Germany
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Join Stephen Daly for a relaxed 8-day birdwatching tour to the picturesque Bavarian Alps, with Alpine Chough, Water Pipit, Bluethroat and Common Rosefinch among breeding birds. The tour includes a trip by rail and cable car up the Zugspitze, Germany's highest peak.Stretching for more than 180 kms along the border between Austria and Germany, the Bavarian Alps comprise some of the most glorious and beautiful countryside to be found anywhere in Western Europe. A 'picture book' landscape studded with marshland, rivers and lakes, and with the jagged, snow-capped peaks of the Alps as a magnificent backcloth throughout, Bavaria is the perfect setting for a summer birdwatching break.With no bothersome changes of hotel during the week, this holiday will appeal to those who enjoy a more relaxed approach to their birding, as well as making the most of the lovely alpine scenery, of course. We are based throughout in the quiet lakeside town of Kochel-am-See, just eighty minutes drive from Munich airport. Our excellent hotel is situated right on the wooded lakeshore, with delicious meals to look forward to in the hotel's fine Bavarian restaurant - which also offers panoramic views of sunsets over the lake as Goosanders and Goldeneyes paddle past. Dipper, Bluethroat, Black Redstart and Marsh and Icterine Warblers are among many enticing passerines that breed around the lake. At Kochel, we are well-placed to visit a number of Bavaria's other wetlands, including the famous lakes of Ammersee and Starnbergersee, and the smaller Lake Zell. The gruff croaking of Great Reed Warblers can be heard beside the shore, and Black Kite and Red-crested Pochard are present in summer. Nearby, Murnauer Moss is an important ancient moorland site, where Tree Pipits and Common Rosefinches sing. To the south and west, Bavaria's magnificent forests hold Honey Buzzard, Fieldfare and Firecrest. Nutcracker is also possible in June, when the alpine pastures and herb-rich valleys are graced by a profusion of plants (among them twenty kinds of orchids), and butterflies to watch for include Marbled and False Heath Fritillaries. During our stay, we will plan to take a cable car ride up to the summit of the Wankberg, and travel on the famous electric train up the Zugspitze. Rising to 2,966m (9,734 ft), the latter is Germany's highest peak. Upland specialists include Alpine Accentor, Ring Ouzel and Water Pipit. If the weather is fine and visibility good, we shall be rewarded with spectacular views of the Wetterstein mountain chain while Alpine Choughs play in the clear mountain air. Prior to settling in southern Spain, Stephen Daly lived in Germany for eight years and is a fluent German-speaker. This will be his eighth visit to the picturesque and wildlife-rich Bavarian Alps. |
© Stephen Daly
Common Rosefinch
Price: £ 1,675
The price includes return scheduled flights London-Munich, full board accommodation, minibus transport, rail and cable car excursions (as specified above), permits, fees and admissions, airport taxes, tips, map, bird checklist and services of the leaders.
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Accommodation: We stay at an excellent family-run, three-star hotel with views across lovely Lake Kochel. All rooms are en suite. The hotel has a sauna and steam room for guests that would like to try.
Meals: All included in the price. Splendid buffet breakfasts and dinners at the hotel, in traditional Bavarian-style (Stephen says the hotel restaurant is exceptional). Lunches are our popular mix of picnics and leisurely sit-down meals at one of the region's many good restaurants or Gasthofs. Walking: Easy. This trip is not strenuous and should be suitable for anyone with a basic level of fitness that is used to a little regular walking. A stout pair of comfortable walking shoes or walking boots is essential. Some participants find that walking poles are a help in the mountains. Numbers: Max. 12 clients
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