Poland West (lower Warta area) 1 - 9 June 2007 | ||
Birding trip report John van der Woude http://johnbirding.wolweb.nl | ||
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This was our third trip to
this wonderful area of wetlands, old meadows, woods and forests,
but now in a slightly later period, which we did not regret at all.
Species like Rosefinch and Barred Warbler were easier to find
than in the earlier periods. We drove here in our own car and stayed
at a simple cottage of Dutch friends, near Lubniewice which is in the
Southeast of the area, with good shops and restaurants (and this year
a few Bee-eaters in the sandpit E of the village). The weather was
fine except for a few showers, and I think that
especially the humid warm air kept many birds singing also later in
the day. See also the earlier reports on this same website. |
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Map of the area. Visit Google Maps for zooming in. Numbers refer to sites of photos below. Good regional tourist maps 1:100.000 are for sale in the bigger towns. German-Polish border left (= Oder river). Warta river flows into the Oder at Kostrzyn. Drawienski NP is 60 km NE of Gorzow (buy a map of the NP at the office in Glusko, 3 km into the park from road 22). |
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White-winged Tern, one of a few hundred, N of Slonsk (1 on map above). To get here, turn into Slonsk at GPS413 and turn right at GPS414. (See GPS locations at the bottom of this report.) Also Little Ringed Plover. |
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One of several families of Crane seen in the area. |
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A fine botanical reserve at Owczary (at 2 on map above) on the dry hill slope bordering the Oder valley. oriole, Good riverine forest in the distance along the Oder, with River Warbler at the floodplain edge of the forest. Drive the good track from Owczary all the way to the river. |
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This narrow canal at 3 had several Barred Warblers. Best to enter the track from road 22 (Slonsk-Kostrzyn) at about the sign '22' on map above. Photo is at GPS410. Also River Warbler, Turtle Dove, Red-backed Shrike, Great Reed Warbler. |
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Good forest just W of Lemierzyce, at 4 on map above. Black and Middle-spotted Woodpecker, with Rosefinch in the wetland below. To get here, leave road 22 at GPS412 to Lemierzyce (this is the most western exit of the two to Lemierzyce) and turn left immediately on a dead-end (old) road, then turn right into a forest track and park after about 100 m (at GPS411), and walk a bit onwards down the hill slope. Below, both the track to the left and to the right are good. |
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The famous old concrete road into the national park N of Slonsk. To get here, turn into Slonsk at GPS413, turn right at GPS415 and park at GPS416. Not easy to find without these or other directions, so take your time. |
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Further along the concrete track. White-tailed Eagle flew up here. Black Stork in the air. Little Tern, and all three black terns. |
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Drawienski NP 60 km NE of Gorzow, at the 'Karolinka' bridge across the sandy Plociczna creek, at 2 km ENE of Glusko, amidst alder forest. Just left of the photo was an apparently territorial Green Sandpiper. The main river in the park is the Drawa, along the western edge, and there we had Grey Wagtail, Kingfisher (at a nest) and Goldeneye with young. |
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Just an ordinary roadside spot (at 5 on map above; GPS417) but very good: Lesser Spotted Eagle, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (family), Golden Oriole. Red-backed Shrike, Great Reed Warbler, Hawfinch, Crane. Hoopoe and Great Grey Shrike (parent with young) a bit further West. |
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The excellent dike at 6 on map above, just NE of the hamlet Kolczyn, and at GPS418. The two photos below are views N and S of this spot. Little Crake (well heard), Great Reed Warbler, Bittern, Rosefinch, Black Stork, River Warbler, Garganey, Penduline Tit, etc. |
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See at photo above. Crake heard. |
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See at photo above. |
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Nature reserve in the big bend of the Warta river at 7 on map above. To get here leave road 3 at GPS422 to Borek, then turn right at GPS421, and this photo is taken from the small dike at GPS420. |
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See at photo above. This reserve has large natural meadows and interesting shrub areas. Also wooded creeks/old river branches in the Eastern part but we could not drive there. Cycling or a long walk would be best. |
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The track along the Western edge of the reserve (see at photos above). Wryneck, Penduline Tit and several River Warblers here. Marsh Warbler abundant. |
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GPS Waypoints (in
WGS84) GPS410 N52°32'16,80" E014°43'25,13" GPS411 N52°33'45,42" E014°52'53,08" GPS412 N52°33'42,39" E014°53'15,62" GPS413 N52°33'42,37" E014°48'09,81" GPS414 N52°34'33,30" E014°47'32,75" GPS415 N52°34'34,74" E014°47'17,11" GPS416 N52°35'04,39" E014°46'28,35" GPS417 N52°37'32,90" E015°09'02,54" GPS418 N52°37'43,36" E015°07'50,66" GPS420 N52°42'20,45" E015°23'14,96" GPS421 N52°41'45,88" E015°22'46,48" GPS422 N52°39'19,21" E015°22'12,05" |
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Species list Great Crested Grebe Cormorant Bittern Great White Egret Grey Heron Black Stork White Stork Mute Swan Greylag Goose Shelduck Gadwall Teal Mallard Garganey Shoveler Pochard Goldeneye Goosander Black Kite Red Kite White-tailed Eagle Marsh Harrier Sparrowhawk Buzzard Lesser Spotted Eagle Kestrel Quail Pheasant Water Rail Little Crake Corn Crake Moorhen Coot Crane Oystercatcher Little Ringed Plover Lapwing Snipe Woodcock Redshank Green Sandpiper Wood Sandpiper Black-headed Gull Mediterranean Gull Common Tern Little Tern |
Whiskered Tern Black Tern White-winged Black Tern Stock dove Wood Pigeon Collared Dove Turtle Dove Cuckoo Nightjar Swift Kingfisher Bee-eater Hoopoe Wryneck Green Woodpecker Black Woodpecker Great Spotted Woodpecker Middle Spotted Woodpecker Lesser Spotted Woodpecker Wood Lark Sky Lark Sand Martin Barn Swallow House Martin Tree Pipit Yellow Wagtail Grey Wagtail White Wagtail Wren Robin Thrush Nightingale Black Redstart Redstart Whinchat Stonechat Blackbird Fieldfare Song Thrush Mistle Thrush Grasshopper Warbler River Warbler Savi's Warbler Sedge Warbler Marsh Warbler Reed Warbler |
Great Reed Warbler Icterine Warbler Barred Warbler Lesser Whitethroat Whitethroat Garden Warbler Blackcap Wood Warbler Chiffchaff Willow Warbler Firecrest Spotted Flycatcher Long-tailed Tit Marsh Tit Willow Tit Crested Tit Coal Tit Blue Tit Great Tit Nuthatch Short-toed Treecreeper Penduline Tit Golden Oriole Red-backed Shrike Great Grey Shrike Jay Magpie Jackdaw Hooded Crow Raven Starling House Sparrow Tree Sparrow Chaffinch Serin Greenfinch Goldfinch Linnet Common Rosefinch Bullfinch Hawfinch Yellowhammer Reed Bunting Corn Bunting |