Bratislava

The suburbs of Bratislava are nice green leafy areas, and plenty of forest parks. For some it is best avoiding the graffiti laden stag/hen party districts of the city. The legacy from the Soviet days, much in evidence, is crumbling concrete and tenement blocks and a curious UFO style structure above the Nový most (New bridge) over the River Danube. The public transport system is efficient and only costs buttons. Some of the buses and trams are a little old though.

Having experienced Hungary in May last year I went prepared for the insects and sun with my special edition super roll-on tropical insect repellent and factor 50 sun protection cream and sun hat, I wasn’t taking any chances. Having finished my cold breakfast, thinking when is the main course arriving, then forgetting I was in continental breakfast country, I walked towards the UFO bridge and heard and saw lots of swift screaming above and walking the bridge lots of house martins were nesting underneath. It was nice to be looking down on them.

I started at Sad Janka Kráľa named after a Slovak poet. It is also the oldest public park in Europe and is alongside the River Danube. Here I saw nuthatch, blackcap, blackbird, great and blue tit, chaffinch, goldfinch, greenfinch and serin. There were green woodpeckers, great spotted woodpeckers and spotted flycatchers. Interestingly there were carrion crows and hooded crows in the same vicinity, jackdaws and jays too. I arrived there quite early and saw a hare and red squirrels. The best sighting was a red backed shrike on the edge of the park.

Red-backed shrike

Later I walked along the bank of the Danube and didn’t see many birds on the river, with the odd cormorant flying low and black headed gulls and a few yellow legged gulls. In the wooded area I heard first then saw a nightingale, a lovely sound. Also high up in the canopy I saw golden orioles, their song once heard never forgotten. Later there were also some common terns flying over the river. Lots of chaffinches, chiffchaffs, blackbirds, etc.

The second day I tried Horsky Park, about 6 km outside the city. It is just a wonderful park and covering 22 hectares, and just big enough to walk peacefully listening to the birdsong of the usual suspects. I came across wood warblers, a collared flycatcher and golden orioles, as well as the more common song birds.

The third day, Sunday, I tried Bratislava Forest park and so did the population of Bratislava because it was heaving. Runners, cyclists, trekkers, dog walkers, day trippers, barbecue cookers and a bird watcher were trying to make a day of it.  It covers an area of 27.3 km² and 96% is forested and much on a hill.  I went into the quieter tightly packed forest area and didn’t pass many others, and the incline seemed never ending. I disturbed some red deer whilst trying a path that led to nowhere. The temperature was 30+ and I, along with four and twenty blackbirds were being baked. The blackbirds had more than the heat to contend with as goshawks were flying high, in the odd clearing making viewing possible. I arrived at the top and came across the aptly named Altitude restaurant, with a 200m high tower that can be seen from the whole of Bratislava. I came across a middle spotted woodpecker toing and froing from its nest.

Some signs in English

The last day I went left of the new bridge towards Hungary, and after the heavy overnight thunderstorm I had to sidestep lots of puddles. A collared flycatcher was nesting and singing high up looking onto the Danube. What a delightful song they have.  Lots of singing blackcaps and chaffinches, martins and swallows catching insects. I walked quite a distance knowing I couldn’t get lost if I carried on close to the river. I then heard a golden oriole, then a few and saw lots of them flying in between trees, even on the lower branches. They are a wonderful sight. I then flushed a nightingale and the unmistakable brown colouring of the wing, I heard at least 10 singing. I then had a wonderful musical interlude. All at the same time I heard golden oriole, nightingale, blackcap, song thrush and icterine warbler singing. It was la crème de la crème, Sunday night at the London Palladium, front row seats at Carnegie Hall to see Renee and Renato.

Looking onto the Danube

I had an early flight next morning and after another cold breakfast and a lukewarm cappuccino, or was it a latte?  I made my way to the airport and just about managed to squeeze on the 61 bus during another early morning Slovakian rush hour. I was so taken in with the proceedings I forgot to mark my bus ticket in the machine. I was thankful an inspector didn't get on and tell me in a foreign language I owed a 40 euro fine.

Rob

Berlin

I tried a birding few days in Berlin but unfortunately forgot my camera so just had my mobile. After studying  the labyrinth of tunnels of the U-bahn, S-bahn, railways and trams. I worked out a plan from my base near Wittenbergplatz U-bahn.

Must try google translate

First stop was Karow pools and Buch in the north east of the city. Karower Teiche nature reserve is well maintained and there are four reed fringed  ponds with good viewing platforms but not much good when I was there because the ponds were mostly iced over. I did see two great white egrets with mute swan, greylag, coots and mallards. There is good surrounding habitat with scattered bushes and small patches of woodland. The first bird I saw was a “tick” a short toed treecreeper, and checked the guide to make sure it wasn’t the common treecreeper, and there were plenty of them. Saw lots of greenfinch, chaffinch, siskin, yellowhammer, great tits, blue tits, marsh tits and the white headed long tailed tits. Also great spotted woodpeckers, nuthatches, jays and hooded crows. Having read Sean’s blog I checked the goldcrest, but no firecrest. I spent the afternoon at Bucher Forst, with a good number of mature trees and small ponds (iced over). This place will definitely be worth exploring later in the year. Saw much the same here birdwise and lots of drumming in the tall trees. Did see a middle spotted ‘pecker.

Next day was Krummer lanke in the south west of Berlin, here there are lakes, forests and woodland swamps and this place was just made for woodpeckers. The lakes were iced over again and the paths were very slippery, luckily no mishaps. Here I saw the Black woodpecker, middle spotted, lesser spotted and the great spotted, and the usual woodland birds I had seen the day before. There were about 40 mandarins in a stream that was flowing, always a nice sight. The afternoon I walked to Gunewaldsee further up, where I encountered many dog walkers. There were bird feeders here and middle spotted woodpeckers made an appearance in between the barking dogs.

Mandarins on the log

I tried the Tegel region in the North west the following day, next to the business airport. I first went to Flughafensee, there were large forest areas and a large lake, not all iced over. I made my way to the raised platform and hoped to see masses of wildfowl. Not in luck. I spoke with a German birder who told me they had mostly moved north closer to the sea. I was pleased he spoke English! I did see a bittern and cormorants in breeding plumage. My new German friend told me I was better going to Tegelersee. A couple of stops further on. I then had a long walk through the forest, and hoped it was worth it as the paths were getting muddy as the ice was melting slowly. I managed to see some wildfowl at last. Tufties, goldeneye, mallard and goosanders were about it. Oh, and hundreds of coots. I was amused to see a “sounder” of wild boar. I made my way back with sore legs and neck after looking up to see what ‘peckers were drumming. I counted at least 50, all great spotted, when I could spot them. I was hoping to see crested tits in the tall pine trees but not today.

My last morning I spent in the Tiergarten near Brandenburg, and arrived later than planned as I misread the map and travelled on the U-bahn rather than the S-bahn. When I did get there I was pleased because I recognised the wide roads and the Siegessäule victory statue from 20 years earlier when I ran the Berlin marathon. In the park there were plenty of finches, blackbirds and members of the tit family, great spotted (of course) and nuthatches. Also saw a red squirrel. The best, the last I saw and  a “tick” was a goshawk, that breed in the Tiergarten,  a wonderful bird, perched high up in the trees and calling. It must be the breeding season.

Not taken on my mobile!

I made my way back to the airport early, not wanting to take the wrong train again.

Vilnius

I arrived early morning at Liverpool John Lennon airport to be greeted by an apprentice airport announcer who perhaps needs to work on his pronunciation a bit. I guess it wouldn’t be too much of a problem with Vilnius. The flight was about half an hour late and we were spared the fanfare that usually sounds when a Ryanair plane lands boasting of their 90%+ flights that do arrive on time. I checked in at my hotel and the girl at the desk looked a bit worried when I told her who I was after an earlier error with the booking, but no problems.

I managed a 3 hour bird watching stint before dusk. The temperature was about -6 and the main paths were mainly clear but some of the minor ones were like toboggan runs.   I went to Vingis park, alongside the River Neris that runs through Vilnius. Here I saw great spotted woodpecker, nuthatch, marsh, great, blue and long tailed tits. Also goldcrest, siskin and greenfinch. The corvids were plentiful with hooded crows, rooks and jackdaws about. The park covers over 400 acres and inside is a huge amphitheatre, and masses of tall trees. There was lots of floating chunks of ice flowing with the river current, and managed to see goosanders, goldeneyes and mallards. One drake goldeneye was displaying in that cold water, but the white eyed female wasn’t interested.

At breakfast next day I was greeted by a bored looking and unsmiling breakfast waitress. Breakfast was, well, not an English one. Later I went to Kaunas, about 90 kilometres west of Vilnius, and was thrilled to see two black redstarts from the train window, without binoculars, just as we were pulling out of a station. These trains were NOT HS2 or equivalent. I only did a couple of hours birding, but did see 6 species of corvid, siskin, hawfinch, greenfinch and lots of bullfinch. Also great and blue tits in masses, great spotted woodpeckers drumming away and the lighter coloured nuthatches. I spent the afternoon at Kaunas market and the whole town and surrounding areas must have turned up because there were thousands there. There were rows of markets, four a breast stretching for over a mile down the main street. There was dancing, singing and plenty of ale flowing. I enjoyed a Lithuanian version of the birdie song. I spotted a painting of a tern and fell in love with it, and at 65 litas, about sixteen pounds, I thought was a bargain. I was faced with a dilemma of how to get past Ryanair’s weight restriction on the flight home.

At breakfast next day a guest at the hotel decided to fill up his flask from the coffee dispenser, which judging from the face of miserable Miriam I don’t think was allowed. I didn’t know the Lithuanian translation to tell him the coffee was cold anyway. I went into Vilnius for a morning's birding and the overnight temperature had plummeted to about -10 and with a wind chill factor of -20, it was cold, cold and cold. I had trouble staying on my feet and felt a bit like Emile Heskey in a derby match. I saw much of the woodland birds of the first day, and again saw lots of bullfinches and right in the centre of Vilnius. The highlight was a lesser spotted woodpecker.

On the last day my flight was at midday and had a couple of hours in Vingis Park. In heavy snow I wondered whether I would see anything at all, but it did lighten a little. I was surprised by how quiet it was and the roads were deserted. I saw in the park, marsh, willow, blue, great and, the best of all, crested tits on the feeders. I seem to get the best at the end. I was informed by nervous Nerys as I checked out that it was a day of celebration, when 23 years earlier Lithuania became free from their big brother.

I went back to the airport having solved my weight problem by carrying my binoculars in my multi pocketed coat, with deep pockets. (Some say I have short arms).  I needn’t have worried about the weight because the case wasn’t weighed. I arrived back in Liverpool with the fanfare.

Lublin

They couldn’t have planned this better, flights by Ryanair departing from Liverpool to Dublin and Lublin at the same time. Could have been a problem but luckily I was awake.

Lublin Airport in Poland only opened a few months ago and its terminal is a smallish space age building with plenty of signage in English. The train station is attached to the airport, a great idea I thought until the train started, when it was as comfortable as a Russian train taking prisoners to the Gulag camps.

I took a taxi to my brand new hotel about 7 kms from Lublin. I woke early to singing black redstarts, and had an early breakfast served by the Polish girl who was also the Receptionist, who had served the evening meal. I was beginning to wonder whether she had cooked the food too. I started off my bird watching in the nice suburb of Lublin called Slawin, where there are plenty of new houses being built and new roads. I immediately saw the black redstarts, along with great tits, blue tits, chaffinch, greenfinch, tree sparrows and starlings. I saw the high fences of the Botanical Gardens and in the trees were chiffchaff, Blackcaps, wood warblers and to my delight two spotted flycatchers. After 9 am, when it opened I went into the Gardens, and found out later, through the gardener’s entrance, the sign was in Polish naturally. The gardens have over 600 species of plants throughout the world, but all signage was in Polish and Latin so I was none the wiser, so I just enjoyed them. 

Over 600 species of plants

Here I saw great spotted woodpecker, two Syrian woodpeckers, green woodpecker, nuthatch, short toed treecreeper, lesser whitethroat (which are common in Poland), fieldfare, goldcrest,  coal tits and the star of the show, a pair of pied flycatchers. Swallows were flying high. The Botanical gardens are lovely gardens spoilt a little by being close to a busy main road that was noisy to say the least. In the afternoon I went into the open air museum of the Lublin Village Muzeum Wsi Lubelskiej. I had an interesting conversation with the attendant in the souvenir shop. Her limit of English amounted to Thank you and Hello. I did manage to buy a map and (what I thought was) a fridge magnet. The buildings were from the earlier part of the 20th century but managed to get myself frogmarched out of two them, that were not in the tourist route. An easy mistake to make I thought.  There were plenty of art students painting the log cabins and scenery, but I carried on quickly not wanting to be part of arty Arabella’s dissertation. There were lots of fieldfare in the fields, starlings were mimicking them and singing warblers in the trees. I managed to see a few serin.

Next day I went to Debowka Forest, a bit further out and saw lots of woodland birds and a large bird of prey flew over, and checked later and confident it was a honey buzzard. Later a flock of birds flew high over the treetops and thought they were waxwing and later confirmed when they were fluttering about in the high branches. There were about 50 of them and I had great views. As well as the warblers I had seen the day before there were willow warblers  singing. I also saw two hawfinches and a lovely bright yellow looking crossbill feeding in pine trees  on the road leading to the Forest. It took a while to catch a glimpse. I knew they were there because they were calling.

Debowka forest

 I had a day off, sightseeing, on Thursday but saw rooks and jackdaws on the grass verges and lesser whitethroats in the bushes and on Friday before my evening flight, I went to Gorki Czechowskie and some open country land alongside. There was little in the forest and it seemed to be made out for off road bikers, not the place to attract birds, the open land was more interesting. I started off and immediately saw a common redstart showing really well. I came across my sixth warbler in Poland, whitethroat, lots of them. There were some buzzards flying over and saw more warblers; blackcaps, willows, chiffchaffs. There were many magpies and they don’t appear to be as bold as those in the UK. I had my telescope with me and was delighted to see about ten whinchats, all singing on their perches in the long grass. Also saw a female stonechat chasing off its male cousin. On the way back with some serious sunburn on my arms I flushed a grey partridge.

Whinchat

I discovered the entrance to the Botanical gardens and then realised you had to pay to get in. i deprived the University of 12 Zloty from my earlier visits , and I did notice I got a funny look from the attendant when leaving the day before when on a brief visit, or it could just have been my sunburnt arms standing out. (I will plead not guilty and cite Noel Coward). No new birds but I did try to seek out what shelter I could in the strong hot sun. I had a long look at the male syrian woodpecker drumming.

I ordered a taxi and the driver didn’t speak a word of English. I had to get multitasking Muriel to help me out, and hoped the translation didn’t take me to the wrong airport. After driving through heavy traffic I arrived well in time and managed to convince the Polish Customs I was on a bird watching holiday and not a spy when they discovered a telescope and binoculars in my hand luggage.