February 21, 2006
Zurich
Last weekend found me in lovely Zurich, for social rather than birding reasons (but the bins came along nonetheless).
In between gorging on chocolate and cheese, I wandered down to the Zurichsee, which seemed to be covered with Mute Swans (Cygne tuberculé).
Amongst them was this Whooper Swan (Cygne chanteur), though its origins are questionable...
The waterbirds were clearly used to being fed, which allowed me to get some close-up digibinned shots of drake and duck Pochard (Fuligule milouin),
a preening Tufted Duck (Fuligule morillon)...
... a displaying Coot (Foulque macroule)...
and a Common Gull (Goéland cendré).
Most interesting birds of the trip were a Black-bellied Dipper (Cincle plongeur) seen from the train up to Uetliberg, and a male Hen Harrier (Busard Saint-Martin) when my plane touched down at Paris Charles de Gaulle.
Zurich by night:
