Visit your favourite destinations
|
Visit your favourite destinations |
| A Report from birdtours.co.uk |
Western Poland, 19 – 23 May 2004,
GENERAL INFORMATION
INTRODUCTION
This report covers a short visit to western Poland
from 19 – 23 May 2004. Vital & Riet van Gorp and my girlfriend Willemien
van Ginneken accompanied me.
Having neglected my Western Palearctic list for the last years I decided to
make a visit to Poland, a destination I visited a long time ago. In 1990 however
I visited the well-known reserves in eastern Poland.
Near the border with Germany is an important wetland
in western Poland teeming with birds. This is the Ujscie Warty National Park
(“Warta River-Mouth” National Park) situated in the historical delta of the
Warta River mouth in the area of the Lubuskie Voivodship. Its area is approximately
8,000 hectares .
In 2001 the „Warta River-Mouth” National Park was created in the Warta delta
and it also replaced the existing Slonsk Nature Reserve, as well as a part
of the „Warta River-Mouth” Landscape Park .
The Warta River is the main river in the Park, and it splits the area into its Southern Part - i.e. the former Slonsk Nature Reserve, that is situated in the area of the Kostrzyn Retention Reservoir, and the Northern Part – the so called Northern Polder. In the Southern Part, the annual amplitude of water level reaches up to even 4 metres , whereas the principal function of this part of the Park is to collect flooding waters.
The water level in this part of the Park raises usually
in late autumn to reach its highest values in the springtime (March-April).
The Northern Part is a polder with its numerous abandoned old river channels
together with a rich network of drainage facilities, that has been separated
from the Warta River mainstream by means of a protective embankment.
Ujscie Warty National Park is one of the best sites for various nesting and
wintering waterbirds in Poland and possibly the whole of Europe. Staging and
moulting flocks of birds include large numbers of Ducks and Geese. Around
245 bird species have been identified, making this reserve the ideal location
for birdwatchers.
MONEY
The currency is the Zloty. All major credit cards and traveller cheques are accepted nearly everywhere.
ACCOMMODATION
We stayed at Hotel Hubertus in Slonsk. This brand-new
hotel was excellent and we had to pay 100 Zlotys (€ 30,--) for a double room.
Some of the staff at the hotel spoke good English and German.
Hotel Hubertus is ideally placed only a few minutes from Ujscie Warty NP.
From our base at Slonsk we explored the surrounding areas for birds and concentrated
on Ujscie Warty NP.
FOOD AND DRINK
Hotel Hubertus had a very good restaurant and meals were not expensive. Nearly all shops sell bread and other stuff and we had all our lunches in the field. Drinks can also be found anywhere.
SAFETY
Lock your car at all times, never leave valuables in open sight.
WEATHER
The weather during our stay was mostly good, sunny with from time to time overcast conditions.
ROADS AND TRANSPORT
Poland is easy to travel round. The primary routes in Poland are well maintained. The relatively traffic-free roads and quiet lanes and by ways in the Warta Valley are added attractions.
MAP
We relied heavily on the excellent map of the region “Okolice Gorzowa Wlkp”.
EQUIPMENT
A telescope is useful at lakes and very useful for viewing canopy species especially from roadsides.
REFERENCES
BOOKS
James F. Clements. Birds of the World. A Check List.
Heinzel, Fitter and Parslow. Birds of Britain and Europe with the Middle East and North Africa.
Lars Jonsson. Birds of Europe.
REPORTS
John van der Woude. Birding trip report West Poland 24-29 May 2001
SOFTWARE
BIRDBASE & BIRDAREA
I use this software to keep track of the birds I have seen and to make lists of any country, labelling endemics and birds previously seen in that country, outside it, or both. BirdArea can produce checklists of the birds of any country of Clements’ world birds.
ITINERARY
May 19 Chaam * Arendonk * Eindhoven * Dortmund * Hannover * Frankfurt a/d Oder * Slonsk * Ujscie Warty NP
May 20 Ujscie Warty NP (Warta River-Mouth National Park)
May 21 Slonsk * Drawienski NP * Slonsk
May 22 Slonsk * Warta Valley * Ujscie Warty NP * Slonsk
May 23 Slonsk * Kostzryn * Hannover * Essen * Eindhoven * Arendonk * Chaam
DAILY LOG
Wednesday May 19
At 5.00 a.m. we left Chaam by car and in less than 7 hours we were at Frankfurt a/d Oder near the border with Poland.
At 15.00 hours we arrived in Slonsk and checked into the brand new Hubertus Hotel.
Hereafter we immediately headed to the former Slonsk Nature Reserve, now part of Ujscie Warty NP and the wettest part of the National Park. It did take us quite a while before we found the narrow concrete road on the outskirts of the village.
We made a stroll on the road – a road barely above the water level – and saw lots of birds. The wide variety of waterfowl present included Eared Grebe, Common Crane, Black Stork, White Stork and 7 species of Ducks, but also Red Kite, an immature White tailed Eagle, Black Tern, Common Tern, Little Tern, Sedge Warbler and Icterine Warbler.
Thursday May 20
On our first full day in the field we spent nearly all day on the long and winding river dikes near Kostrzyn, but first we visited the reserve’s information centre near Kostrzyn.
We heard and saw nearly all the Reed Warblers, except Aquatic Warbler. One of the first birds we saw was a Bittern.
Reed Buntings and Yellow Wagtails were everywhere and we also had good looks of Thrush Nightingale and Barred Warbler. Along the dike we discovered a large colony of Bank Swallows and we had good looks of a Lesser Spotted Eagle, a rare bird in western Poland. En route we saw a colony of Black Terns nesting in the river floodplain.
Amongst the other birds we noted were Red necked Grebe, Black crowned Night Heron, a group of 44 Common Cranes, Redshank, Black tailed Godwit, Red backed Shrike, Grasshopper Warbler, Eurasian River Warbler, Bluethroat and Common Rosefinch.
We returned to Slonsk via the ferry near Witnica. On this side of the Warta River we drove into a landscape of idyllic farm cottages and small wet meadows, a landscape that must have looked familiar to my granddad.
Here we saw our only displaying Common Snipe.
Friday May 21
Dawn next morning found us in the marshy area a few hundred metres behind our hotel in Slonsk. Vital and I made a stroll around a small lake surrounded by reed and forest. Amongst the birds seen here were Eurasian Hoopoe, Eurasian Wryneck, Savi’s Warbler, Great Reed Warbler, Icterine Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Whinchat, Northern Wheatear, Red backed Shrike, Yellowhammer and Corn Bunting, many common birds in Chaam during my youth.
We then headed to Drawienski National Park 50 km northeast of GorzoWielkopolski (Gorzo Wklp). This is a mixed deciduous forest with a few lakes and a small river running the length of the park and some old agricultural enclaves.
Inside the forest, in the central hamlet called Glusko is a small cafe, where one can have lunch.
We saw a good supply of forest birds here amongst them a very shy Hazel Grouse, Black Woodpecker, Wood Warbler, Goldcrest, European Pied Flycatcher, Common Redstart, Marsh Tit, Willow Tit, Coal Tit, Eurasian Nuthatch, Eurasian Bullfinch and Common Raven. On one of the lakes we discovered an Arctic Loon and a large colony of Great Cormorants.
En route back to Slonsk we made a few stops adding Wood Lark to our trip list.
In the late afternoon we made another stroll in the former Slonsk Nature Reserve seeing the same birds as the day before yesterday.
Saturday May 22
Our pre-breakfast birding around the hotel produced almost the same birds as yesterday morning, but we also spotted a Northern Goshawk with prey and a Bittern.
The rest of the day we spent in the Warta Valley. Our route was Slonsk – Kostrzyn – Debno – Mysliborz – Tarnow – Witnica – Ujscie Warty NP. We also spent some time on the splendid river dike stretch near Kostrzyn.
We stopped at many places and amongst the many birds seen were White Stork (breeding everywhere), European Honey Buzzard, Red Kite, Western Marsh Harrier, Common Cuckoo, nearly all the Reed Warblers, Short toed Treecreeper and Common Rosefinch. In the Ujscie Warty NP we spotted two not very shy Foxes.
Eventually we arrived at our hotel in Slonsk, where we had dinner sitting next to a log fire.
Sunday May 23
We slept well and woke up to a rainy day. No pre-breakfast birding today and then our short vacation/birding trip was over and we drove back to Holland.
We saw almost everything I had hoped for except the Aquatic Warbler, but luckily I had seen that bird already on my 1990 trip in Eastern Poland.
SYSTEMATIC LIST OF BIRDS
This list follows the taxonomy, names and sequence of James F. Clements (Birds of the World, A Check List, Fifth Edition, 2000, including updates May 2000 - July 2004).
This fifth edition is based primarily on the higher taxonomic sequence outlined in the “Handbook of the Birds of the World” series published by Lynx Edicions.
Species in brackets are the English names in "Birds of Europe” by Lars Jonsson, but only mentioned when these differ substantially from the Clements Check List.
The Dutch names follow the translated "Complete Checklist of Birds of the World" (Complete Checklist van Vogels van de Wereld) of Michael Walters.
Numbers quoted are estimates of the minimum numbers seen.
The following abbreviations are used:
NP = National Park
15+ = a minimum of 15 birds
ARCTIC LOON (BLACK-THROATED DIVER), Gavia arctica,
Parelduiker
A single bird on a lake at Drawienski NP.
RED-NECKED GREBE, Podiceps grisegena,
Roodhalsfuut
Only a single bird seen at Ujscie Warty NP.
GREAT CRESTED GREBE, Podiceps cristatus,
Fuut
Fairly common on the small lakes in the Warta Valley and at Drawienski
NP.
EARED GREBE, Podiceps nigricollis,
Geoorde Fuut
20+ at Ujscie Warty NP.
GREAT CORMORANT, Phalacrocorax
carbo, Aalscholver
Fairly common at the visited areas; a large colony at Drawienski NP.
GREY HERON, Ardea cinerea, Blauwe
Reiger
Fairly common throughout the visited areas.
BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON, Nycticorax
nycticorax, Kwak
A single observatioan at Ujscie Warty NP.
GREAT BITTERN, Botaurus
stellaris, Roerdomp
Small numbers at Ujscie Warty NP (more heard than seen).
BLACK STORK, Ciconia
nigra. Zwarte Ooievaar
2 at Ujscie Warty NP and 1 in the Warta Valley.
WHITE STORK, Ciconia
ciconia, Ooievaar
Fairly common at the Warta Valley.
MUTE SWAN, Cygnus olor, Knobbelzwaan
Abundant at Ujscie Warty NP and the Warta Valley.
GREYLAG GOOSE, Anser anser, Grauwe
Gans
100+ at Ujscie Warty NP.
SHELDUCK, Tadorna tadorna, Bergeend
2 at Ujscie Warty NP.
GADWALL, Anas strepera,
Krakeend
10+ at Ujscie Warty NP.
EURASIAN TEAL, Anas crecca, Wintertaling
2 at Ujscie Warty NP.
MALLARD, Anas platyrhynchos, Wilde
Eend
Fairly common at Ujscie Warty NP and in the surroundings.
GARGANEY, Anas querquedula,
Zomertaling
Up to 20 a day at Ujscie Warty NP.
NORTHERN SHOVELER, Anas clypeata,
Slobeend
Small numbers at Ujscie Warty NP.
COMMON POCHARD, Aythya
ferina, Tafeleend
Small numbers at Ujscie Warty NP.
TUFTED DUCK, Aythya fuligula,
Kuifeend
Small numbers at Ujscie Warty NP.
OSPREY, Pandion haliaetus, Visarend
A single bird at Drawienski NP.
EUROPEAN HONEY-BUZZARD, Pernis
apivorus, Wespendief
A single bird near Dabroszyn.
RED KITE, Milvus milvus, Rode Wouw
Singles at Ujscie Warty NP and near Witnica.
BLACK KITE, Milvus migrans,
Zwarte Wouw
Small numbers en route in Germany and 1 at Ujscie Warty NP.
WHITE-TAILED EAGLE, Haliaeetus
albicilla, Zeearend
Up to 2 a day at Ujscie Warty NP.
WESTERN MARSH-HARRIER, Circus aeruginosus,
Bruine Kiekendief
Up to 5 seen a day.
NORTHERN GOSHAWK, Accipiter gentilis,
Havik
Singles en route in eastern Germany and at Slonsk.
EURASIAN BUZZARD, Buteo buteo, Buizerd
A fairly common and widespread species.
LESSER SPOTTED EAGLE, Aquila
pomarina, Schreeuwarend
A splendid observation at Ujscie Warty NP.
EURASIAN KESTREL, Falco tinnunculus,
Torenvalk
Small numbers at the Warta Valley.
HAZEL GROUSE, Bonasa
bonasia, Hazelhoen
A single one at Drawienski NP.
RING-NECKED PHEASANT (PHEASANT), Phasianus
colchicus, Fazant
Only 3 seen en route in the Warta Valley.
COMMON CRANE, Grus grus,
Kraanvogel
Up to 50 a day at Ujscie Warty NP and heard at Drawienski NP.
WATER RAIL, Rallus aquaticus, Waterral
Heard several times at the marshy area behind our hotel in Slonsk.
EURASIAN COOT, Fulica
atra, Meerkoet
Small numbers at Ujscie Warty NP.
NORTHERN LAPWING, Vanellus vanellus,
Kievit
Only 3 seen at Ujscie Warty NP.
COMMON SNIPE, Gallinago gallinago,
Watersnip
2 seen at Ujscie Warty NP.
BLACK-TAILED GODWIT, Limosa
limosa, Grutto
Only 1 seen at Ujscie Warty NP.
COMMON REDSHANK, Tringa totanus,
Tureluur
6 at Ujscie Warty NP.
MEW GULL, Larus canus, Stormmeeuw
Small numbers at Ujscie Warty NP.
BLACK-HEADED GULL, Larus ridibundus,
Kokmeeuw
A fairly common and widespread species.
COMMON TERN, Sterna hirundo, Visdief
Up to 10 a day at Ujscie Warty NP.
LITTLE TERN, Sterna albifrons, Dwergstern
Small numbers at Ujscie Warty NP.
BLACK TERN, Chlidonias
niger, Zwarte Stern
Small numbers at Ujscie Warty NP.
COMMON WOOD-PIGEON, Columba palumbus,
Houtduif
A fairly common and widespread species.
EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE, Streptopelia decaocto,
Turkse Tortel
A few in the Warta Valley.
COMMON CUCKOO, Cuculus canorus,
Koekoek
Fairly common in the Warta Valley and a few heard at Drawienski NP.
TAWNY OWL, Strix aluco,
Bosuil
A single one at Slonsk behind our hotel.
COMMON SWIFT, Apus apus, Gierzwaluw
A fairly common and widespread species.
COMMON KINGFISHER, Alcedo atthis, IJsvogel
A single bird at Drawienski NP.
EURASIAN HOOPOE, Upupa epops, Hop
Singles at Slonsk and in the Warta Valley.
EURASIAN WRYNECK, Jynx
torquilla, Draaihals
Heard at Slonsk.
LESSER SPOTTED WOODPECKER, Dendrocopos
minor, Kleine Bonte Specht
A single observation at Drawienski NP.
GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER, Dendrocopos major,
Grote Bonte Specht
Small numbers daily in the Warta Valley and a few at Drawienski NP.
BLACK WOOPECKER, Dryscopus martius, Zwarte
Specht
A single one at Drawienski NP.
WOOD LARK, Lullula arborea,
Boomleeuwerik
2 en route Slonsk – Drawienski NP.
SKY LARK, Alauda arvensis, Veldleeuwerik
Fairly common in the Warta Valley.
BANK SWALLOW (SAND MARTIN), Riparia riparia,
Oeverzwaluw
A large colony along the Warty.
BARN SWALLOW, Hirundo rustica, Boerenzwaluw
A common and widespread species.
HOUSE MARTIN, Delichon urbica, Huiszwaluw
A fairly common species.
WHITE WAGTAIL, Motacilla alba, Witte
Kwikstaart
Common in the visited areas.
YELLOW WAGTAIL, Motacilla flava,
Gele Kwikstaart
Common in the Warta Valley.
GOLDCREST, Regulus regulus, Goudhaan
A single one at Drawienski NP.
FIRECREST, Regulus ignicapillus, Vuurgoudhaan
A single bird at Ujscie Warty NP.
WINTER WREN, Troglodytes troglodytes,
Winterkoning
A single one at Drawienski NP.
EURASIAN BLACKBIRD, Turdus merula,
Merel
Small numbers in the Warta Valley and at Drawienski NP.
FIELDFARE, Turdus pilaris,
Kramsvogel
10+ at Ujscie Warty NP and a few at Drawienski NP.
SONG THRUSH, Turdus philomelos,
Zanglijster
Only 1 seen at Slonsk and a few at Drawienski NP.
MISTLE THRUSH, Turdus viscivorus,
Grote Lijster
2 at Drawienski NP.
GRASSHOPPER WARBLER, Locustella
naevia, Sprinkhaanzanger
5 at Ujscie Warty NP.
EURASIAN RIVER WARBLER, Locustella
fluviatilis, Krekelzanger
6 at Ujscie Warty NP.
SAVI'S WARBLER, Locustella
luscinioides, Snor
4 at Ujscie Warty NP.
SEDGE WARBLER, Acrocephalus schoenobaenus,
Rietzanger
Fairly common at Ujscie Warty NP.
EURASIAN REED-WARBLER, Acrocephalus
scirpaceus, Kleine Karekiet
Small numbers each day at Ujscie Warty NP and 3 at Drawienski NP.
MARSH WARBLER, Acrocephalus palustris,
Bosrietzanger
Small numbers in the Warta Valley.
GREAT REED-WARBLER, Acrocephalus
arundinaceus, Grote Karekiet
A common species in the Warta Valley and a few at Drawienski NP.
ICTERINE WARBLER, Hippolais
icterina, Spotvogel
Small numbers daily in the Warta Valley.
WILLOW WARBLER, Phylloscopus trochilus,
Fitis
Small numbers in the Warta Valley and common at Drawienski NP.
COMMON CHIFFCHAFF, Phylloscopus
collybita, Tjiftjaf
Fairly common in the visited areas.
WOOD WARBLER, Phylloscopus sibilatrix,
Fluiter
1 in the Warta Valley and 6 at Drawienski NP.
BLACKCAP, Sylvia atricapilla, Zwartkop
Common in the Warta Valley and a few at Drawienski NP.
GARDEN WARBLER, Sylvia
borin, Tuinfluiter
Small numbers at Ujscie Warty NP and 2 at Drawienski NP.
GREATER WHITETHROAT, Sylvia communis,
Grasmus
2 along the coast at Troup and Lion’s Head.
LESSER WHITETHROAT, Sylvia
curruca, Braamsluiper
6 at Ujscie Warty NP and 2 at Drawienski NP.
BARRED WARBLER, Sylvia
nisoria, Sperwergrasmus
4 at Ujscie Warty NP.
EUROPEAN PIED FLYCATCHER, Ficedula hypoleuca,
Bonte Vliegenvanger
2 at Drawienski NP.
THRUSH NIGHTINGALE, Luscinia luscinia,
Noordse Nachtegaal
A few at Ujscie Warty NP and in the Warta Valley.
COMMON NIGHTINGALE, Luscinia
megarhynchos, Nachtegaal
Small numbers in the Warta Valley.
BLUETHROAT, Luscinia svecica,
Blauwborst
A single observation at Ujscie Warty NP.
BLACK REDSTART, Phoenicurus
ochruros, Zwarte Roodstaart
A few in the Warta Valley and 2 at Drawienski NP.
COMMON REDSTART, Phoenicurus phoenicurus,
Gekraagde Roodstaart
Singles at Drawienski NP and in the Warta Valley.
WHINCHAT, Saxicola rubetra, Paapje
2 in the Warta Valley and 6 en route Slonsk – Drawienski NP.
NORTHERN WHEATEAR, Oenanthe oenanthe,
Tapuit
2 at Slonsk.
MARSH TIT, Poecile palustris, Glanskop
2 at Drawienski NP.
WILLOW TIT, Poecile montana,
Matkop
2 at Drawienski NP.
COAL TIT, Periparus ater, Zwarte
Mees
A few at Drawienski NP.
CRESTED TIT, Lophophanes cristatus,
Kuifmees
1 at Drawienski NP.
GREAT TIT, Parus major, Koolmees
Single ones at Ujscie Warty NP and Drawienski NP.
BLUE TIT, Parus caeruleus, Pimpelmees
A few in the Warta Valley and Drawienski NP.
EURASIAN NUTHATCH, Sitta europaea,
Boomklever
2 in the Warta Valley and 1 at Drawienski NP.
SHORT-TOED TREECREEPER, Certhia brachydactyla,
Boomkruiper
2 at Ujscie Warty NP.
EURASIAN PENDULINE-TIT, Remiz
pendulinus, Buidelmees
4 at Ujscie Warty NP.
EURASIAN GOLDEN-ORIOLE, Oriolus
oriolus, Wielewaal
1 at Slonsk and 2 at Ujscie Warty NP.
RED-BACKED SHRIKE, Lanius collurio,
Grauwe Klauwier
1 at Slonsk and 4 at Ujscie Warty NP.
EURASIAN JAY, Garrulus glandarius,
Gaai
Only 2 seen in the Warta Valley.
EURASIAN MAGPIE, Pica pica, Ekster
Seen everyday in small numbers.
EURASIAN JACKDAW, Corvus monedula,
Kauw
Seen every day in small numbers.
HOODED CROW, Corvus cornix, Bonte
Kraai
Small numbers in the Warta Valley.
COMMON RAVEN, Corvus corax,
Raaf
3 at Ujscie Warty NP and 1 at Drawienski NP.
EUROPEAN STARLING, Sturnus vulgaris,
Spreeuw
A common and widespread species.
HOUSE SPARROW, Passer domesticus,
Huismus
Rather common near villages and cities.
EURASIAN TREE SPARROW, Passer
montanus, Ringmus
Seen regular in the Warta Valley.
CHAFFINCH, Fringilla coelebs, Vink
Fairly common in the visited areas.
COMMON ROSEFINCH, Carpodacus
erythrinus, Roodmus
4 at Ujscie Warty NP and 2 en route in the Warta Valley.
EUROPEAN GREENFINCH, Carduelis chloris,
Groenling
Small numbers seen every day of the trip.
EUROPEAN GOLDFINCH, Carduelis carduelis,
Putter
Fairly common in the Warta Valley.
EURASIAN LINNET, Carduelis cannabina,
Kneu
Up to 3 a day in the Warta Valley.
EUROPEAN SERIN, Serinus serinus,
Europese Kanarie
Small numbers daily at the Warta Valley.
EURASIAN BULLFINCH, Pyrrhula pyrrhula,
Goudvink
A male at Drawienski NP.
YELLOWHAMMER, Emberiza citrinella,
Geelgors
Common at the Warta Valley and en route Slosnsk – Drawienski NP.
REED BUNTING, Emberiza schoeniclus,
Rietgors
Abundant at Ujscie Warty NP.
CORN BUNTING, Emberiza calandra,
Grauwe Gors
Common in the vicinity of Slonsk and a few en route Slonsk – Drawienski
NP.
Chaam, 20 July 2004,
If you need any help or further information, contact me at the following address and I'll try and help if I can!
Jan Vermeulen
Bredaseweg 14
4861 AH Chaam
The Netherlands
Telephone: (031) – 161 – 491327
E-mail: jem.vermeulen@wxs.nl
Web: http://home.planet.nl/~verme860
Why not send us a report, or an update to one of your current reports?
