Ornithological annual report: Two loons sighted in Offenbach last year

Two loons were spotted in the Offenbach district last year - a red-throated diver and a common loon. Both bird species are only very rarely seen in Hesse. The common loon is mainly found in North America and Iceland. With its black beak, the white diced upper side and a band of white stripes on the neck, the common loon is therefore particularly striking. In Germany, it is occasionally seen on the North Sea coast. As its name suggests, it is an excellent diver and swimmer. As Canada's national bird, it even adorns the Canadian 1-dollar coin. The sighting of the two loons is documented in the 40th edition of the annual ornithological report. The ornithologist Klaus Fiedler visited the mayor and head of the environment department Sabine Groß in the town hall and presented her with the current volume.

Mayor Groß is delighted with the commitment of the ornithologists and the many helpers: "The careful observations of the many volunteers have been impressively documented for 40 years now. I would like to thank all those who have been involved in collecting data and compiling the reports over the past year, as well as in the decades before that. For four decades, the contributors have spent countless hours compiling the many thousands of observation reports into an annual volume. All this data provides information on the role played by environmental influences and changing living conditions and how this ultimately affects the population, breeding behavior and preferred areas of the animals. For example, the available data shows that the barn swallow population has declined by around 12 percent, while there now appear to be a few new pairs of house martins."

Rare guests were also welcomed at the Schultheis pond last year: spoonbills, pintails and wigeons stopped by on their way through Offenbach. In addition, the peregrine falcon has been nesting in a nesting box on the EVO chimney for several years now and ensures regular sightings, as the bird species is known above all for its rapid hunting maneuvers. Interesting to know: The peregrine falcon feeds almost exclusively on other birds. Pigeons and ducks are regularly on its menu.

The increasing number of white storks in the Offenbach district is also pleasing. 10 breeding pairs now live here. With well over 1,000 breeding pairs, Hesse is now the federal state with the highest stork density in Germany. Other positive developments include the nightingale, the red-backed shrike and the bee-eater. Another highlight of the past year was the two sightings of the whimbrel near Egelsbach. This bird species usually winters on the coasts of Africa. It is not known to breed in our region. It only stops off when it is on its way to its wintering grounds. Numerous bare patches and the accumulation of dead wood in the forest after the dry years ensure that woodpeckers, especially the wryneck, are settling more and more frequently in the Offenbach district.

However, there are also downward trends for some bird species. For example, the barn owl has probably become extinct as a breeding bird in the district. Some meadow birds, such as the partridge or quail, have also become rare or can no longer be found as breeding birds in the Offenbach district.