12 000 years ago it might have looked like this when the earth was spitting fire what now remains are the crater lakes known as mars a landscape of rough beauty which is largely protected home of the great crested creep which is found on many german waters close to the downama west of the village of schalkenmeren there is a small unassuming pond the zangbaya perfect for watching waterbirds there are such lava pits throughout the eiffel if you're lucky you might encounter a flock of wild sheep the muflons that are present in some of the pits or a stone chat on its song post high up on a bush chances are you will hear and see a skylark and with a good telescope you might even see one of the pairs of eagle owl raising their young the zhangvaya offers something special coots and cormorants various species of duck and lots of water birds there are two places suitable for bird watching that are accessible from the path a sluice hut from where the water levels are regulated is also used as a hide and an observation tower from which visitors get a good view over the whole [Music] area if you come to the zangvaya in early spring [Music] you can witness the great crested greaves displaying and nest building these two birds are already in a matrimonial mood as birds only get this close to one another during the breeding season the coots however are still fighting it out and the ducks are still chasing each other often with two drakes to one duck the two great crested greaves are quite calm both are in breeding plumage which includes the characteristic head decoration with its striking crest and collar very apparent it is difficult to tell which is male and which is female as the two are very similar it's a particular highlight to watch the display of the great crested grebes in which the two partners synchronize perfectly with each other head shaking begins the ceremony [Music] the quarreling coots endlessly interrupt the morning's peace but the great crested grieves are not perturbed elegant movements which are reminiscent of bally [Music] the display goes from head turning to faint preening in which the cleaning of plumage is suggested suspicious of their fellows the mallard drakes follow each other and don't let their rival out of sight for a moment [Music] the courtship of the great crested greaves reaches a momentary climax presenting plant material is a definite sign full of excitement what is presumably the male signals that he wants to start building a nest and also shows the female the intended building site [Music] [Music] shortly afterwards the time has come on the edge of the extensive reed bed the gribs start building their nest this is the place they have chosen and together they start building the foundation for the floating nest [Applause] first a platform is built using woody plant materials and sticks on this the actual nest is later built they haven't got much time as the female will lay her first egg in about a week every so often a rare visitor comes to fish it has built its nest far away from here hidden in the forest now the great crested greeps nest is finished the female has laid her eggs and both birds start incubating they switch duties regularly whilst one partner is brooding [Music] the other is for aging impressive scenes from the life of great crested greaves easily seen as the zhangvaya in the once volcanic eiffel our journey to germany's wild birds continues in the south of the country to an upper swabian moorland landscape with an alpine backdrop the bird paradise of the fidezi lake [Music] starting point is the small spa town of bad puja which lies on the banks of the federation the town center has a baroque church with the tower in which numerous wild birds breed the people who come to barbuck have a particular reason either they come for their health and use the spa facilities to treat various ailments or they follow in the footsteps of albert einstein's paternal forebears or they are interested in the prehistoric objects preserved in the moor they are mainly late neolithic or from the bronze age and can be seen in this museum many visitors come to see the birds the site has a reputation that goes far and [Music] wide [Music] the special thing about the friday is its extensive reed bed which surrounds the lake like a protective wall the only access to the lake goes via a one and a half kilometer boardwalk which was built in 1911. eco-tourism has a long tradition here nature trips were being offered here more than a hundred years ago it is still possible today to watch birds in peace and quiet at the friday sometimes one needs neither a telescope nor binoculars as the boardwalk leads right through the bird's world there are many good fishing grounds for the fishermen there are plenty of fish in the clear water and the local restaurants offer feed as a pike as a regional speciality the feed as a reed bed is the biggest moorland in south west germany and has been a european bird reserve for many years it is also home to a special species that only lives in large reed beds and is best seen first thing in the morning thick autumn misters hanging over the entire fideszy area not really the best bird watching weather but it is worthwhile getting to the boardwalk this early october is the best time of year to see the rare bearded which isn't really a teat at all it owes its name to the male's conspicuous moustache cinnamon brown feathers and very long tail feathers are characteristic of these pretty birds which gather together in feeding flocks at this time of year uh they only survived the winter by switching their diet whilst they eat mainly insects in the summer in winter they eat the seeds in the reed panicles the birds must also swallow small sand grains every so often so that they can digest the seeds the bearded teeds like to gather these grains of sand on the feet as a boardwalk and this is where they can be observed at leisure so give me from time to time small flocks fly off to a new food source but a new flock will gather shortly at this spot a constant coming and going bearded teats can be heard and often seen everywhere in the reed this proximity to such a rare bird is a really special moment for nature loving visitors often the mist only dissolves in the late morning to give a clear view [Music] when the october sun burns away the thick mist the bearded teeth scatter into the extensive reed of the fiduciary area they can hardly be seen during the day as they spend their time out in the vast reed bed spectacular bird watching experiences in a spectacular landscape on the feders in nearby in upper swabia [Music] from the south of germany we go up to mecklenburg western pomerania in the northeast to the birds of good fortune the cranes right by the baltic sea in the rugenbach region northwest of stralzont in the four pommasher borden landscape national park autumn here means constant wind [Music] the crane roosts lie between the bottom of briny lagoons and the baltic sea during the day the birds forage for food on fields far inland more than ten thousand roosting cranes come here every year our journey begins in gross mordor north west of stralzond the grand church in the town center is worth mentioning as well as the pretty tree-lined avenue through the center and the crane information center many of the cranes resting here have already come a long way for them while they spend several weeks here their stay is just a stopover on their long migration to their wintering grounds which may be as far away as africa the birds are taking the opportunity to gather new strength for the onward migration the people come to watch the cranes the gunzaze observation point was built here especially not far from gross mordor here they not only have all sorts of information about cranes and their migration routes they also have good places from which to take photos of cranes in order to prevent the cranes from eating the germinating winter wheat conservationists have planted maize on certain fields to attract the birds there the trick works well and reduces conflict between bird conservation and agriculture a white-tailed eagle sits inconspicuously a long way away and watches the scene it's interested not in the cranes but then the white fronted geese [Music] even though the storm is strengthening this young crane takes the opportunity to play in it others however take the time for a last bath before the onward journey a few birds are restless and want to fly on like an arrow the sea eagle suddenly dies from the sky into the midst of the flock of ghees the attack was unsuccessful will it try another time even though the eagle is still soaring in the air the geese are back on the ground as if nothing had happened when the day is coming to an end and the sun has nearly sunk below the horizon a fascinating natural spectacle unfolds every evening thousands of cranes fly off to the roosting places far out on the flat waters of the bottom cranes have had a firm place in folklore for a long time many people feel melancholy when the cranes fly south in autumn it means winter is on its way with darkness and cold and when the cranes return in spring it means new beginnings and the end of the winter [Music] the birds of good fortune rivered in many cultures for millennia lovely to see in mecklenburg western pomerania our journey continues to our last destination also in mecklenburg western pomerania [Music] to the feldberg lake district and to one lake in particular the brighter lucenzy and to fred bulman the ranger and his world wide-tailed eagle [Music] this exclusive nature experience begins in the small town of feldberg the famous storyteller hans faladah lived and worked nearby his novel de isa gustav was the basis for a film of the same name the landscape with around 30 white-tailed eagles is home to otters ravens and hooded crows as well as lesser spotted eagles ospreys and white-tailed eagles the lakes were formed in the last ice age cranes still breed in the more remote moors and wet woodlands the ospreys like to use the artificial nests provided by humans even when they are on high-tension pylons [Music] fred balman is at home in this landscape he knows it like the back of his hand and has made a living out of it he takes interested people close to nature be it hooded crow or red kite he manages to get close up he presents his best nature experience early in the morning on the brighter lucenzy when he drives out in his electric boat to his wide-tailed eagle the practiced eye of the ranger has already spotted something [Music] over there there's a light patch in the woodland ah now it's a broken branch but now he's certain an adult bird is already there [Music] nearly every day he takes the boat with his guests to a particular place preparations for an eagle show on which fred bulman has been working for years first he pumps air under the scales of the bait fish that means they stay on the water surface for longer then the first attempt he knows this game fred cuts the motor now we creep forward the wide-tailed eagle is much closer to the boat but that's not good enough for fred suddenly the eagle flies up now the eagle's coming [Music] so [Music] freight tries again this time with a bigger eel [Music] come on get the eel [Music] [Music] you

Channel: Free Documentary - Nature

Views: 2,388,000

Keywords: Free Documentary, Documentaries, Full documentary, HD documentary, documentary - topic, documentary (tv genre), nature documentary, Free Documentary Nature, Wildlife, Wildlife Documentary, Wildlife Documentary 2020, Animals, Animal Documentary, Birds, Bird Documentary, Bird Is The Word, Wildlife Germany, ornithology, Bird Watching, endangered species, Rulers of the Air, bearded tits, beautiful birds

Id: RpgWh3udd-A

Length: 52min 8sec (3128 seconds)

Published: Wed Dec 09 2020