Trip report Spring Birding 30 May - 5 Jun 2015 7 day Birdwatching tour in the Białowieża Forest and Biebrza Marshes Text and photographs by Łukasz Mazurek Tour Leader: Łukasz (Lucas) Mazurek Participants: Lisa, Robert, Elisabeth (USA), Matthew (AU), Mark (UK), Dick (NL) Wildlife: 11 mammal and 148 bird species recorded, full checklist on page 8 WWW.WILDPOLAND.COM 1
Day 1, Saturday 30th May - Arrival Part of the group arrived the day before so we picked them up at their hotels downtown Warsaw and fetched the others from the airport. In the meantime, the tailgates in our minibus got stuck but we had them repaired while waiting at the airport and all was bright and ready by the time everyone arrived. All the flights were on time so within a couple of hours we were on our way out of the city. We drove in a beautiful sunny weather, seeing plenty of White Storks, Common Buzzards, a Black Redstart. We arrived at our hotel just before sunset to the reeling song of a nearby River Warbler. We had a gorgeous traditional Polish dinner and a short talk over a map about the forest and our plans for the next days. Day 2, Sunday 31 May - Białowieża It rained last night and we woke up to a cloudy sky and a cooler day. We met downstairs for a quick cup of tea and coffee and were out birding shortly in the hotel area before breakfast. On our way to the river valley we saw a nice Icterine Warbler, Lesserspotted Woodpecker still feeding young at a nest hole, a very bright red and tame Scarlet Rosefinch, two Nuthatch, two Spotted Flycatchers. At a viewing tower near the river we saw a nice Savi s Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Common Snipe, Common Redstart, Tree Sparrows, Barred Warbler and a Great Reed Warbler. We kept hearing a few Thrush Nightingale that everyone was eager to see so we tried on our way back to the hotel for breakfast and had some fantastic views of one bird singing out in the open. After a plentiful breakfast we were back in the forest for a few trails in different habitats. The first one took us near the state border with Belarus. Grey-headed Woodpeckers didn t want to show (still incubating) but we saw a juvenile White-backed Woodpecker briefly, a fantastic Wood Warbler, Firecrest and a Red-breasted Flycatcher near. River Warbler could be heard all the time but we couldn t spot it. Further on the trail we had some brilliant views of a Three-toed Woodpecker at the nest and while having lunch at a bridge, we saw a Rosefinch, Great Reed and Icterine Warblers, Red-backed Shrike and two Marsh Warblers. After lunch we have visited some more distant parts of the forest with stunning, huge oak trees, saw a nice Collared Flycatcher and heard a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker. WWW.WILDPOLAND.COM 2
It became quite hot and quiet in the afternoon so we decided to take a short break before dinner and continue afterwards. Dinner was substantial, as usual, but we managed to get ourselves back into the van for a visit at a Pygmy Owl territory. After a short walk in a picturesque boreal forest we had a brief view of a female at nest and heard a male calling nearby. A few Woodcocks were roding overhead and overall, it was quite an atmospheric evening and a successful first day. Day 3, Monday 1st June - Białowieża This early morning we decided to search for Bison at some glades and the forest edge. We woke up early and the first place we visited was very misty. We could see no Bison but found quite fresh Wolf prints, saw Whinchats and a Corn Bunting. The next WWW.WILDPOLAND.COM 3
place we stopped at, still no Bison but a Red-backed Shrike, more Whinchats and a Tree Pipit. We continued our search and at a yet another place we saw a Marsh Warbler, Thrush Nightinigale, a few Common Whitethroats and two Wrynecks. We still had some time before breakfast so decided to pay another visit at the Grey-headed Woodpecker nest and we briefly saw head of a female in the hole. After breakfast, we had a visit in the Strict Protection Area of the National Park planned. We met our guide Irek at the hotel and went on a 4 hrs walk. The guide was extremely knowledgable and very friendly and the forest - simply stunning and breathtaking, as usual. We saw plenty of centuries old huge trees and learned an awful lot about the natural lowland forest ecosystem. Saw a total of three Middle-spotted Woodpeckers and several Great-spotted Woodpeckers there. Afterwards, we had lunch in the village park, had a short break (again a hot midday) and met back in the afternoon for a yet another walk, this time in the north of the forest, the Kosy Most area. We hoped for a Nutcracker but saw none. But a view of two different River Warblers, one of them displaying really well and long was more than we could ask for. Furthermore, there were also three Barred Warblers quarrelling and displaying nicely. On our way back, we heard a Nutcracker and a Hazel Grouse but none of them wanted to show. Day 4, Tuesday 2nd June - Białowieża & SIemianówka Today, we started after breakfast and transferred to the N of the forest for birding around the Siemianowka Reservoir. The first stop was Siemieniakowszczyzna. We saw a nice Lesser Spotted Eagle and a Greater Spotted Eagle, several Marsh Harriers, plenty of WWW.WILDPOLAND.COM 4
Great White Egrets, as well as Elk (Moose) and three species of marsh terns in the distance (Black, White-winged and Whiskered). We transferred to the north of the lake for lunch of sandwiches and freshly brewed coffee and saw more terns, a White-tailed Eagle and an Ortolan Bunting. We also had a short walk into the marsh and saw two males of Citrine Wagtail, two Black Storks, several Red-backed Shrikes and a lot more other birds, see list. On our way back for an earlier dinner we decided to check out on some Bison meadows and it was a good decision as we saw two Bison Bulls grazing slowly and lying down for an afternoon s rest. After the usual gorgeous dinner we were back in the van, ready to visit the Great Snipe lek at dusk. The weather and the landscape were fantastic, we saw two Roe Deer and two Great Snipe jumping (spotted by Lisa). A while later one more snipe flew across right in front of us showing the white spots on the tail nicely. They started lekking and we could hear them quite near but we saw them no more (tall vegetation) until it was too dark and we retreated back. WWW.WILDPOLAND.COM 5
Day 5, Wednesday 3rd June - Białowieża to Biebrza This was our last morning in the Białowieża Forest as we transferred to the Biebrza Marshes after breakfast. We decided to take our last chances for Bison so took a detour to one of our favourite sites and saw the two bulls once again. Furthermore, two Lesser Spotted Eagles were also displaying just overhead giving unforgettable views. On our way, we stopped at the Dojlidy fishponds near Białystok and had a walk there. Saw 9 Marsh Warblers, a few Great Reed Warblers, a Mediterranean Gull, Penduline Tit at nest, Red-necked Grebes, one Little Grebe and a few Whiskered Terns. Later we stopped at a sandpit in the countryside and found 9 Bee-eaters that gave us fantastic views, a Tawny Pipit, Yellow Wagtail, Wheatear and Sand Martins. A yet another stop at a different set of ponds brought us great views of 3 White-tailed Eagles. WWW.WILDPOLAND.COM 6
We arrived at the hotel for an earlier dinner and left soon afterwards to catch a boat on the river for chances of Beavers swimming at dusk. The weather was bad, far too windy for Beavers to come out. The storm was gathering and we decided to call it a day and then saw one Beaver on our way back, a good, long view. Day 6, Thursday 4th june - Biebrza Southern Basin We woke up early once again and had a short walk in the hotel area before breakfast. Saw two Cranes, a Great Grey and a Red-backed Shrike, Linnets, Spotted Flycatchers, Goldcrest, heard a Marsh Warbler. Later we also saw a Woodlark, Montagu s Harrier and two Black Storks just over our guesthouse. After breakfast we went on a drive around the best sites of the Biebrza Marshes southern basin. Had plenty of stops and plenty of great sightings. Just to mention some best ones.. In Osowiec it was a few Rosefinches, Icterine Warbler, three Bluethroats, Thrush Nightingale feeding young, Garden Warbler and two Lesser Whitethroats. In Mścichy - a total of three Black Storks, dozens of White Storks, two White-tailed Eagles, plenty of Herons and Great White Egrets. In Brzostowo - Black-tailed Godwits, Redshanks, Black, White-winged and Whiskered Terns and at a few other sites - a yet another Black Stork, plenty of White Storks, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Garden Warbler and a lot more, see list. A nice touch was teas and coffees served by the farmers at the rivers edge and an unplanned sighting of cows swimming across the Biebrza river that the Brzostowo village is famous for. WWW.WILDPOLAND.COM 7
We finished the day birdwatching at the Długa Luka and Bagno Ławki and saw 4 Aquatic Warblers, Common Snipe, Marsh and Montagu s Harriers and Short-eared Owls. Back at the guesthouse, we had a nice farewell dinner, as usual plentiful and very tasty. Day 7, Friday 5th June - Biebrza to Warsaw After our last traditional Polish breakfast we packed our stuff and headed towards Warsaw but the journey was planned so that we could see some more birds. About lunch time we arrived at a site in the valley of a small river in the beautiful countryside. We could hear a few Hoopoes and Curlews and after a short walk we also saw one Roller that gave us some good views displaying a few times and flying around. We also saw a Hen Harrier, Red-backed and Great Grey Shrike, a Honey Buzzard, Mistle Thrush, Woodlark, Icterine Warbler, Kestrel, Hawfinch, Great Spotted Woodpecker and heard a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker. Quite a list for just one site and a fantastic end to our birding holiday. A couple of hours later we arrived in Warsaw and dropped everyone where they wanted downtown/airport. F - footprints E - evidence H - heard C - common Checklist BIRDS 017 Little Grebe / Dabchick Tachybaptus ruficollis 1 1 019 Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus 2 12 2 019 Red-necked Grebe Podiceps grisegena 10 1 029 Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo 40 1 031 Great / Eurasian Bittern Botaurus stellaris H H H 3 033 Great White Egret Egretta alba 3 170 6 3 035 Grey Heron Ardea cinerea 20 10 2 WWW.WILDPOLAND.COM 8
035 White Stork Ciconia ciconia 40 12 6 30 30 50 6 035 Black Stork Ciconia nigra 2 6 2 039 Mute Swan Cygnus olor 2 6 4 3 039 Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus 2 1 043 Greylag Goose Anser anser H 2 2 049 Mallard Anas platyrhynchos 6 2 2 20 30 30 6 049 Gadwall Anas strepera 12 4 2 051 Shoveler Anas clypeata 2 1 053 Garganey Anas querquedula 1 1 2 055 Pochard Aythya ferina 6 1 057 Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula 2 1 067 Common Goldeneye Bucephala clangula 1 1 075 White-tailed Eagle Haliaeetus albicilla 2 3 3 3 079 Lesser Spotted Eagle Aquila pomarina 1 1 2 2 4 079 Greater Spotted Eagle Aquila clanga 1 1 085 Marsh-Harrier Circus aeruginosus 20 4 12 3 087 Hen Harrier Circus cyaneus 1 1 087 Montagu's Harrier Circus pygargus 4 1 091 Common Buzzard Buteo buteo 1 1 2 2 1 2 6 091 Honey-Buzzard Pernis apivorus 1 1 2 093 Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus 1 1 095 Kestrel Falco tinnunculus 1 1 2 105 Hazel Grouse / Hazelhen Bonasa bonasia H 1 111 Quail Coturnix coturnix H H 2 111 Corncrake Crex crex H H H 3 115 Spotted Crake Porzana porzana H 1 117 Moorhen Gallinula chloropus 4 1 117 Coot Fulica atra 3 12 20 5 4 119 Crane Grus grus 6 1 2 3 137 Lapwing Vanellus vanellus 2 20 1 12 4 147 Redshank Tringa totanus 3 6 2 149 Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa H 6 2 149 Curlew Numenius arquata 1 1 151 Woodcock Scolopax rusticola 2 1 151 Great Snipe Gallinago media 3 1 151 Common Snipe Gallinago gallinago 1 3 15 10 4 171 Black-headed Gull Larus ridibundus C C 30 3 173 Mediterranean Gull Larus melanocephalus 1 1 WWW.WILDPOLAND.COM 9
175 Caspian Gull Larus cachinnans + 1 187 Common Tern Sterna hirundo 1 1 2 2 4 193 Black Tern Chlidonias niger 12 3 4 3 193 White-winged Tern Chlidonias leucopterus 50 2 2 193 Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybrida 20 2 10 3 201 Feral Pigeon Columba livia feral C 3 6 10 4 201 Stock Dove Columba oenas 2 1 201 Wood Pigeon Columba palumbus 3 6 6 6 4 203 Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto 3 3 12 6 4 205 Cuckoo Cuculus canorus H 3H 1 1 4 5 211 Pygmy-Owl Glaucidium passerinum 1 1 213 Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus 1 1 219 Swift Apus apus 2 6 1 6 6 6 ++ 7 221 Hoopoe Upupa epops 1 H H 3 221 Kingfisher Alcedo atthis H 1 223 Bee-eater Merops apiaster 9 1 223 Roller Coracias garrulus 1 1 225 Black Woodpecker Dryocopus martius H 1 225 Grey-headed Woodpecker Picus canus 1 1 227 Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major 4 12 1 2 1 5 227 Middle Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos medius 3 1 229 Three-toed Woodpecker Picoides tridactylus 1 1 229 Lesser Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos minor 2 H H 3 229 Wryneck Jynx torquilla 1 5 2 231 Skylark Alauda arvensis H 4 3 3 233 Woodlark Lullula arborea 2 1 2 241 Sand Martin / Bank Swallow Riparia riparia 20 6 2 243 Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica 3 6 6 30 C C 6 243 House-Martin Delichon urbicum 10 12 30 6 4 245 Tawny Pipit Anthus campestris 1 1 249 Tree Pipit Anthus trivialis 3 1 2 251 White Wagtail Motacilla alba 3 3 2 3 1 6 6 253 Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava 1 1 3 3 253 Citrine Wagtail Motacilla citreola 2 1 2 255 Wren Troglodytes troglodytes 4H 3H 1 3 257 Hedge Accentor / Dunnock Prunella modularis H 1 259 Robin Erithacus rubecula 3 6 2 259 Thrush Nightingale Luscinia luscinia 4 H H H 3 5 WWW.WILDPOLAND.COM 10
261 Bluethroat Luscinia svecica 3 1 263 Common Redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus 1 1 H 3 263 Black Redstart Phoenicurus ochruros 1 1 1 6 2 1 6 265 Northern Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe 1 1 273 Whinchat Saxicola rubetra 2 12 3 3 4 275 Song Thrush Turdus philomelos 12 C 3 H 4 275 Mistle Thrush Turdus viscivorus 2 1 275 Fieldfare Turdus pilaris 2 3 3 6 6 5 277 Blackbird Turdus merula C C C 6 12 5 281 Barred Warbler Sylvia nisoria 1 3 H 3 281 Garden Warbler Sylvia borin H H 5 3 283 Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla 6 C H H 4 283 Lesser Whitethroat Sylvia curruca H 2 2 287 Common Whitethroat Sylvia communis H 1 6 2 2 5 291 Sedge Warbler Acrocephalus schoenobaenus 2 1 12 6 12 5 291 Aquatic Warbler Acrocephalus paludicola 4 1 293 Grasshopper Warbler Locustella naevia 3H 1 295 River Warbler Locustella fluviatilis 3 7 1 3 295 Savi's Warbler Locustella luscinioides 2 H 1H H H 5 297 Reed-Warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus 1H 1H 1 H 4 297 Marsh Warbler Acrocephalus palustris 2H 1 1 9 H 5 299 Great Reed-Warbler Acrocephalus arundinaceus 4 H 1H 4 H 5 301 Icterine Warbler Hippolais icterina 4 3 1 4 1 5 305 Willow Warbler Phylloscopus trochilus H H 1 3 305 Wood Warbler Phylloscopus sibilatrix 3 6 3 H 4 307 Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita H H H H 4 311 Goldcrest Regulus regulus 1 1 311 Firecrest Regulus ignicapilla 2 H 2 313 Spotted Flycatcher Muscicapa striata 3 2 3 3 313 Red-breasted Flycatcher Ficedula parva 1 1 315 Collared Flycatcher Ficedula albicollis 2 3 2 317 Great Tit Parus major 12 12 1 3 317 Coal Tit Periparus ater 1 1 317 Blue Tit Cyanistes caeruleus 4 6 3 3 319 Crested Tit Lophophanes cristatus 1 1 319 Willow Tit Poecile montanus 1 1 319 Marsh Tit Poecile palustris 1 1 2 321 Bearded Tit / Reedling Panurus biarmicus 2 1 WWW.WILDPOLAND.COM 11
321 Penduline Tit Remiz pendulinus 3 1 2 3 323 Nuthatch Sitta europaea 5 2 1 3 325 Treecreeper Certhia familiaris 2 3 2 327 Red-backed Shrike Lanius collurio 6 20 12 1 1 5 329 Great Grey Shrike Lanius excubitor 1 1 2 331 Magpie Pica pica 2 1 6 3 333 Jay Garrulus glandarius 1 1 1 3 4 333 Nutcracker Nucifraga caryocatactes H 1 335 Jackdaw Corvus monedula C C 12 3 337 Rook Corvus frugilegus C 4 6 3 337 Hooded Crow Corvus cornix 1 4 6 3 337 Raven Corvus corax 2 4 2 3 341 Starling Sturnus vulgaris C C C C C C 6 341 Golden-Oriole Oriolus oriolus 2 H H 1 4 343 House Sparrow Passer domesticus 3 2 1 1 C 5 343 Tree-Sparrow Passer montanus 2 2 2 2 6 5 347 Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs 12 C 6 1 4 349 Linnet Carduelis cannabina 2 3 2 351 Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis 6 2 1 3 351 Greenfinch Carduelis chloris 1 4 2 353 Serin Serinus serinus 1 1 2 355 Hawfinch Coccothraustes coccothraustes H 1 2 1 4 359 Scarlet Rosefinch Carpodacus erythrinus 3 H 3 3 3 5 367 Reed Bunting Emberiza schoeniclus 2 12 12 12 4 371 Ortolan Bunting Emberiza hortulana 1 1 373 Yellowhammer Emberiza citrinella 1 1 2 3 4 5 377 Corn Bunting Emberiza calandra H 2 H 3 Number of species: 23 62 64 87 63 90 15 148 Mammals European Bison Bison bonasus F F 2 2 4 Red Deer Cervus elaphus F F 0 Roe Deer Capreolus capreolus F 2 1 3 Wild Boar Sus scrofa F 0 Elk Alces alces F 1 1 WWW.WILDPOLAND.COM 12
Red Fox Vulpes vulpes 1 6 1 2 10 Northern white-breasted hedgehog E. roumanicus 1 1 European Beaver Castor fiber E 1 1 Red Squirrel Sciurus vulgarus E 1 1 European Hare Lepus europaeus 1 1 2 Number of species: 0 7 6 4 3 4 0 11 REPTILES & AMPHIBIANS Grass Snake Natrix natrix 1 3 4 Fire-Bellied Toad Bombina bombina H H H 0 Common Toad Bufo bufo 1 1 2 Natterjack Toad Bufo calamita H 0 Moor Frog Rana arvalis 2 2 Edible Frog Rana esculenta + + + + 0 Pool Frog Rana lessonae + 0 European Common Frog Rana temporaria C 0 Number of species: 0 4 1 4 3 3 0 8 For full size photographs, please visit our news at www.wildpoland.com or our facebook page: www.facebook.com/wildpoland WWW.WILDPOLAND.COM 13