Trip report. SPRING BIRDS & Mammals April day mammal watching tour in the Białowieża Forest and Biebrza Marshes

Transcription

1 Trip report SPRING BIRDS & Mammals April day mammal watching tour in the Białowieża Forest and Biebrza Marshes (Text and) photographs by Jarek Matusiak. Translation into English by Łukasz mazurek Tour Leader: Jarosław Matusiak Participants: Andrew & Carolyn (AU) Wildlife: 15 mammal and 158 bird species recorded, full checklist on page

2 Day 1, Saturday 23rd April - Arrival This was a private departure and we picked up our company of Andrew and Carolyn at a hotel in downtown Warsaw in the morning and we were soon on our way towards Białowieża. As we left Warsaw we could see the landscape gradually changing and the first White Storks, Buzzards, Roe Deer and even a Sparrowhawk were seen on our way. As wished by Andrew and Carolyn we stopped at the Holy Hill of Grabarka, a renown orthodox pilgrimage site with thousands of crosses put up at the hill around the old wooden orthodox church. Birds seen here included Common Redstarts, Chaffinch and Wood Pigeons. After a brief stop for lunch at a local bar (wonderful dumplings and soup) we were soon in the Białowieża Forest and had a short walk to get accustomed with the forest and heard the first forest birds like Firecrest, Bullfinch or Waxwing (still wintering). After checking in and a fantastic dinner we drove just outside the village to spend an hour at a viewing tower in the river valley. Heard Spotted Crake, Water Rail, Common Snipe, Green Sandpiper and several pairs of Tawny Owl at dusk. Day 2, Sunday 24th April - Białowieża weather changed, drizzle and low clouds We started after breakfast. Met our local guide Irek for a few hrs walk in the strictly protected area of the Białowieża National Park. Having stopped in the village park to get tickets we have already seen a Wryneck, Collared Flycatcher and a Red Squirrel. Still before entering the strict reserve we have also seen Tree Pipits, Whinchats, Great Grey Shrike and plenty of Starlings and Yellowhammers. The walk with Irek was very informative and included not only the ecology of the natural forest but also a lot of history. We have seen a Lesser, Middle and Greater Spotted Woodpeckers, heard a Three-toed Woodpecker, saw many Collared Flycatchers and Nuthatch, heard Goldcrests, Firecrests, Tree creepers and Cranes. 2

3 After lunch back at our lodge we attempted at finding some European Bison in the wild, which proved to be difficult so we ended up at the southern edge of the Siemianówka Reservoir in the north of the forest. In the shallow flooded meadows we have seen Gadwalls, Shovelers, Wigeons, Garganeys, Teals, Grebes and numerous Great White Egrets in breeding plumage. Just in front of the viewing tower there was a family of Long-tailed Tits that gave great views. On our way back we have spotted a Brown Hare and a Red Fox. After the usual delicious dinner we took a short drive into the forest in search of the owls. Heard many Thrushes, Robins, White-backed and Three-toed Woodpeckers drumming. Two male Pygmy Owls called back from the nearby Spruce trees but did not want to show well. Long-eared Owl calling, some fresh footprints (Deer, Fox, Wolf) and a yet another Fox seen were a nice finish to the whole evening. Day 3, Monday 25th April - Białowieża low clouds, chilly, drizzle We started early before breakfast for chances of Bison at the forest edge and our efforts were soon rewarded with great views of 5 Bison bulls. After some time the bulls slowly moved back into the forest and we enjoyed the views of local birds like Great Grey Shrike, Wrynecks, Whinchats, Cranes. Many woodpeckers were vocally active. We visited a few more glades in the forest but saw no more Bison. On our way back we stopped at a site that looked just perfect for the Three-toed Woodpecker and indeed within seconds we saw one feeding high up. We had some 3

4 fantastic views but this woodpecker was suddenly bested by a Pygmy Owl that sat just above it with a morning prey. What a morning! After breakfast we took a walk through a tremendous variety of forest habitats near the Belarus Border. Just after entering the forest we had great views of a male Hazel Grouse running across the path and calling. Next were evenly great views of Greyheaded, Middle Spotted, White-backed and Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers, Dunnock (not such a common bird here!), Green Sandpipers and Firecrests. Footprints of Wolf and some fresh droppings of Racoon Dogs were also seen. After dinner we visited the Kosy Most area in the centre of the forest and had good views of a Stock Dove, Ravens and a pair of Black Woodeckers plus more Wolf pooh. It s been a long day so we took some rest after dinner today. 4

5 Day 4, Tuesday 26th April - Białowieża, Siemianówka Sunny and cool weather After breakfast we drove up north to the Siemianówka Reservoir. Saw some Hoopoes on the way. At our first stop at the Lake we saw singing Great Reed Warblers, Marsh Harriers, Little Grebes and an Osprey. Bittern was also booming from the nearby reed bed. There were also a full set of ducks, Whopper Swans, Geese, Common and Black Terns as well as some waders: Black-tailed Godwits, Greenshanks, Redshanks, Snipe and Curlew. There were also 4 young White-tailed Eagles in the air and 2 adult ones patiently perched up watching the waterfowl. At the next stop we saw more Great White Egrets, a yet another White-tailed Eagle, Whinchat and a Great Grey Shrike. Moving further east we also saw a Penduline Tit building its nest, a Wryneck and Willow Tits. On our way back for lunch we stopped at the local mini zoo mistakenly named the Bison Reserve, to watch Bison, Wolves, Lynx, Deer, Elk and Boar. After dinner we visited a Great Snipe lek in the Narew river valley. There were some flocks of Ruffs and Wood Sandpipers flying over, Cranes, Black-tailed Godwits and Redshanks calling, many Common Snipe and 5-8 Great Snipe lekking nearby. Several Roe Deer and Brown Hares were seen on our way back. 5

6 Day 5, Wednesday 27th April - Białowieża to Biebrza Another sunny day After the usual hearty breakfast we have set off for a full day journey towards the Biebrza Marshes. Not that it was that far, but we had several interesting sites to visit on the way. The first one were the Dojlidy Fishponds near Białystok. Seen Penduline Tits and Common Redstarts as we approached, plenty of very loud Black-headed Gulls, good views of a Little Crake, Red and Black-necked Grebes, Common Sandpipers and Marsh Harriers. We have also spotted a Lesser Black-backed Gull, a Little Gull and a few Common and Caspian Gulls. We even briefly saw a Kingfisher flying over one of the canals there. Next on the list were the fishponds near Knyszyn. There, we saw flocks of Ruffs in breeding plumage, Wood Sandpipers, Greenshanks and a single Marsh Sandpiper plus other typical birds of the fishponds. We stopped at a lovely little town of Tykocin for lunch (delicious dumplings and fish soup) and continued our journey. After lunch we firstly stopped at the nearby Pentowo Stork Village with 22 White Stork nests taken this spring. Most of the nests were visible very well from above thanks to the huge viewing tower located among them. Two Hoopoes gave us some great views there, as did the Green Woodpeckers and a few other common birds. Our first stop in the Biebrza Marshes was the famous Dluga Luka offering great views into the vast fen. 6

7 Immediately we have heard the first Savi s Warblers, Cuckoos and Black-tailed Godwits and Redshanks disturbed by Marsh Harriers. After a short time at the boardwalk there we also saw Curlews and Montagu s Harriers followed by a few Buzzards, one late Rough-legged Buzzard and finally - a Short-eared Owl flying low over the marsh. On our way to the guesthouse for dinner, we saw a Red Squirrel, Brown Hare and a Red Fox from the minibus. Day 6, Thursday 28th April - Biebrza Southern Basin Snow in the morning We started after breakfast in the south of the Biebrza Valley and immediately saw some Black Storks, Cranes, Curlew and Whimbrel. In a ditch just next to the track there were obvious Beavers and Otters dens. In the meadows there were plenty of Wood Sandpipers and Ruffs and further away near the river - flocks of Swans, Egrets and Herons. In the ditch itself we have found some Caddis Fly larvae and Tadpole Shrimps. After dinner we headed for Bagno Zajki to watch Eagles and other raptors. We saw several Lesser Spotted Eagles, Marsh Harriers, Common Buzzards, Kestrel and a Goshawk. Many other marshland birds were also there and we even got a good view of a White-backed Woodpecker. Signs of wolves activity were a nice bonus. 7

8 On our way back we have stopped at the Dluga Luka where we heard the first Aquatic Warbler and had much better views of a Rough-legged Buzzard and Montagu s Harriers. After a delicious dinner we have once again boarded our minibus for a short drive towards the banks of the Narew River for a boat trip in search of Beavers. We didn t have to wait long as the first Beaver showed up just as we were boarding the boat. In the next 1,5 hrs we have seen a total of 14 Beavers, mostly young ones from previous years but also a few adults marking the territory. One young Beaver, busy feeding, allowed us to get as close as a few feet. All of that was accompanied by numerous flocks of Geese flying over, humming of Fire-bellied Toads and loud calls of Tree Frogs as well as silent calls of Little Ringed Plovers and Common Sandpipers. On the way back to the hotel we saw a herd of Red Deer and a Red Fox. Day 7, Friday 29th April - Biebrza Marshes After an early breakfast we visited the Middle Basin of Biebrza Marshes. Saw numerous Cranes as well as flocks of Gees on the way. Once there, waders we abundant: Lapwings, Redshanks, Godwits, Wood Sandpipers, Ruff and Common Snipe and we also saw Citrine Wagtails. Sedge and Savi s Warblers were numerous, as were Montagu's Harriers disturbing them. 8

9 In the Goniądz area we saw more Geese, Godwits, another Citrine Wagtail, Roe Deer and one Elk. An interesting stop was a sighting of an old Marsh Harrier male preying upon Godwits chicks and fighting with Crows. We stopped for lunch at the eccentric Bartla tavern and had gorgeous pierogi (dumplings) stuffed with Bison meat. Afterwards we visited the Osowiec area and a boardwalk there with plenty of typical marshland species, incl. Bluethroat and a Whitetailed Eagle. Day 8, Saturday 30th April - Back to Warszawa Beautiful sunny spring weather We chose to say our goodbyes to the Marshes in the south of the Biebrza Marshes near Rutkowskie. Saw numerous flocks of Ruff, Wood Sandpipers, Bean Geese, Whitewinged and Whiskered Terns, Great White Egrets, Cranes and a Peregrine Falcon. At a yet another stop we saw a Lesser Spotted Eagle hunting next to the road. Soon, we were on the main road to Warszawa, stopped for teas/coffees and summed up the whole tour. Safe and happy we finished at the Warsaw Chopin airport on time. 9

10 Checklist BIRDS Species name Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Day 7 Day 8 SUM Black-necked Grebe Podiceps nigricollis x 1 Little Grebe / Dabchick Tachybaptus ruficollis x 1 Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus x x 2 Red-necked Grebe Podiceps grisegena x 1 Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo x x 2 Great / Eurasian Bittern Botaurus stellaris x x x 3 Great White Egret Egretta alba x x x x 4 Grey Heron Ardea cinerea x x x x x x 6 White Stork Ciconia ciconia x x x x x x x x 8 Black Stork Ciconia nigra x 1 Mute Swan Cygnus olor x x x x x x 6 Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus x x 2 Greater White-fronted Goose Anser albifrons x 1 Bean Goose Anser fabalis x x x 3 Greylag Goose Anser anser x x x x x x 6 Mallard Anas platyrhynchos x x x x x x x x 8 Gadwall Anas strepera x x x 3 Northern Pintail Anas acuta x x 2 Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata x 1 Eurasian Wigeon Anas penelope x x 2 Common Teal Anas crecca x x 2 Garganey Anas querquedula x x x 3 Common Pochard Aythya ferina x 1 Red-crested Pochard Netta rufina x 1 White-tailed Eagle Haliaeetus albicilla x x x 3 Osprey Pandion haliaetus x 1 Lesser Spotted Eagle Aquila pomarina x 1 Greater Spotted Eagle Aquila clanga x 1 Marsh-Harrier Circus aeruginosus x x x x x 5 Montagu's Harrier Circus pygargus x x x 3 Rough-legged Buzzard Buteo lagopus x x 2 Common Buzzard Buteo buteo x x x x x x x x 8 Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus x x x 3 Northern Goshawk Accipiter gentilis x 1 Common / Eurasian Kestrel Falco tinnunculus x 1 Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus x 1 Hazel Grouse / Hazelhen Bonasa bonasia x

11 Common Pheasant Phasianus colchicus x 1 Water Rail Rallus aquaticus x 1 Spotted Crake Porzana porzana x 1 Little Crake Porzana parva x x 2 Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus x 1 Common / Eurasian Coot Fulica atra x x x x 4 Common Crane Grus grus x x x x x x x 7 Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius x 1 Northern Lapwing Vanellus vanellus x x x x 4 Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola x x 2 Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus x x x x x 5 Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos x x x x x 5 Common Redshank Tringa totanus x x x x x 5 Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia x x 2 Marsh Sandpiper Tringa stagnatilis x 1 Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa x x x x 4 Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata x x x 3 Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus x 1 Eurasian Woodcock Scolopax rusticola x x x 3 Great Snipe Gallinago media x 1 Common Snipe Gallinago gallinago x x x x 4 Ruff Philomachus pugnax x x x x 4 Black-headed Gull Larus ridibundus x x x x x 5 Common / Mew Gull Larus canus x 1 Mediterranean Gull Larus melanocephalus x 1 Caspian Gull Larus cachinnans x x 2 Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus x 1 Little Gull Larus minutus x 1 Common Tern Sterna hirundo x x 2 Black Tern Chlidonias niger x 1 White-winged Tern Chlidonias leucopterus x 1 Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybrida x 1 Feral Pigeon Columba livia feral x x x 3 Stock Dove Columba oenas x x 2 Wood Pigeon Columba palumbus x x x x x x x 7 Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto x x 2 Cuckoo Cuculus canorus x x x x x x x 7 Tawny Owl Strix aluco x 1 Pygmy-Owl Glaucidium passerinum x x 2 Long-eared Owl Asio otus x 1 Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus x 1 Hoopoe Upupa epops x x x x 4 Kingfisher Alcedo atthis x

12 Black Woodpecker Dryocopus martius x x 2 Green Woodpecker Picus viridis x 1 Grey-headed Woodpecker Picus canus x 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major x x 2 Middle Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos medius x x 2 White-backed Woodpecker Dendrocopos leucotos x x 2 Three-toed Woodpecker Picoides tridactylus x x 2 Lesser Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos minor x x 2 Eurasian Wryneck Jynx torquilla x x x 3 Skylark Alauda arvensis x x x x 4 Woodlark Lullula arborea x x x 3 Sand Martin / Bank Swallow Riparia riparia x 1 Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica x x x x 4 Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis x x x x 4 Tree Pipit Anthus trivialis x x 2 Red-throated Pipit Anthus cervinus x 1 White Wagtail Motacilla alba x x x x x 5 Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava x x x x 4 Citrine Wagtail Motacilla citreola x 1 Wren Troglodytes troglodytes x 1 Bohemian Waxwing Bombycilla garrulus x x x 3 Hedge Accentor / Dunnock Prunella modularis x 1 European Robin Erithacus rubecula x x 2 Bluethroat Luscinia svecica x 1 Common Redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus x 1 Black Redstart Phoenicurus ochruros x x 2 Whinchat Saxicola rubetra x x x x 4 European Stonechat Saxicola rubicola x 1 Song Thrush Turdus philomelos x x x x x x 6 Mistle Thrush Turdus viscivorus x x x 3 Fieldfare Turdus pilaris x x x x 4 Blackbird Turdus merula x x x x x x x x 8 Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla x x x x 4 Lesser Whitethroat Sylvia curruca x 1 Common Whitethroat Sylvia communis x 1 Sedge Warbler Acrocephalus schoenobaenus x x x x 4 Aquatic Warbler Acrocephalus paludicola x 1 Savi's Warbler Locustella luscinioides x x 2 Reed-Warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus x x 2 Great Reed-Warbler Acrocephalus arundinaceus x x 2 Willow Warbler Phylloscopus trochilus x x 2 Wood Warbler Phylloscopus sibilatrix x x x 3 Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita x

13 Goldcrest Regulus regulus x x x 3 Firecrest Regulus ignicapilla x x 2 Pied-Flycatcher Ficedula hypoleuca x x 2 Collared Flycatcher Ficedula albicollis x x x 3 Great Tit Parus major x x x 3 Coal Tit Periparus ater x 1 Blue Tit Cyanistes caeruleus x x 2 Crested Tit Lophophanes cristatus x 1 Willow Tit Poecile montanus x 1 Marsh Tit Poecile palustris x 1 Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus x 1 Penduline Tit Remiz pendulinus x x 2 Nuthatch Sitta europaea x x x x 4 Treecreeper Certhia familiaris x 1 Short-toed Treecreeper Certhia brachydactyla x 1 Northern / Great Grey Shrike Lanius excubitor x x x 3 Magpie Pica pica x x x x 4 Jay Garrulus glandarius x x x x x x 6 Jackdaw Corvus monedula x x x 3 Rook Corvus frugilegus x 1 Hooded Crow Corvus cornix x x x 3 Raven Corvus corax x x x x 4 Starling Sturnus vulgaris x x x x x x 6 House Sparrow Passer domesticus x 1 Tree-Sparrow Passer montanus x 1 Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs x x x x x 5 Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis x x 2 Greenfinch Carduelis chloris x 1 Siskin Carduelis spinus x 1 Serin Serinus serinus x 1 Bullfinch Pyrrhula pyrrhula x 1 Hawfinch Coccothraustes coccothraustes x x x 3 Reed Bunting Emberiza schoeniclus x x x 3 Ortolan Bunting Emberiza hortulana x 1 Yellowhammer Emberiza citrinella x x x x x x 6 Number of species:

14 Mammals Species name Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Day 7 Day 8 SUM European Bison Bison bonasus x 1 Red Deer Cervus elaphus x x 2 Roe Deer Capreolus capreolus x x x 3 Elk Alces Alces x 1 Wolf Canis lupus x x 2 Red Fox Vulpes vulpes x x x x 4 Racoon Dog Nyctereutes procyonoides x x x x 4 Badger Meles meles x x 2 Eurasian Otter Lutra lutra x 1 Pine Marten Martes martes x x 2 European Beaver Castor fiber x x x 3 Red Squirrel Sciurus vulgarus x x x 3 European Hare Lepus europaeus x x x 3 Yellow-necked Mouse Apodemus flavicollis x 1 Rabbit x 1 Number of species: OTHER Species name Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Day 7 Day 8 SUM Tadpole Shrimp x 1 Caddis Fly larvae x 1 Fire-bellied Toads 0 Tree Frogs 0 Number of species: For full size photographs, please visit our news at or our facebook page: