A Common Pochard

This winter have really taught me something about the wildlife near the city that I've lived in for more than 20 years. Until now I didn't realise how many different ducks and birds actually live around me. This female common pochard is a good example of that fact, as I had to look it up just to get the name right for you! And then I realized it's one of the more common ones here, even though they are hugely outnumbered by the mallards.

A Common Teal

Another common duck in Denmark at the moment is this Common Teal or Eurasian Teal. Standing on one leg on the edge of the ice it probably longs for the spring, as do everyone else.

Almost like an angel

This black-headed gull landing among the mallards is almost like an angel visiting. It's behavior later suggested that it sure wasn't an angel as it fought for food.

Colors in winter

In this long winter colors seems absent, especially among the birds around Copenhagen. This one though add some much needed color to the pond. It's a wigeon and it's quite dabber in its plumage, even at winter.

Going under

This black-headed gull was taking its morning shower in the local duck pond, bopping its head up and down in the water.

Ducklings?

No, these aren't ducklings as I first thought when I spotted them, but small grebes looking for food under the ice floes of Copenhagen Harbour. As many other of the birds I've encountered these weren't too happy about the guy with the camera.

Cormorant

I found this black cormorant in a creek just outside my door. It was a bit surprised to see me and took flight almost immediately, but I did manage these photos of it. It's not the most beautiful of birds in my opinion and it's hated by many fishermen, but I think it's a stately bird nonetheless.

Take-off

Well fed after it's fight for a slice of pizza this herring gull is cleared for take-off from the duck pond. The rest of the birds in this watering hole probably won't miss it.

More fighting

I'm glad that I'm not a herring gull as this one do seem not to like the others very much. Why didn't they just gang up on it to get rid of it?

A pizza to go, please

In the last two posts I've shown you this herring gull behaving like the big bully in the local school yard, and it was (of course) all about food. Someone had dropped half a pizza in the pond and in this winter it's survival of the fittest (or biggest, strongest and most mean). Even though it accepted to share bits of it, the gull tried it's best to defend it's price.

The bully of the duck pond

Yesterdays photo showed a herring gull in what could have been some kind of dance. Today's photos show a different story. I'd captured the local young bully in this duckpond, a young herring gull doing it's best to scare all other gulls and ducks away. Tomorrow I'll show you the reason for this anti-social behavior.

X-Factor bird-style?

This young herring gull almost seemed like it was training for X-Factor, but the reality is very much different. Tomorrow I'll show what this dance was all about.

Moorhen

The few open water holes in and around Copenhagen are filled with waterfowl, some of which (at least to me) seems a bit strange or maybe just un-common. This moorhen is one of those I've captured, as it steps on the stone pavement around an artificial pond in Valbyparken.

Sunrise winter-style

In winter you've got one big advantage over summer; you don't have to get up really early to catch the sunrise. If you look closely you might notice the flock of birds swimming in the open channel as they struggle through this winter.

Fieldfare

The fieldfare (sjagger in Danish) is seen in great numbers during the winter in the parks of Copenhagen, where they feast on the leftover berries.

Winter dress

Flocks of black-headed gulls in winter plumage occupy the ice around the few lakes with open water in Copenhagen. These gulls are numerous all year round in the Danish cities where they compete with pigeons, ducks and sparrows in the hunt for left-overs from humans.

A pheasant in the city

This is the first time I've seen pheasants in my local neighbourhood park. Hopefully no-one in here will try to get them on the menu.

No walking on the ice

This grey heron obviously have some trouble reading Danish as the sign reads "No walking on the ice".

The red ribbon

The grey herons might be desperate for food, but I think this one will be disappointed nonetheless. After a fight with another heron the victor got this red ribbon and kept carrying it around for quite some time. Maybe it was a badge of honour for it?

Fight in the watering hole

In the few ice-free ponds and lakes space is at a premium so a lot of small dramas can be observed here. These two mallards were not exactly best mates, so one had to find a new place to get the feet wet.

Ducks on ice

The mallards of Copenhagen try to get the best out of a harsh winter. These two even try to get their feet up under the feathers to preserve some heat.

Cold in Copenhagen

It's the coldest winter in Copenhagen for many years, so the lakes are all frozen over. Many people get alarmed when they see the swans lying on the ice like this for days, but there's no need to get all worked up, as the swans metabolism go into low gear and they can go without food for weeks.

A winter bird

One of the regular winter birds in Demark is the blue tit, often confused with the great tit, as the colouration is almost the same. Here it enjoys a little snack of some the berries that have survived.

A friendly sika

This sika deer from Dyrehaven seemed very used to inquisitive guys with cameras. I managed to get within a few meters of without it reacting with more than a glance at me.

Having fun in the snow

Even the red deer of Dyrehaven seem to have fun in the snow. This one certainly got a bit lively.

Back to Dyrehaven

I know I've shown you a lot of deer photos before but I do like to take a stroll in Dyrehaven north of Copenhagen. Even in winter it's a perfect place to get some nice photos, as the animals are fed throughout the winter and you can get really close to them. Just remember that the deer have the right of way.

A Mystery

I've got a confession to make, I'm normally not the biggest bird watcher, so I regularly come across birds, that I'm not sure about. That is the case with this one. I suspect that it's a siskin, but I'm not quite sure.

Crowing

Another of nature's refuse collectors is the crow which can be seen (and heard) in large numbers in Copenhagen.