Our time was due to be split in two across the week, with the first part spent in the Bialowieza Forest (some 3 and a half hours east of Warsaw) and the second, in the vast Biebrza Marshes, further north.
We stayed the Saturday night at a pretty decent little pub called the Kicking Dickey (does a very tasty Chilli by the way!) about 10 minutes from Stansted Airport.
Day 1: Sunday 29/05
After a less than average display of darts and pool the previous night, we got our flight early the next morning. We arrived late morning in Warsaw Modlin, greeted by gorgeous sunshine. The much anticipated first bird of the trip took a while to materialise, however we were soon onto a group of Swifts overhead, quickly followed by a singing Black Redstart high up on a floodlight. We were up and running!
We had originally booked a Renault Clio Estate (interesting choice!) hire car, however we were treated to a free upgrade in the shape of a big old Nissain Qashqai!
Bialowieza was entered into the build-in sat nav and having enjoyed the sound of a singing Golden Oriole from nearby woodland, we were off! As the journey developed, we started adding a few nice things including roadside Red Backed Shrike, White Stork, Hooded Crow and Marsh Harrier. A stop at a supermarket for supplies, allowed us to add my first lifer of the trip, with a couple of singing Marsh Warbler in a small reedy bit closeby. Also here were a flyover Hobby and a nice family of Black Redstart.
After over 2 hours of driving a few doubts were beginning to creep in....we were going the right way yeah? I thought it was best I'd turn my data on on my phone to double check....uhhhh oh!! There we were, clear as day NW of Warsaw. We'd been going in completely the opposite direction to the way we needed to be going. It turns out then that there's more than one Bialowieza in Poland!! Bugger.
We were all a bit stunned to be honest, however we're all pretty easy going guys...at the end of the day, it was what it was and so we took it on the chin. Before we finally headed east, a nearby singing Corn Bunting and a stunning flyby Marsh Harrier reminded us all was not quite lost yet!
So....5 and a half hours away from THE Bialowieza, off we went again! Birds along the way included a lovely male Montagu's Harrier, Serin, Redstart and plenty more White Storks. A welcome stop in some mixed woodland for half an hour or so proved very enjoyable and just highlighted how much more rich in birdlife Poland was, compared to back home. The short walk revealed the presence of singing Pied Flycatcher, a couple of Redstarts, Wood Warbler, Tree Pipit and two Spotted Fly. Pretty impressive!
Around dusk, we got onto another couple of Montagu's Harriers, while a loo stop soon after produced my first couple of Thrush Nightingale booming out of a nearby copse.
Finally, after seeing a lot more of Poland than we'd planned, we arrived at our accommodation on the edge of Bialowieza around 11pm. Phew, it had been a long day! On opening the car door, it was quickly apparent this place was going to be awesome, with the sound of Corncrake, Thrush Nightingale (recording here: http://www.xeno-canto.org/321065) and River Warbler reverberating from close by! After that, needless to say, it didn't take us long to fall asleep!
Day 2: Monday 30/05
I decided to set my alarm for 05:30am for the morning, however I awoke just after 5 to the sound of a very vocal Raven and a singing Golden Oriole. That was enough to drag me out of bed!
Immediately, I was greeted by a lovely singing male Red Backed Shrike sat in a tree above our car, showing very well in the early morning sun. I had no idea at this point quite how many we'd end up seeing over the next few days!
I was soon joined by Gareth and then Dan. We had a short wander along a track and meadow on the edge of the village and adjacent to the forest. Birds here included two singing Barred Warbler, two singing River Warblers (that failed to show themselves despite our best efforts!), two Great Grey Shrike, a Hawfinch, a couple of nesting White Stork and several more Red Backed Shrikes, as well as a handful of Early Marsh Orchids.
It was then time to try the legendary Palace Park in the centre of the village, home to an impressive array of species. The walk down produced our first (and surprisingly only) Wryneck of the trip, as well as a cracking male Black Redstart, a couple of Marsh Warbler and several Tree Sparrows.
We began at the western end of the park and it certainly didn't disappoint with my first Middle-Spotted Woodpecker that took a while to pin down as it flew to and from it's nest, Common Rosefinch, Icterine Warbler, several singing Great Reed Warbler (recording here: http://www.xeno-canto.org/320974) , a singing Redstart, several Fieldfare, as well as a Common Tern!
Further on produced more of the same, plus views of some more Hawfinch, a Grass Snake swimming across the lake and a brilliant family of Northern Long Tailed Tits that showed very well indeed, with one even perching on Dan's tripod at one point! Gareth also picked out a foraging Lesser Spotted Woodpecker nearby which I was able to get onto for a short while.
The North-eastern area of the park, was a little more 'woody' and produced one of my favourite birds of the trip...Collared Flycatcher. On entering this area, almost straight away we came across a pair at the nest. We sat on a nearby bench and enjoyed some amazing views! More Hawfinch here too and a bin-foraging Red Squirrel, however it was disappointing to miss a flyover Honey Buzzard that Gareth & Dan got views of further ahead of me along the path. However, further great views of another Collared Flycatcher, a Thrush Nightingale on the path, Wood Warbler and Spotted Flycatcher cushioned the blow.
It was then time for a well-earned, big old breakfast and a shower. After this, we decided to take a drive out into the woods. We took the long track towards Narewka in the hope of finding some more good stuff. Driving with the windows down was the tactic and it was so cool hearing so many Wood Warblers! Hawfinches too were very numerous, often coming down on the track for grit or to drink. The highlight of this drive was the discovery of a Middle-Spotted Woodpecker nest right by the side of the road, allowing some incredible views!
Dan then picked out the song of a Red Breasted Flycatcher. Myself and Gareth managed to get some half decent views, revealing the bird to be a 1st-winter male, sadly lacking that lovely orangey breast patch, however still a lovely to see and hear. Also here, Gareth and I were super chuffed to hear a distant Pygmy Owl calling on at least 4 occassions from the other side of the road. A real unexpected surprise! Sadly it never called again and therefore we were unable to pin it down.
Towards the end of the track was a site named Cosy Most, a place Dan said was definitely worth a good look at, especially as it is a bit of a hotspot for Nutcrackers and mammals. We took a good walk along a couple of tracks and saw a few things, however it there was a hint of that early afternoon lull about it.
Still, wildlife here included a Crested Tit, a River Warbler that eventually gave distant views, a couple of Barred Warbler, numerous Red Backed Shrikes, several Wood Warbler. There were also a few butterflies including several Pearl-Bordered Fritillaries, Wood White and an unidentified Skipper sp.
The hot weather then began to produce several waves of thunderstorms and so we headed back towards Bialowieza, enjoying a displaying Green Sandpiper, the rather unusual site of a couple of soggy looking Hares in the middle of the forest and another Red Breasted Flycatcher territory too.
That evening, Dan took us to a glade on the edge of the village that was good for Bison last year. Sadly though, we drew a blank There were though another singing Red Breasted Flycatcher and a hunting Tawny Owl. A drive about late on for Bison and to listen for Blyth's Reed Warbler proved fruitless however produced more River Warblers (recording here: http://www.xeno-canto.org/320972), Corncrakes and the first singing Savi's & Grasshopper Warbler of the trip too.
Day 3: Tuesday 31/05
The day started super early again with a short walk from our digs to give the forest boardwalk at Zebra Zubra a go. This walk began spectacularly well as a mother Elk walked into the road in front of us, followed by a tiny leggy fawn...incredible!!
No more than a minute later we had blinding views of a Pine Marten as it too came out into the road for a short while before shooting off. It was all happening and we hadn't even set foot on the boardwalk yet!
The largely Alder Carr forest of Zebra Zubra was an awesome sight, looking pretty pristine and containing some enormous trees too. It was though largely quiet. We soon clapped eyes on a singing Collared Flycatcher high up, however for long periods there was very little. It did however 'kick off' again some way along the path.
Gareth and I were distracted by something and Dan went on ahead for a short while, only to beckon us over. He had just flushed a Hazel Hen from close to the boardwalk. Wahhh! This was a very, very difficult bird to connect with and so we dedicated a fair bit of time to relocating it. It did begin calling and thankfully did show in flight for us a couple of times but no binocular views. In the end, it was time to give up unfortunately. But how lucky had we been so far, Moose, Pine Marten & now, Hazel Hen!!
We heard both Middle-Spotted and White-Backed Woodpeckers but failed to track them down and it was then time to get back for breakfast at our accommodation. It wasn't the end of it all though as walking back, I was chuffed to find my first Grey Headed Woodpecker on the edge of the forest, gaining ok views before it headed off. My first Lesser Spotted Eagle also then showed very briefly but was gone in the blink of an eye. Dan headed back ahead of Gareth and I and we were soon gripping him with views of a Green Woodpecker flying across the road close to where we were staying!
After another big breakfast, we took a drive out towards nearby Budy Bridge. Several Corncrakes were to be heard and one in particular was super close to the road so we got out for a look. We were eventually treated to spectacular views. At one point, while Dan and Gareth were staring across the general area where it was last heard, I noticed the grass moving just a few feet away from me. It then began calling literally at my feet, which if I'm honest, made me jump out of my skin!! The noise was deafening and totally mind blowing and a real highlight of the trip for me! Recording here: http://www.xeno-canto.org/321215
After this incredible experience, we moved onto Budy Bridge, a bridge over the River Narewka with extensive areas of reeds and a good vantage point to view the surrounding area. Here, a Lesser Spotted Eagle soared into view allowing some decent, if slighly distant views. A 1st-summer male Common Rosefinch showed well here and a female Golden Oriole flashed past while a male sang from nearby trees.
Following this, we tried a great area for Three-Toed Woodpecker in some mixed forest close to the village where Dan had them last year. Sadly there was no sign and in fact there wasn't a great deal about. We did though have nice views of a large colony of Map butterflies, as well as an Icterine Warbler & a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker.
The weather was a little hit & miss but still, Palace Park then got another blast and this proved to be a big success with views of adult & juvenile White Backed Woodpeckers swiftly followed by an adult Black Woodpecker. Boom! The woodpecker total was rapidly increasing!
A mental thunderstorm followed for a considerable period of time, swiftly followed by a deafening flood siren (not an impending Russian invasion as we speculated!). We managed to find some shelter for some 45 minutes before getting back out.
We explored further towards the NE end of the park and towards some waterworks. This revealed a ringed Firecrest, lots of displaying Snipe, a Great Grey Shrike, several Red Backed Shrike, singing Corn Bunting & Whinchat, good views of 3 squabbling Golden Orioles and best of all, far better views of a Grey Headed Woodpecker.
Thankfully, for the evening the weather cleared up a little and it was a good job it did! Another try for Bison was in order and after picking up an enormous pizza each from the awesome local pizzeria, we went back to try at the glade again. Unfortunately, a handful of locals appeared as we parked up saying in a matter of words we weren't welcome there. All very bizzare as there were no signs suggesting we wern't allowed in this part of the forest, however it was best to move on all the same! The next best option was to try the large expanses of meadows around the villages to the NW of Bialowieza. On the way we were lucky enough to find yet another Pine Marten scuttling across the road, as well as a Red Deer deep in the forest.
The meadows NW of Bialowieza are a special looking place at dusk with a blanket of mist, coupled with the sounds of Corncrakes and River Warblers.
A singing Quail here was a welcome addition, before we struck gold! There sat in a nearby meadow was a big brown lump...it had to be and was indeed a bull Bison...GET IN! In the fading light we watched it for a while just relaxing, licking his lips and flicking it's tail. Absolutely magic to track one down. Team morale was high!
The night then somehow got even better! We thought we were on a roll and so went for another little trawl about listening for Blyth's Reed Warbler close to the village. We were pleased to encounter a Beach Marten near Budy Bridge, a first for me and Gareth. Quite close to the village we then heard fragments of song not immediately familar. We stopped and listened and it soon became apparent that we were listening to a singing Blyth's Reed Warbler. Unbelievable!! It was far slower than say Marsh or Icterine, but showed a few distinctive phrases and an impressive reportoire of mimicry including Goldfinch, Swallow, Blackbird & even Rustic Bunting (according to Dan) to name a few. Recording here: http://www.xeno-canto.org/321066
Day 4: Wednesday 01/06
Siemianowka Reservoir, a short way to the north, was our main focus for the day. After a gloomy start the weather gradually cleared as we neared the reservoir. Another Lesser Spotted Eagle, Red Backed Shrikes & Blue-Headed Wagtail were enjoyed en route.
An initial look near the SE end of the reservoir revealed my first Whiskered Tern, a booming Bittern, several Blue-Headed Wagtails, Black Terns and an Edible Frog!
A short drive away was a wooden look out tower overlooking the marshy eastern end. This was a particularly good area where we were able to enjoy a nice range of birds including White-Winged, Whiskered & Black Terns, lots of Great White Egrets, Garganey, several Marsh Harriers, Marsh Warbler, calling Penduline Tit, a couple of flyover Cranes, Common Rosefinch & several Redshank.
Also here was one of the highlights of the trip with several stunning Sand Lizards sunning themselves on some rocks. An unepected treat! Several butterflies here included Sooty & Small Copper, Painted Lady and Common Blue.
A drive round to the north shore followed. A quick stop at the dam revealed nothing other than a nice Great Grey Shrike. Further on, near to the north shore, Dan got us onto our first White Tailed Eagle, an adult high up above the car. Some nearby fishponds produced the first Caspian & Common Gulls of the trip, as well as lots of nesting Sand Martins, point blank views of Black Terns and another calling Penduline Tit.
The waterworks towards the NE corner is often apparently a good place for Citrine Wagtail, however we drew a blank here and headed further down the track until we reached a railway line. Here we stopped for a bit of a look. Gareth soon drew our attention to a bird singing from nearby willows and scrub and suggested it sounded interesting. I couldn't hear it that well but the initial scratchy, hyper notes I could hear lead me to say it was probably 'just an Icterine'. Gareth insisted we'd better get a bit closer for a listen as he felt it sounded a bit Blyth's Reedy. I'm glad he did as having a far better listen suggested that's exactly what it was...another darn Blyth's Reed Warbler, incredible! After a bit of effort, we were able to gain some views and it was nice to pick out some key ID features including short primary projection and grey/brown upperparts. Some very useful birding education and what a find! Recording here: http://www.xeno-canto.org/321064
After that excitement there were also some nice butterflies on the adjacent bank and along the track including a stunning Black-Venied White, False Heath Fritillary and a couple of flyby Swallowtails. The marshes here were also groaning with all 3 Marsh Tern species as well as some genuine Greylag Geese and another brief White Tailed Eagle.
Citrine Wagtail was very much next and was something we'd all been looking forward to, so fingers crossed we'd be in luck! We drove back past the waterworks towards the north shore, with Dan spying a flyby Hoopoe on the way.
The marsh in front of us had quite a number of stunning White-Winged Black Terns, as well as breeding Redshank and Snipe. Whinchat, Marsh Harrier and Blue-Headed Wagtail were also initially seen and we also had slightly better views of 2-3 White Tailed Eagle, including two on the deck.
We began marching out towards the Citrine site, carefully giving the hive of breeding activity a wide berth. We were pleased to gain some initial views of at least 2 Citrine Wagtails, if very distant, as they perched up on reeds or twigs. We were keen to see them better than this and so headed on. Gareth found a lovely European Fire-Bellied Toad on the way and showed us it's incredibly marked belly...very cool!
The terrain wasn't too bad, however soon reached a point where it was time to don the blue peter style bin bags over boots look! This worked well for a bit but not for long as bog water soon seeped in!
Thankfully we reached a lovely dry area and sat down. Here we were able to sit in a bit of sun and enjoy some lovely views of a couple of Citrine pairs going backwards and forwards to their nests, together with a pair of Blue-heads. Bliss! A Spotted Crake also called several times relatively close by.
After a good half hour, we waded our way back to the car, returning with boots full of lovely bog water...stunning! But you know what...oh so worth it! Before leaving, a Hoopoe appeared on a nearby track thrashing the hell out of something, we think a newt or lizard. A quick try for Ortolan at a known site proved fruitless and so we then headed back to Bialowieza, adding a small group of Black Tailed Godwit to the trip list, foraging in a roadside field.
Near to Bialowieza, we were treated to awesome roadside views of a singing River Warbler right out in the open, not far from Zebra Zubra. Magic!
Before dinner, we had lovely views of a Black Woodpecker flying over our accommodation. Post-dinner, we took one last drive through the forest, for one last stab at Pygmy Owl and mammals. A roding Woodcock and a couple of Red Deer was the best we could muster, concluding the last full day in the magical Bialowieza Forest.
Day 5: Thursday 02/06
The morning was sadly our last bit of time in Bialowieza. We spent our last bit of time exploring Palace Park once again. I wandered off for a better look for White-Backed Woodpeckers while Dan & Gareth headed to another area of the park. I managed to locate presumably the same Middle-Spotted Woodpecker as we'd seen on our first visit here, eventually locating where it was nesting too.
All the usual suspects were to be found around the park with vocal Great Reed Warblers, Common Rosefinch, Collared Flycatchers, Firecrest, Wood Warbler, mega views of a Thrush Nightingale, Hawfinch, Spotted Flycatcher and several Red Squirrel. Meeting up with others after 40 minutes or so revealed that they'd found a Black Woodpecker nest right by the road...result! We headed over and were treated with good views of 2 birds as well as fly by Lesser Spotted Woodpecker. Great stuff!
The others were gagging for some breakfast and couldn't wait any longer, but I hung around another 15 mins in the hope the woodpeckers would return. They didn't sadly, but I did locate the Lesser Spot nest closeby which was pleasing. It was then time for my breakfast too, signalling the end of our time in the forest and the beginning of the next part of our adventure...the marshes!
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