TRIP REPORT BIEBRZA & BIALOWIEZA, POLAND 16 TO 23 MAY 2015 WHITE- WINGED BLACK TERN, BIEBRZA

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1 TRIP REPORT BIEBRZA & BIALOWIEZA, POLAND 16 TO 23 MAY 2015 RICHARD PITTAM, MIKE RICHARDSON, GLYN SELLORS & STEVE WHITELEY WHITE- WINGED BLACK TERN, BIEBRZA

2 FACTS & FIGURES RYANAIR FLIGHTS EACH ( 20KG LUGGAGE ALLOWANCE ) CAR PARKING AT EAST MIDLANDS AIRPORT - 20 EACH FOR 2 CARS WILDLIFETOURS.PL COSTS EACH FOR 7 NIGHTS B & B, PACKED LUNCHES & EVENINGS MEALS SPENDING MONEY - 75 EACH TOTAL COSTS INCLUDING SPENDING MONEY APPROX EACH ITINERARY FLIGHTS WITH RYANAIR EAST MIDLANDS TO MODLIN, WARSAW. I BOOKED THIS TRIP WITH FELIX FELGER wildlifetours.pl HE SAID WE WOULD BE TRAVELLING AROUND IN A MINIBUS, SO WE WERE VERY DISAPPOINTED WHEN HE PALMED US OFF WITH ANOTHER GUIDE AT THE LAST MINUTE I WOULDN T RECOMMEND USING THIS COMPANY, IF YOU DO, MAKE SURE YOU STIPULATE EXACTLY WHAT YOU WANT REGARDING TRANSPORT ETC. IF WE DID ANOTHER TRIP TO POLAND WE WOULD BOOK FLIGHTS & HIRE OUR OWN VEHICLE IT S QUITE EASY TO SORT YOUR OWN ACCOMMODATION & HIRE A GUIDE FOR 1 OR 2 DAYS FOR OWLS & WOODPECKERS ETC. DAVE GOSNEY S BOOK SHOWS ALL THE SITES AT BIEBRZA & BIALOWIEZA. WE WERE COLLECTED AT THE AIRPORT BY VALDI, OUR GUIDE UNFORTUNATELY HIS LAND ROVER WAS FAR TOO SMALL FOR 5 OF US WITH LUGGAGE ( IT RAN ON LPG & THE GAS TANK TOOK UP MOST OF THE BOOT SPACE ), BUT IT WAS WHEN WE ARRIVED, SO WE HAD TO MAKE DO. IN RETROSPECT WE SHOULD HAVE REFUSED TO USE THIS VEHICLE & EXCHANGE IT FOR A MINIBUS. VALDI DROVE US TO OUR ACCOMMODATION IN GONIADZ WE STAYED HERE FOR 3 NIGHTS & EXPLORED THE BIEBRZA MARSHES. THE ROOMS WERE VERY NICE, BUT I ASKED RICHARD TO MOVE ROOMS BECAUSE HIS RHYTHMIC SNORING KEPT ME AWAKE. WE GOT UP AT FIRST LIGHT & WENT BIRDING & PHOTOGRAPHING BIRDS NEAR TO OUR GUEST HOUSE & RETURNED FOR BREAKFAST AT

3 THE FOOD WAS EXCELLENT & THE POLISH SOUPS AT EVENING MEALS WERE DELICIOUS. ON DAY 4 WE DROVE TO BIALOWIEZA, EN ROUTE WE CALLED IN AT BIALYSTOK FISHPONDS WE ARRIVED IN THE HEAT OF THE DAY, SO NOT IDEAL FOR PHOTOGRAPHY TO SAY VALDI WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A PRO PHOTOGAPHER SOME OF HIS DECISIONS WERE NOT IDEAL, WE SHOULD HAVE VISITED THIS SITE & OTHER SITES EARLY IN THE MORNING & EARLY EVENING, VALDI ONLY GOT UP WITH US A COUPLE OF TIMES IN THE EARLY MORNING REMEMBER WE WERE PAYING HIM TO GUIDE US THAT MEANS GETTING UP EARLY EVERY MORNING & STAYING OUT ALL DAY, INSTEAD OF RUSHING BACK FOR AN EARLY EVENING MEAL. ( WE DID STAY OUT QUITE LATE WHEN WE VISITED SIEMIANOWKA RESERVOIR ) ALTHOUGH OUR GUIDE WAS FAR FROM PERFECT, WE DID SEE & PHOTOGRAPH SOME CRACKING BIRDS ON THIS TRIP. SYSTEMATIC LIST BLACK- NECKED GREBE 2 BIALYSTOK FISHPONDS LITTLE GREBE GREAT CRESTED GREBE RED- NECKED GREBE C. 8 OF THESE STUNNING GREBES AT BIALYSTOK FISHPONDS CORMORANT BITTERN SEVERAL HEARD BOOMING LITTLE BITTERN 1 BIALYSTOCK FISHPONDS & 1 SIEMIANOWKA RESERVOIR LITTLE EGRET GREAT WHITE EGRET GREY HERON WHITE STORK MUTE SWAN

4 SHELDUCK MALLARD GADWALL SHOVELER TEAL GARGANEY POCHARD TUFTED DUCK WHITE- TAILED EAGLE LESSER SPOTTED EAGLE 1 BIEBRZA MARSHES SPOTTED EAGLE 1 SIEMIANOWKA RESERVOIR MARSH HARRIER MONTAGU S HARRIER SEVERAL BUZZARD HONEY BUZZARD 1 BIALOWIEZA SPARROWHAWK KESTREL HOBBY SEVERAL AT SIEMIANOWKA RESERVOIR CORNCRAKE 2 CALLING BIALOWIEZA PHEASANT WATER RAIL SPOTTED CRAKE 1 CALLING BIEBRZA LITTLE CRAKE 1 CALLING BIEBRZA MARSHES MOORHEN COOT

5 COMMON CRANE LITTLE RINGED PLOVER LAPWING DUNLIN TEMMINCK S STINT C. 20 AT FISHPONDS EN ROUTE TO BIALOWIEZA WOOD SANDPIPER - SEVERAL GREEN SANDPIPER COMMON SANDPIPER REDSHANK SPOTTED REDSHANK GREENSHANK BLACK- TAILED GODWIT CURLEW SNIPE RUFF BLACK- HEADED GULL COMMON GULL COMMON TERN BLACK TERN BIEBRZA MARSHES WHITE- WINGED BLACK TERN FAIRLY COMMON BIEBRZA MARSHES BEAUTIFUL WHISKERED TERN BIEBRZA MARSHES WOOD PIGEON TURTLE DOVE COLLARED DOVE

6 CUCKOO PYGMY OWL 2 AT NEST SITE BIALOWIEZA FOREST SWIFT HOOPOE KINGFISHER BLACK WOODPECKER 1 SHOWED WELL BIALOWIEZA FOREST OTHERS HEARD CALLING GREY- HEADED WOODPECKER 1 AT NEST SITE BIALOWIEZA FOREST GREEN WOODPECKER GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER WHITE- BACKED WOODPECKER FEMALE FEEDING YOUNG BIALOWIEZA FOREST LESSER SPOTTED WOODPECKER WRYNECK FAIRLY COMMON SKY LARK WOOD LARK SAND MARTIN SWALLOW HOUSE MARTIN TAWNY PIPIT MEADOW PIPIT WHITE WAGTAIL BLUE- HEADED WAGTAIL CITRINE WAGTAIL MALE & FEMALE GONIADZ GREY WAGTAIL

7 WREN DUNNOCK ROBIN THRUSH NIGHTINGALE VERY COMMON, BUT DIFFICULT TO SEE WHITE- SPOTTED BLUETHROAT, 3 BIEBRZA MARSHES REDSTART WHEATEAR WHINCHAT SONG THRUSH MISTLE THRUSH FIELDFARE COMMON REDWING BLACKBIRD BARRED WARBLER C. 6 PAIRS BIALOWIEZA + A FEW OTHERS BLACKCAP LESSER WHITETHROAT WHITETHROAT SEDGE WARBLER AQUATIC WARBLER C. 6 BIEBRZA MARSHES GRASSHOPPER WARBLER RIVER WARBLER COMMON BIEBRZA SAVI S WARBLER FAIRLY COMMON, ESPECIALLY BIALOWIEZA REED WARBLER MARSH WARBLER FAIRLY COMMON GREAT REED WARBLER FAIRLY COMMON

8 ICTERINE WARBLER FAIRLY COMMON WILLOW WARBLER WOOD WARBLER COMMON BIALOWIEZA FOREST CHIFFCHAFF GOLDCREST SPOTTED FLYCATCHER RED- BREASTED FLYCATSHER C. 4 SINGING MALES BIALOWIEZA FOREST PIED FLYCATCHER COLLARED FLYCATCHER COMMON BIALOWIEZA FOREST 5000 BREEDING PAIRS GREAT TIT BLUE TIT CRESTED TIT MARSH TIT LONG- TAILED TIT PENDULINE TIT FAIRLY COMMON ONE OF THE BIRDS OF THE TRIP A MALE SHOWED VERY WELL SIEMIANOWKA RESERVOIR NUTHATCH TREECREEPER RED- BACKED SHRIKE FAIRLY COMMON STUNNING BIRDS GREAT GREY SHRIKE MAGPIE JAY JACKDAW ROOK

9 HOODED CROW RAVEN STARLING GOLDEN ORIOLE FAIRLY COMMON, BUT AS USUAL, DIFFICULT TO SEE HOUSE SPARROW TREE SPARROW CHAFFINCH LINNET GOLDFINCH GREENFINCH SISKIN SERIN BULLFINCH HAWFINCH COMMON ROSEFINCH ( SCARLET ROSEFINCH ) COMMON REED BUNTING ORTOLAN BUNTING 2 1 SHOWED ON WIRES GONIADZ YELLOWHAMMER CORN BUNTING MAMMALS MOOSE BISON WEASEL

10 REPTILES MARSH FROG TREE FROG BUTTERFLIES SPECKED WOOD CLOUDED YELLOW BRIMSTONE MAP BUTTERFLY ORANGE- TIP DRAGONFLIES COMMON CLUB- TAIL FEMALE RUBY WHITEFACE I THINK? glynsellors@aol.com IMAGES BELOW

11 BIEBRZA MARSHES MALE CITRINE WAGTAIL

12 FEMALE CITRINE WAGTAIL THRUSH NIGHTINGALE

13 ICTERINE WARBLER ICTERINE WARBLER

14 COMMON ROSEFINCH

15 WHITE- SPOTTED BLUETHROAT WHISKERED TERN

16 WHITE- WINGED BLACK TERN WHITE- WINGED BLACK TERN

17 RED- NECKED GREBE RED- NACKED GREBE

18 BIALOWIEZA MARSH BIALOWIEZA MARSH

19 FEMALE WHITE- BACKED WOODPECKER

20 RIVER WARBLER

21 RIVER WARBLER

22 BARRED WARBLER MAP BUTTERFLY

23 MALE RED- BREASTED FLYCATCHER

24 MALE COLLARED FLYCATCHER

25 RED- BACKED SHRIKE

26 WOOD WARBLER SIEMIANOWKA RESERVOIR

27 MALE PENDULINE TIT

28 WHISKERED TERN RED- BACKED SHRIKE

29 MARSH WARBLER WHITE- WINGED BLACK TERNS

30 WHITE- WINGED BLACK TERN WHITE WAGTAIL

31 SOUTHERN END OF SIEMIANOWKA RESEVOIR BIALOWIEZA

32 SAVI S WARBLER

33 ADULT WHITE- TAILED EAGLE

34 COMMON CLUB- TAIL

35 FEMALE RUBY WHITEFACE I THINK?

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