On this page you will find observations made in Küsnacht ZH (Switzerland) in the park, meadows and little woods of the Wangensbach estate. There was once a large vineyard here that extended down to the lake shore. It was first documented in 1284. In 1624, a Zurich councillor and son of the richest man in Zurich - the latter was a pioneer in silk production - built himself a prestigious residence by the brook among the vines. In 1678, Zurich mayor Hans Caspar Hirzel expanded the manor house into a castle. Today, the flower meadows with their old trees are extensively maintained as ecological compensation areas. The unique diversity of species in the ancient grounds is threatened by a major construction project.

Occasionally, the location of an observation is obscured. These observations were still made in the immediate vicinity of the Wangensbach estate.

My name: "Spyr" is what we call the common swift in the Swiss German dialect of Zürich. The sound of the name imitates the cries of this fascinating bird. For more information on the swifts in this area visit my project "Picture my habitat"-