Introduction

From December 29 – 31, 2010 I spent 3 days in Usedom, the second largest island of Germany. This trip was not devoted to bird watching, but for a short end of year holiday with my  wife. Hiking tours along the beach between Bansin and the German-Polish border were impressive. Due to the strong winter the beach was covered by  ice and snow, but seabirds were rare.

Itinerary
December 29, 2010: Drive from Berlin to Heringsdorf by car. .
December 30, 2010: Hiking tour from Heringsdorf along the coastline via Ahlbeck to the German-Polish border.
December 31, 2010: Hiking tour from Heringsdorf  to the seabridge of Bansin along the coastline. Walk from the beach to the railway station of  bansin. Railway trip to Zinnowitz. Walk througt the seaside resort to the beach. In the afternoon return trip with a stop in the seaside resort Ückeritz. Walk from the station to the Achterwasser and the beach.
January 01, 2011: Return trip to Berlin

Registration of the observations
All ornithological observations were registered in the databank OrniDB97–2.20, developed by Ralf Schirmeister (www.ralf-schirmeister.de for download) and were edited in two different ways. Under the heading "Excursions" one finds the complete records to the different observation places in chronological order. Under the heading "Species List" one finds the date, the place, and the number of observed individuals in systematic order. In the section Excursions some photos give an impression of the visited areas, in the Species List one finds some photos of birds taken by a Panasonic Lumix G1 with the lens G Vario 1:3.5-5.6/14-45 Asph.

Field guides and other ornithological literature used
Lars Svensson, Peter J. Grant, Killian Mullarney, Dan Zetterström, Der neue Kosmos-Vogelführer, alle Arten Europas, Nordafrikas und Vorderasiens, Frankh-Kosmos-Verlags-GmbH & Co., Stuttgart, 1999.
This book corresponds to:
Killian Mullarney, Lars Svensson, Dan Zetterström, Peter J. Grant, Collins Bird Guide, The Most Complete Field Guide to The Birds of Britain and Europe, HarperCollins, London 1999.

Maps for the orientation in the area
Insel Usedom - Insel Wollin, scale 1 : 50 000, Kompass Wandern - Rad 738, Kompass-Karten, A- 6063 Rum/Innsbruck 2009.

Links to Birding in Germany
http://www.fatbirder.com/links_geo/europe/germany_mecklenburg-western_pomerania.html


Excursions

30.12.2010, 10:30-15:30
Heringsdorf – Ahlbeck, NVP (Mecklenburg-Vorpommern)
–8 °C, overcast, closed blanket of snow and ice.
The following bird species were observed during a hiking tour from Heringsdorf via Ahlbeck up to the German-Polish border along the coastline, which was covered by ice and snow.
Mallard (Anas platyrhýnchos, Stockente): 10 (at least), near the seabridge of Heringsdorf.
Tufted Duck (Áythya fulígula, Reiherente): 30 (at least), swimming along the coastline.
Greater Scaup (Áythia maríla, Bergente): 2 (1,1), swimming near the seabridge of Ahlbeck.
Common Eider (Somatéria mollíssima, Eiderente): 15, swimming near the seabridge of Heringsdorf.
Common Goldeneye (Bucéphala clángula, Schellente): 30 (at least), swimming along the coastline.
Goosander (Mergus mergánser, Gänsesäger): 50 (at least), swimming along the coastline.
Sparrowhawk (Accípiter nisus, Sperber): 1, flying near the German-Polish border, attacking a Common Buzzard.
Common Buzzard (Búteo búteo, Mäusebussard): 1, flying near the German-Polish border, attacked by a Sparrow Hawk
Black Coot (Fúlica atra, Bleßralle): 5, swimming near the seabridge of Ahlbeck.
Black-headed Gull (Larus ridibúndus, Lachmöwe): 100 (at least), along the beach.
Common Gull (Larus canus, Sturmmöwe): 50 (at least), along the beach.
Herring Gull (Larus argentátus, Silbermöwe): 20 (at least), along the beach.
Great Black-backed Gull (Larus marínus, Mantelmöwe): 2 (at least), near the seabridge of Ahlbeck.
Street Pigeon (Colúmba lívia f. doméstica, Haustaube): 20 (at least), flying.
Blackbird (Turdus mérula, Amsel): 2, warning, in a garden.
Great Tit (Parus major, Kohlmeise): 1, on a tree.
Hooded Crow (Corvus coróne cornix, Nebelkrähe): 10 (at least), along the beach.  
House Sparrow (Passer domésticus, Haussperling): 20 (at least), at a feeder in a garden.

P105-0802, P105-0810, P105-0813
Heringsdorf, NVP (Mecklenburg-Vorpommern)
(30.12.2010)

P105-0834, P105-0836, P105-0847, and P105-0846
Ahlbeck, seabridge and beach, NVP (Mecklenburg-Vorpommern)
(30.12.2010)

P105-0854
Usedom, German-Polish border, NVP (Mecklenburg-Vorpommern)
(30.12.2010)

30.12.2010, 10:30-15:30
Heringsdorf – Bansin, NVP (Mecklenburg-Vorpommern)
–5 °C, overcast, closed blanket of snow and ice.
The following bird species were observed during a hiking tour from Heringsdorf to Bansin along the coastline, which was covered by ice and snow.
Mallard (Anas platyrhýnchos, Stockente): 50 (at least), swimming or on ice along the coastline.
Hooded Crow (Corvus coróne cornix, Nebelkrähe): 1, on the seabridge of Bansin.

31.12.2010, 13:45
Zinnowitz, Seebrücke, NVP (Mecklenburg-Vorpommern)
–5 °C,  overcast, closed blanket of snow and ice.
The beach was covered by ice and snow. The seabridge however reached open water. There the following bird species were observed.
Mute Swan (Cygnus olor, Höckerschwan): 7 ad., swimming.
Mallard (Anas platyrhýnchos, Stockente): 5, swimming.
Common Eider (Somatéria mollíssima, Eiderente): 1 male, swimming.
Common Goldeneye (Bucéphala clángula, Schellente): 10 (at least), swimming.
Black Coot (Fúlica atra, Bleßralle): 4, swimming.
Black-headed Gull (Larus ridibúndus, Lachmöwe): 100 (at least), roosting on ice.
Common Gull (Larus canus, Sturmmöwe): 10 (at least), roosting on ice.
Herring Gull (Larus argentátus, Silbermöwe): 5 (at least), roosting on ice.
Black-billed Magpie (Pica pica, Elster): 1, on a tree (at the railway station).  
Hooded Crow (Corvus coróne cornix, Nebelkrähe): 5, flying.