Katha Traenkle
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kathat.bsky.social
Katha Traenkle
@kathat.bsky.social
650 followers 450 following 990 posts
Birding, nature, working for a swift rehabilitation center in Switzerland, Biodiversity,
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kathat.bsky.social
Today’s #BirdOfTheDay theme is #BerriesandBeaks

A species very interested in Berries is the

Common Blackbird, female here
blackbird sitting in a hedge with dark red berries. The bird is looking to the left, has one berry in its beak. you can even see the little long tongue. Background is greyish with unsharp branches.
November 30, 2025 at 1:12 PM
kathat.bsky.social
Today's #BirdOfTheDay theme is #Gannets, interpret it how you see it (bonus for actual Gannets).
#birds

Northern Gannet - Great seabirds, far away from my country, this one is from Helgoland
flying gannet, its an adult Northern Gannet, so quite white. the bird is flying against the wind, looking to the left side, you can see the blue eyes, the long beak and the really black feet
November 29, 2025 at 9:36 AM
kathat.bsky.social
Today's #BirdOfTheDay theme is all about #HeadShots, any Birds 'Close Up Capture'.
#birds

Tawny Owl
The bird's head and some upper brest parts, in front of a pine tree. Bird has eyes open, looking directly toward me. Very dark eyes. Nice red brown feather patterns, bird is the red morphe, some tawnys are more of the grey morphe, red is more frequenlty seen in my environment
November 27, 2025 at 1:14 PM
kathat.bsky.social
Today’s #BirdOfTheDay theme is #OnTheEdge of water
This is some years old, from the German isle Amrum

Sanderling
The bird is looking to the left, walking on the beach. The bottom part of the picture shows blue water with small little waves. than comes the curled sand beach part with the bird, on top is a blurry green beige part. The bird has sand on its beak, and some feathers are a bit desorganized from wind i guess.
November 26, 2025 at 11:25 AM
kathat.bsky.social
Today's #BirdOfTheDay is #HangingAround
#Birds

So here we go with a

Coal Tit
on the top of the foto you see green pin needles. and there is the bird, collecting something in the needles, bird is hanging diagonally, the right wing spreaded. Background is light beige
November 25, 2025 at 2:08 PM
kathat.bsky.social
Today’s #BirdOfTheDayTheme is #warblers the alternative is #yelloweyes

Okay, guys, I adore warblers. Awesome busy birds, often great singers, great alert sounds too. Well, they are great in playing hide and seek.

Barred Warbler

not the best picture but with 💚
The bird is surronded from kind of white flowers, kind of blackthorn like, you can spot greyish back of the bird, and the slightly curved beak looking to the left. and some of the barred flanks are visible too
November 24, 2025 at 2:17 PM
kathat.bsky.social
Today's #birdoftheday theme is #Mr&Mrs.
#birds

So here are Mr. and Mrs. Northern Lapwing
both Lapwings are standing in a brownish reed meadow. The male is standing very upright on the left, the head feathers vertical. Female on the right side, more flat posture, female bird is in it colors more brownish, less contrast
November 23, 2025 at 12:54 PM
kathat.bsky.social
Saturday’s #BirdOfTheDay theme is #birdonawire birds on a wire or line and the alternative is #silhouette
#birds

For all (including me) in need of some color: Green Bee-Eater
from Armenia some years ago
the bird is sitting on a very thick wire and in front of blue sky. Bird is looking to the right top of the picture, showing the green head, green tail, and the wings are slightly lifted and you can see the salmon red colored underwings. the beak is black and there is a black eyestripe and a red throat spot
November 22, 2025 at 2:34 PM
kathat.bsky.social
Today's #BirdOfTheDay theme is #GroundedGulls, that's any Gull not in flight. And the Alternative is #Singing, that's any bird with it's beak open.
#bird

This is a Lesser Black-Backed Gull
The Gull is standing on a port's wall at the lake, bird is looking to the right , showing a very red gonys and its dark anthrazit feathers. The bird is ringed with two different kind of rings. the light eye is surronded with nice grey speckles
November 21, 2025 at 3:19 PM
kathat.bsky.social
Today’s #BirdOfTheDay theme is #Thrushes and the alternative is #waders
#birds

Here the greatly colored Fieldfare
bird is looking to the left, sitting on a little branche, a lot of red autumn leafs
November 20, 2025 at 11:22 AM
kathat.bsky.social
Today's #birdsoftheday is #round

Here a red and round

Eurasian Bullfinch
bird sitting on small branches in a hedge/reed plants environment, colors mostly brouwn and beige. The bird is showing its huge salmon red belly and you see some crumbs at the very black big beak
November 19, 2025 at 2:24 PM
kathat.bsky.social
Today's #birdoftheday ist #staredown
#birds

An early morning encounter somewhere in Bulgaria 2023

Little Owl
a little owl on the top of a roof, wooden construction with reddish rounded bricks, the bird is staring toward the photographer, great pupils and yellowish iris. Background is clean light blue morning sky
November 17, 2025 at 12:54 PM
kathat.bsky.social
Alan's #BirdOfTheDay theme for today is #shadesofgray with an alternative of #beakopen.

A Common Cockoo
Unfortunately not common anymore in Switzerland
bird is flying to the left, showing its grey striped pattern, and you can see the yellow eye. The sky is in light blue, sunny weather
November 16, 2025 at 5:25 PM
kathat.bsky.social
#birds #WorstBirdPic and yes, #PhotoFailFriday

Some birds are too fast and too close for me:

Feral Pigeon
A Feral Pigeon headless climbing on a stone and on the left side out of the picture, left food lifted. The bird has a shimmering violett and green neck, belly is light grey, wings are checkered and with two bars in dark brown and black
November 14, 2025 at 6:42 PM
kathat.bsky.social
The #BirdOfTheDay theme today is #swans and the alternative is #posts birds perched on any type of post. #Birds

I have a young Mute Swan doing an advanced yoga pose
middle brown feathers, the huge bird is standing in water, butt to the observer, with the long neck he is preening his but or what ever he is dowing
November 14, 2025 at 2:19 PM
kathat.bsky.social
Today's #BirdofTheDay #DucksOutOfWater
#birds

Mr. Tufted Duck - a duck not so often out of the water
A male duck standing on a rock, looking to the left, background lightblue silent water. Showing its dark grey legs and the white flanks, rest of the bird is black, beside the golden eye
November 13, 2025 at 11:05 AM
kathat.bsky.social
#BirdOfTheDay theme today is #paddling ,birds standing or walking in shallow water
#birds

This is an adult female Little Bittern, a greatly camouflaged bird
the bird shows brown stripes, yellow eyes, orange beak, yellow legs and dark brown head and back feathers. Standing in water, between fresh young green reed plants and the old beige o reed parts, bird is lookin to the left, left leg is outside the water, going forward, showing the claws
November 12, 2025 at 12:58 PM
kathat.bsky.social
The main #BirdOfTheDay theme for today is #BirdsOnTheGround and here is one of my favorites

Meadow Pipit
Brown Pipit with a lof of spripes, rosa legs, the bird is walking to the right on grey beach sand, right leg is half bend
November 11, 2025 at 2:39 PM
kathat.bsky.social
The #BirdOfTheDay theme today is #least and this means the #bird in your camera roll that you have the least captures of.
#birds

They are tiny, they never sit still, often half way hidden in the pine needles and this is one of exact 2 pictures I have.

Common Goldcrest
a tiny beige bird with a black golden crest and dark eye mask. Wings open is the bird in a sunny pine tree
November 10, 2025 at 6:20 PM
kathat.bsky.social
Today's #BirdOfTheDay theme is #StandingOnThings except the Floor.
#birds #sparrow

House sparrow
Young house sparrow sitting on a rusty horizontal violett brown pole. the bird is looking to the left, oben beak and showing its little tongue. the background is beige
November 9, 2025 at 11:46 AM
kathat.bsky.social
Today’s #BirdOfTheDay theme is #takeoffs , so birds taking off, the alternative is #cityslickers , birds in an urban environment.
#birds

I realized that I have far more sharp landings than takeoffs. This one is more likely a dropoff, hope that is okay.

Alpine Swift
bird leaving its nestbox with two rectangular openings, head pointing downwards, wings just out of the box, bird showing its white throatpach and white belly, tail feathers slightly spreaded
November 8, 2025 at 11:32 AM
kathat.bsky.social
Today's #BirdOfTheDay is all about #Fighting birds and the Alternative Bird is #Chaffinches.
#birds

A tough situation here:

Blue Tit - Eurasian Nuthatch
(both could escape unharmed)
A fight over sunflower seeds on a tronc. Blue Tit has the head against the wood, you can only see btit's back side, dominated by the nuthatch. Its beak is touching the Tit's side and Nuthachts left claws are wide open against Bluetit's head
November 7, 2025 at 8:45 AM
kathat.bsky.social
Today's #BirdOfTheDay theme is #lunchtime and alternatively #fluffy

Did I mention that birds have extraordinary power? Imagine yourself during #lunchtime and with the other leg/arm you are doing some workout and all this in an camouflage environment:

Long Tailed Tit
A long tailed tit in a spindle tree, but fruits are not pink anymore bur more brownish, so fitting well to the bird's color. The bird is holding one fruit with one leg and is picking it. Picture in vertical format, bird looking to the left- showing as well with a very fluffy belly
November 6, 2025 at 9:00 AM
kathat.bsky.social
Today's #BirdoftheDay is #closeup
#birds

One of the birds not too shy is the lovely Robin - officially the
European Robin.
Yes, there is a little parasite near its eye.
robin on a metal fence post, background is mittle brown. The bird is looking to the left, you can see alls the feather's structure and there is little parasite in the white eye's ring
November 5, 2025 at 1:48 PM
kathat.bsky.social
#BirdOfTheDay theme of #Rocks
#birds

Cute youngsters - Common Merganser
5 brown babies on a rock in the right upper part of the pic, on fluffy bird is sitting at the bottom on a smaller rock. the birds are showing a bir of reddish feathers on the head and two white spots on their wings, as a characteristic sign for common merganser
November 4, 2025 at 7:38 AM