A TRIP TO NORTH EAST POLAND 9 - 16 MAY 2003 Compiled by Bob Doughty, Bozena-Kalejta-Summers and Gordon Simpson All pictures ©Bozena ScotNature 24 Station Square Office 345 Inverness IV1 1LD Scotland Tel: 07718255265 E-mail: [email protected] www.ScotNature.co.uk ©ScotNature CONTENTS PAGE Acknowledgements …………………………………………. 1 Itinerary with selected birds seen…………..…………………. 2 Personal recollections by Bob Doughty…………………..……………….…………..7 Personal recollections by Gordon Simpson.................................................................. 15 Sayings of B. Little……………..…………………………… 17 List of Birds seen ………………………………………….. 18 List of Plants seen …….…………………………………….. 26 List of Algae, Mosses and Fungi seen ………………….……31 List of Mammals, Amphibians, Reptiles, Insects and other animals seen ………………………………………32 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Group wishes to express its very grateful thanks to Bozena Kalejta-Summers for her exceptional organising skills, unfailing good humour in the face of all manner of provocations from the Group and for producing an itinerary of outstanding interest ornithologically, in natural history and Polish history and culture. The Group also wishes to thank the two guides Arek (Bialowieza Forest) and Kasia (Biebrza Marshes) who demonstrated an extraordinary depth of knowledge of every plant and animal that lived in their area. Unfortunately, it is impossible to pictorially demonstrate in this report how Kasia showed how Beavers eat twigs under water but it was unforgettable. No tour of this nature will be a success if the transport is poor, but Tadeusz Toczko was an exceptional driver for whom nothing was too much trouble for any Group member. The Group would like to record their grateful thanks for his driving, care and attention to every detail. Lastly, the management and staff of the guest gouse (Bialowieza) and the Hotel (Goniadz) provided excellent hospitality and comfort. 1 GROUP MEMBERS: Brian Little, Gen Batey, Bill Burlton, Eve Davies, Bob Doughty, Maryan Duckworth, Howard Embleton, Bryan Galloway, David Langford, Geoff Linkleter, Gordon Simpson and Bozena Kalejta-Summers (leader) BIRD OF THE DAY Saturday: Black Woodpecker Sunday: Black Stork Monday: Ruff Tuesday: White-winged Black Tern Wednesday: River Warbler Thursday: Penduline Tit BIRD OF THE WEEK : White Stork _____________________________________________________________ Itinerary with selected birds 09. 05. 03 Day 1 Warsaw to Bialowieza Forest A mixture of utilitarian buildings giving way to long stretches of agricultural land interspersed with small towns and villages. White Storks (Bocian), Hen Harrier, Hooded Crow, Raven. Bialowieza village A pleasant village with old-style buildings and lovely parkland with central ponds. White Stork, Corncrake, Black Redstart, Blackbird, Fieldfare, Songthrush, Great Reed Warbler, Blackcap, Spotted Flycatcher. 10. 05. 03 Day 2 2 Bialowieza Strict Nature Reserve A totally protected area of primeval forest with up to 500 years old trees: majestic old Oak, Scots Pine and Norway Spruce with an understorey of Hornbeam and Small- leaved Lime. Nothing is removed so there is a constant layer of rotting trunks with dense plant life. There are 210 species of lichens and 3 000 species of fungi. Black Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Middle Spotted Woodpecker, Wren, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Blackcap, Wood Warbler, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Red- breasted Flycatcher, Collared Flycatcher, Marsh Tit, Coal Tit, Nuthatch, Golden Oriole, Hawfinch. Afternoon cycle ride around Bialowieza village, Palace Park and to Belarus border Bialowieza Area: a variety of habitat with wet marshland edged by forest and reedbeds edged by scrub. Palace Park: a variety of open-grown trees with Hornbeam, Small-leaved Lime and Aspen. Ride to Belarus border through an open wet marshland and arable land. On the Belarus border, an acidic soil with an overstorey of Scots Pine and patches of Norway Spruce, Birch and Elder. White Stork, Lesser Spotted Eagle, Common Buzzard, Crane, Snipe, Wryneck, White- backed Woodpecker, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Grey-Headed Woodpecker, Redstart, River Warbler, Icterine Warbler, Barred Warbler, Crested Tit, Red-backed Shrike, Raven. An evening walk around the ponds in the Palace Park Two artificial ponds in the Narewka valley with little forested islands and edged by the reedbeds and scrub. Thrush Nightingale, Great Reed Warbler, Redwing. 11. 05. 03 Day 3 Walk to White-backed Woodpecker site outside Bialowieza village (road to Budy) A variety of habitat with wet marshland edged by forest and reedbeds edged by scrub. Corncrake (seen), White-faced Long-tailed Tit (ssp. caudatus), Green Sandpiper, Cuckoo, White-backed Woodpecker, Thrush Nightingale, Whinchat, Redwing, Garden Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Golden Oriole, Great Grey Shrike. The Narewka and Hwozna Rivers in the north eastern part of Bialowieza Forest 3 Coniferous woodland giving way to mixed woodland and then to sedges and marsh vegetation with patches of willow by the Narewka River. Black Stork, Common Buzzard, Lesser Spotted Eagle, Corncrake, Snipe, Green Sandpiper, Cuckoo, Fieldfare, Great Reed Warbler, Garden Warbler, Great Tit, Red- backed Shrike, Raven, Green Finch. Bialowieza Forest from Lesna River valley and Topilo Basen. Scots Pine with protected anthills in Bilberry ground vegetation then into marshy land with willow scrub. Corncrake, Hazel Grouse, Meadow Pipit, Savi’s Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Red-breasted Flycatcher, Pied Flycatcher, Siskin, Hawfinch. Gornianskie Meadow Nature Reserve Marsh land surrounded by meadow and arable land. Whooper Swan, Marsh Harrier, Goshawk, Green Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper, Sky Lark, Carrion Crow. Ladzka Forest around Kapitanszczyzna village Wet area with dead Norway Spruce being killed by the rising water table. Great Spotted Woodpecker, Middle Spotted Woodpecker, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Grey Headed Woodpecker. 12. 05. 03 Day 4 An early and wet morning cycle and walk in search of a bison around the Hajduki and Kasztany area in the Bialowieza Forest Primeval forest of old trees with majestic old Oak, Scots Pine, Norway Spruce and an understorey of Hornbeam and Small-leaved Lime. Cuckoo, Wryneck, Tree Pipit, Robin, Thrush Nightingale, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Lesser Whitethroat, Whitethroat, Garden Warbler, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Spotted Flycatcher, Pied Flycatcher, Golden Oriole, Hawfinch. A water pond on the road between Lapy and Zieciuki on the road to Narwianski National Park A pond surrounded by marshland in an industrial environment next to a garage. White Stork, Ruff, Spotted Redshank, Redshank, Wood Sandpiper, Black-headed Gull. 4 Road from Lapy to Kurowo Natural meadowland with trees. Crane, Lapwing. The headquarters of the Narwianski National Park at Kurowo Very extensive reedbeds with river channels. Marsh Harrier, Montague’s Harrier, Common Buzzard, Crane, Wood Sandpiper, Grasshopper Warbler, Savi’s Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler, Great Reed Warbler, Black-headed Gull, Whiskered Tern, Black Tern, White-winged Black Tern, Garden Warbler, Icterine Warbler, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Jay, Reed Bunting. 13. 05. 03 Day 5 Biebrza Marshes; Hotel Grounds Tree lined hotel estate looking out onto extensive marshes with sparse Willow carr. White Stork, Honey Buzzard, Marsh Harrier, Montagu’s Harrier, Corncrake, Common Tern, Swift, Swallow, House Martin, Yellow Wagtail, Sedge Warbler, Great Reed Warbler, Icterine Warbler, Spotted Flycatcher, Tree Sparrow, Serin, Gold Finch, Linnet. Mscichy to Biebrza River Cattle track to river with meadow land and marsh vegetation of sedges and Sweet Flag. Extensive marshland at the river. Grey Heron, Mute Swan, White-fronted Goose, Greylag Goose, Wigeon, Mallard, Garganey, Black Kite, White-tailed Eagle, Marsh Harrier, Hen Harrier, Montagu’s Harrier, Common Buzzard, Lesser Spotted Eagle, Hobby, Peregrine, Corncrake, Coot, Crane, Lapwing, Ruff, Snipe, Black-tailed Godwit, Whimbrel, Redshank, Green Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper, Little Gull, Black-headed Gull, Whiskered Tern, Black Tern, White-winged Black Tern, Swift, Sky Lark, Sand Martin, Swallow, House Martin, Tree Pipit, Yellow Wagtail, White Wagtail, Bluethroat, Whinchat, Savi’s Warbler, Aquatic Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Red-backed Shrike, Hooded Crow, Reed Bunting. Barwik 5 Track to Tower and Great Snipe lek. Burnt marsh vegetation with blackened tussocks of False Tussock Sedge, Willow and Aspen. Bittern, Grey Heron, White-tailed Eagle, Marsh Harrier, Montagu’s Harrier,Corncrake, Crane, Snipe, Great Snipe, Woodcock, Cuckoo, Meadow Pipit, Thrush Nightingale, Bluethroat, Fieldfare, Grasshopper Warbler, Savi’s Warbler, Icterine Warbler, Chiffchaff, Great Grey Shrike, Yellowhammer, Reed Bunting. 14. 05. 03 Day 6 Brzostowo Unimproved meadow grassland with patches of Clover, Sorrel and Willow. Cormorant, Grey Heron, Black Stork, White Stork, Mute Swan, Greylag Goose, Garganey, Marsh Harrier, Montagu’s Harrier, Hobby, Corncrake, Black-tailed Godwit, Redshank, Marsh Sandpiper, Black-headed Gull, Whiskered Tern, Black Tern, White- winged Black Tern, Sky Lark, Yellow Wagtail, White Wagtail, Sedge Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Whitethroat, Tree Sparrow. Sulin By the River Narew with willow and damp areas and then dry sandy heathland with a few copses of Scots Pine. Thrift and Breckland Mugwort on the heath. Grey Heron, White Stork, Mute Swan, Garganey, Tufted Duck, Marsh Harrier, Kestrel, Hobby, Corncrake, Lapwing, Black-tailed Godwit, Common Sandpiper, Black Tern, Swift, Swallow, House Martin, Yellow Wagtail, Thrush Nightingale, Icterine