Potters Bar & Barnet Local RSPB Group

Group trip to North East Poland

5th - 14th June 2007

by John Morris

4.45am Potters Bar station , cold and windy - 11.30 Warsaw, sunny, warm, probably around 25°. Saw a nice kestrel over the airport apron - think this is going to be good.

We had found our guide, Bogdan, and left Warsaw by 12.30 and arrived at our first hotel just before seven - all that time on the PISZ, nothing to do with drink, that’s the name on our little bus. I had looked at the atlas but it certainly hadn’t dawned on me just how big Poland was. We had made a lunch stop en route for schnitzel and chips ( the only chips we had during our stay ) and a short birding break at Lomza. Already we had become a bit blasé regarding white storks. Storks on the nest, on the nest with young, flying, feeding, yes we saw storks aplenty. During our stop it was nice to see black tern - a first for me. Back on the PISZ and on to our first hotel (PAN, Wierzba ). The hotel, which was a conference centre, was superb, set on a slope overlooking a lake. Single storey at the front and four at the back, so quite a steep slope down to the lake. Dinner, bed: ready for early start on Day 2.

RSPB Powell

Out and about from five till seven in the woodlands around the hotel. After breakfast a bus ride out to the Masurian Lakes. From the multi-storey hide we had good sightings of bittern flying by and the great reed warbler really challenging us to find it! Our picnic lunch, and by now the temperature was around 30°, was a battle between us and the flies and mossies. But after lunch on the track back to the road we stopped and from the bus we saw a roosting lesser spotted eagle no more than a couple of metres from the bus

windows. Great. The moral seemed to be; put up with the flies and get a reward. Late afternoon found us looking out from a shady hide over a small lake north of Lake Sniardwy watching osprey, white tailed eagle and marsh harriers, all at the same time. Walking back to the bus saw a scarlet rose finch, another first for me. Bus and a nice little ferry crossing back to the hotel for late dinner and bed. Somehow time didn’t allow for a group “bird of the day”, but mine today was the lesser spotted eagle, yesterday’s was the black tern.

The late evening and the prospect of the relocation reduced the numbers of early risers but those that had a walk through the woods came back satisfied, even sighting wild boar. En route to our next hotel we stopped to catch the nutcracker and the equally elusive Marek, the name behind the tour. Nutcracker ticked off we went on several kilometres to Dybowo to see a black throated diver and another sighting of Marek, then on to the optimistically named hotel Energetyk. Don’t get me wrong there was nothing wrong with the place, it was just odd - speak to anyone that went on the trip if you want to learn more. That evening we went to Marek’s farm and some good birding. The great reed which was so elusive the day before was all over the place but the real star was the bluethroat. Dinner was spent with Marek and his family. Lovely meal prepared by Hanya, Marek’s wife, then back to the Energetyk and bed. In fact this meal and the picnics that Hanya supplied were all excellent. Bird of the day the bluethroat (followed by the elusive Marek).

Fourth day, back to Marek’s for a successful tracking of the thrush nightingale before breakfast. Off in the bus to some fishponds with tits as target birds. I gave up half way, it was seriously hot, but I stood for a time watching dragonflies and damsels in a nice shady spot, then watched the village kids swimming in the river. Don’t do that here any more do they? Hardy souls returned from walk thankfully having seen both penduline and bearded tits. Now it was so hot we had a break and went out in the evening to a marsh ( Mscichy ) to see the aquatic warbler. Success. Today’s bird - Montague’s harrier, brief but nice sighting.

Saturday started with a drive to seek out corncrake - heard but not seen. On for a picnic lunch then off to find ortolan bunting and quail. This time success. We had afternoon tea overlooking the Biebrzariski reserve and had tea and a sighting of elk (in the far distance ) and finally the corncrake! On the way back to the hotel we made a little detour for some quiet birding by the lakeside, terns, ducks and a lively discussion on the bus regarding the waders. Bird of the day has got to be the corncrake, after so much hearing, seeing was a reward.

Sunday, early walk for the dedicated, then off to the north end of the Biebrza marshes to see the river warbler. Aren’t they tiny and elusive? Had a picnic in a beautiful meadow, which looked like a promotion from a wild flower seed catalogue. Simply beautiful. The next stop was birding I like; from the pub veranda we could look out over some disused fishponds onto the marshes. All the usual suspects and some magnificent flying Montague’s, they are really so elegant. Back to the hotel, dinner and out to see nightjars. In the failing light we heard their distinctive calls and got some really impressive views of the birds both in the air and perched. Lots of bats came out as it got darker and while they fed on the monster mosquitoes we beat a retreat and anointed our bites. The nightjar must be today’s bird.

                                                            RSPB Busby

Left the next day for a longish drive to our last location close to the Bialowieska park. A little detour en route to see the magnificent bee-eaters and sand martins, then on to a picnic lunch and some more fish ponds. A pleasant walk around the ponds with a view of whooper’s and our first real sightings of ducks. Back on the bus to another little detour to see rollers. All of us had some really good viewings of these colourful birds. We are now really deep in Poland, in fact almost in Belarus, so it shouldn’t have been a surprise to see people milking their cows in the fields; but it was. Strange sighting on the way back to the main road was 100’s of ravens in a field like rooks, in fact we thought they must be rooks. But Bogdan explained they were ravens, attracted by the local slaughter-house! Our last hotel was really nice, it looked like an alpine hotel transferred into Poland, food was excellent, rooms were fine.

Not too many took the 5.00 walk through the woods pre-breakfast but I know those that did saw hawfinches and fieldfare. There was a good turn out for the afternoon in the Bialowiesza National Forest. The part we visited was strictly managed and I believe I got it right at 600 square kilometres. I think our guide may have been with us to ensure we found our way out, not to prevent misdeeds. The forest is truly immense, probably three times bigger than the Park, with areas outside the Park managed commercially by a sort of forestry commission. The evening walk set off to see if we could find beaver, almost in the town, and pygmy owls in the local woods. Nature being nature we drew a blank on both.

Our last full day started with the early morning walk for the stalwarts, breakfast, then off to the Siemianowskie reservoir. A couple of odd things here; there seemed to be no water in the reservoir, and two border guards who turned up and checked our guide and driver’s papers quite thoroughly. However, we saw citrine warblers, black, white winged and whiskered terns, marsh harriers, lesser spotted and white tailed eagles - not bad. Don’t want to sound blasé, but we saw white tailed eagles on seven of the ten days. Quite a few of us missed the afternoon walk with the prospect of a late evening view of great snipe on on their lek. An hour’s drive, a walk through a boggy bit of marsh and we saw…. nothing. Another win for nature.

                                                                           Marsh Harrier   Chris Gomersall  rspb-images.com

The trip back to Warsaw and the airport was a bit of a trek - underlining yet again how big Poland was. We had an enjoyable lunch in the old town then off to the airport and home. When I’ve referred to lakes and marshes it’s difficult to express just how large they were when we think of our own cosy landscape here in the south-east. Dave picked us up at Heathrow and we got back to
Potters Bar in the rain and cold. Nothing had changed.

Was it a good trip? No - it was better than that. Good hotels, good food, good company and lots of great birding. We saw 126 species, of which 17 were firsts for us. We are beginners so that accounts for so many firsts. Our thanks go to the “experts” who shared their experience with us. The group listed a total of 147 ( if you would like to see the full list please contact me ), so all in all not too bad. For Edith and me the birds of the trip were the dark terns. Not the rarest, but for elegance, colour and quantity - well, sheer magic.

My thanks to John Britten for his map and advice - when I said I’d do the report I had only a rough idea where we were going, with John’s help I hope I’ve been able to give you a reasonable impression of our trip and perhaps raised the thought “ why didn’t we go?

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