Walking in the Swiss mountains is one of my favorite things to do, especially when I’m combining it with bird-watching. Years ago I purchased a book (Vögel beobachten in der Schweiz) from Vogelwarte.ch, the Swiss birding organization. The book recommended a whole bunch of different walks (Ausflüge). I have not done them all, but I have done many.
I believe Switzerland is a good place for birding. Many of the walks have hides for us humans, so we can observe without disturbing the fauna. Moreover, it’s just a great place to hike, with so many trails marked with little yellow signs or just yellow diamonds. It can be steep, though, so bring a walking stick. Also, if you see cows behind a fence, don’t touch the fence — it could be electrified.
Here are a few of the birds I have seen at various sites. My apologies for using photos not taken by me, but I’m just bad at that.
Let’s start with the Ruddy Shelduck. I discovered they’re not that common in Switzerland; I must have just happened upon some at the Reussdelta.
I have never, to my knowledge, actually seen a cuckoo in the wild. However, I have heard them and they sound exactly like most cuckoo clocks. Where did I hear them? Also at the Reussdelta, about 45 minutes drive from Zurich.
Here’s a bird species that I’ve seen in many places. When I took the tram in Zurich every day after work, I would see a gray heron standing in a shallow part of the Sihl, presumably hunting fish and small game. They can be seen all around the valleys of Switzerland, standing in fields watching for game, standing on river banks, or flying with their necks curved but their legs trailing straight behind them.
Alpine choughs are also very common. In the warmer months, they can be found at higher elevations, where they breed. But in winter they join giant flocks and forage together at lower elevations.
They must have a great tolerance for cold. Some snow had just melted in a shallow bin I use for gathering weeds (I left it outside, my bad, but I could see it from my little office). It could not have been more than 35° F. Several other species came to the water-filled bin to get something to drink. An alpine chough, however, decided it wanted a bath and just plunged in and splashed around.
Here’s a bird I’ve tried to get a good sighting of but have never managed with great confidence. This is a wallcreeper; it nests in cliffs. There are several difficulties in getting a confirmed view; the wings have to be open in order for you to see the red feathers. Otherwise, it looks just like a dove. And, of course, it’s way up on a cliff, so a good view is tough. I think I saw one, once, when I was hiking in a gorge in the Jura, but I can’t say it with 100% confidence.
Now for birds I have no trouble sighting. Les Grangettes is a nature preserve on the western side of Lake Geneva, and there’s one section favored by crested grebes. These are easy to spot, although sometimes you just see their tail feathers, as they dive in their search for food.
Eurasian coots are also to be found everywhere, on the major lakes and in little lakes all over the Alps. They nest in the middle of the body of water, and can have many, many chicks. The chicks, with their red and yellow heads, look like little punks.
In the same body of water, Lake Geneva — or Lac Léman if you’re local; the city Geneva is at one end, why should it claim the entire lake? — it’s also easy to spot tufted ducks. They’re not in the Grangettes area as often though, but can be seen as you walk near the Chateau de Chillon, where Lord Byron was famously locked up. I think they look a little punk, too, with the feathers on the back of their heads.
Once biking near Zurich, and came across a field full of white storks. They’re really tall! It was my first time to see them in the wild, although I’ve seen them often since. I am including a picture of another famous stork, one in a museum at the University of Rostock in Germany. This was the first time that bird migration was confirmed, as it was shot down with an African spear already in it. That poor bird had a difficult life.
Then there are the much smaller birds. In the trees near my house I often see great tits, such as these:
And then even smaller tits, such as the coal tits:
Switzerland has many other species of birds, but I can’t list them all. But let’s take a peek at some other Swiss fauna (besides the cows and sheep and goats who come up the slopes for their summer vacations).
Alps have marmots, ground squirrels who hibernate in winter. I’ve seen them often when hiking in the summer:
Many streets and motorways have signs warning that deer are about, and they often are. In fact, I used to see a pair of roe deer going up and down my Alp during the day, alas, I have not seen them recently as the area has become more built up. I used to wonder where they spent their nights, then one night, when there was a full moon I looked out and saw them curled up in my yard. Well, my chalet is at the end of a cul-de-sac, so it was a pretty safe place to stay. Here’s a not-so-great picture of a roe deer, but it’s about the best you see when you drive past:
Here’s a chamois. They’re notoriously elusive, but I saw one once in a place where I hike regularly, about 600 meters higher from where I live.
And, for something related to crows: May 20th’s edition of Science Friday has a segment about what to do when a thousand or more crows come to roost in your neighborhood.
🐦 I do a lot of other writing. A recent offering: Hunters of the Feather, a story about a thinker-linker crow who wants to save birdkind from extinction, and sequels, Scavengers of Mind and the brand-new Familiars of the Flock (They’re really good! They’re really cheap! Buy and review or rate positively! And Hunters is also available on Audible!) Other stories, based on Jane Austen novels — including a new one for lovers of Pride & Prejudice, Mrs. Bennet’s Advice to Young Ladies — and others on Greek mythology, can be found here. All titles are available through Kindle Unlimited, but I only get paid if you turn the pages.