Bialystok trip

An evening flight into Warsaw, arriving in the early hours of the morning, suggested it would be best to check into a hotel close to the airport. I just missed the night bus, so I decided to walk to my hotel, which only took about 15 minutes. After a hearty breakfast, I caught the 175 bus to the centre of Warsaw. Having been in the Capital before I know how easy it is to lose your bearings. From the centre I had to take the underground to the Bus station for my coach. After a bit of help from some Varsovians I eventually arrived and tried to board the coach. This can be best described as a scrum in a rugby union match as I vied with Polish passengers to get the best seats.

Common redstart

I arrived in Bialystok on time, and was immediately struck by how clean and modern the city is, litter is almost non-existent and no chewing gum stuck to the pavement. It was quite hot and I found my way to the Villa Pastel. After checking in I quickly found one of the many parks, and was quickly onto an icterine warbler, redstart, hawfinch and middle spotted woodpecker. The centre of the park contained a zoo, and although it was interesting to see wolves and owls in their pens, I was more interested in the wildlife in the park. Later I found a wooded area, and saw a few people walking in park with football shirts. I was later to discover that Bialystok were playing Lechia Gdansk in Poland’s top division. Nothing particularly of note in the park, apart from many great spotted woodpeckers and wood warblers. I didn’t want to hang around because I had forgotten to put my anti insect repellent in the bag. After a few bites I made my way back to the guest house for an evening meal. I heard the football chants from the winning team; Jagiellonia Białystok, that were the same as in England, just the words were different, but I heard no-one singing “give us a J”.

The next day I woke early and had a pre breakfast walk in the park and was pleased to see marsh, willow and crested tits, as well as hawfinch, serin, redstart, black redstart and pied flycatcher. Golden orioles were heard but not seen. After a good breakfast it was nice to hear some modern Polish music in the background. I decided to discover the area by foot and saw an interesting area called Stawy Dojlidzkie. It was mixed habitat of marsh, reedbed, forest and open grassland as well as many ponds. Part of the bigger lake was fenced off for watersports, but finding my way round to the other side there were a few paths that led to the reedbeds. There were many warblers; marsh, sedge, reed and great reed. Reed buntings, female bearded tit, tree sparrows and starlings. Making my way round I was made aware that I was not welcome by the hundreds of noisy black headed gulls that were constantly screaming at me to go. On the lake there were a few mallards and coots, with some great crested grebes on nests. Later some marsh terns were flying acrobatically as they do, whiskered and black terns, also many martins and swifts. I saw marsh harriers and buzzards, and one sparrowhawk. There was a small island in the lake with a wooden bridge and a boardwalk around the perimeter. There was a white stork there that flew before my camera was ready.

Common buzzard

After there I went into the wooded area and saw lots and lots of wood warblers. I have never seen so many. I heard golden orioles but again failed to see them. Also willow warblers, blackcap and chiffchaff, song thrush, fieldfare and many blackbirds. I made my way back to the centre, exhausted by the walking and decided it would be better to catch the bus next time. My trouble with bus tickets in Polish cities continued as there were no ticket machines and you either bought them in the kiosks and shops or by mobile, not an option for me on my network. Few of the older people spoke English, least of all the kiosk assistants, I tried to write down what I wanted to no avail. I did buy some tickets but I had no idea whether they were the right ones.

One of many wood warblers

The next day I caught the 16 bus, hoping no ticket inspector boarded. My google maps told me 12 stops but in actual fact it was 15 stops, and I had to walk quite a distance to get to Antoniuk Nature reserve, a large wooded area. Here I immediately saw mistle thrush and bullfinch as well as the many, many wood warblers. It was quite an experience listening to them singing and calling. I heard also garden warbler, but didn’t see one. Golden orioles were about but impossible to see. Here I saw a lifer in a Pallas’s warbler, goldcrest size and very pale and striking yellow supercilium. I saw goldcrest and also delighted to see a firecrest. Honey buzzard and common buzzards were about also high up. It had been only a moderate birding day but still delightful to see a black woodpecker in flight.

Going back was easier as I found the correct bus stop that I should have alighted earlier. I was still wary of Inspectors on the bus but fortune was on my side again. Later at the hotel I had a security alert on the security software on my tablet, warning of someone tracking me the unsecure network, I immediate disabled the wi-fi. Later I tried to log in and it would not connect. In trying to reconnect I inadvertently locked the tablet. The only way I could unlock the tablet was to send an email, but as I couldn’t connect I couldn’t send an email, basically I couldn’t use the tablet until I arrived home. This wasn’t good because I hadn’t decided where to go the next day.

Common rosefinch

After a good breakfast with the now boring music playing in the background, on what must be a loop. I came up with the idea to go back to where I went the first day but tried a different area. It was a good decision because I saw some wonderful birds, including whopper swans with cygnets, red necked grebes, great white egret, common tern, and my favourite white winged black terns. Above there were many buzzards, pair of honey buzzards, white tailed eagle, kestrel and marsh harriers. Smaller birds included male rosefinches, whitethroat and all the other warblers from the earlier visit. I was also fortunate enough to see two thrush nightingales. A fabulous song that can be heard from quite a distance. There was a bittern booming but not seen. The weather was now beginning to get hot and my sunscreen and insect repellent was doused on my face and arms in equal measure.

My last day did not exactly go to plan. I had noticed the roadworks when travelling from Warsaw to Bialystok and the queuing traffic. I had thought about getting an earlier coach but I was hampered by my lack of tablet, as they can only be bought online, and my experience of Polish bus drivers is that they don’t speak any English. I decided to get the train, and after purchasing the ticket at the train station the assistant told me, travel to Malinniki, and then transfer to a replacement bus to Warsaw. I arrived in Warsaw more or less on time but I had no idea where the bus stop was for the airport. After a while I spotted the 175, but in the opposite direction. The route is different for getting to the airport, so I cursed my luck. Eventually I found my stop in the heat and with temperatures getting over 30 degrees, with carrying my case, it was uncomfortable to say the least.

Red necked grebe

I was at the airport in next to no time and luckily the flight left on time, and back to Liverpool. It was immediately noticeable the litter that was strewn across the roads and verges. Bialystok was as clean as you could wish to see.

Trip to Szczecin, via Berlin

I took another trip to Poland, this time on the German border in the city of Szczecin, or the German name of Stettin. It appeared quite different than other cities in Poland I have visited, but interesting. There was much German influence in the City. I flew to Berlin Schonefelde Airport, took a train journey on the S Bahn to Berlin Zentraler Omnibusbahnhof, thankfully shortened to ZOB and took a coach from there to Poland, some 150 kilometres.

I found my Noclegi, Polish for accommodation, but sounds more like a protest march. I didn’t realise until I arrived that it was a hostel. It was in a former life a grand hotel converted. It was in fact far better than some supposed hotels I have stayed in in the past, and I was pleased with my stay there. After a good night’s sleep and an early start, I continued my love hate relationship with the Polish public transport ticketing system. Having thought I had finally mastered how the system works, Szczecin Transport threw me in confusion again. The first thing I learned was the ticket machines are not touch screen, only work with mobile phones, and not in English. My first day, Sunday, no kiosks were open to buy tickets, drivers don’t take money as you enter a bus until after 6 pm, so I decided to discover some of the parks by foot. Luckily they were not too far away, I started out about 8 am and found in the tall trees, chaffinches, greenfinch, fieldfare, blackbirds, starlings, house sparrows, treecreepers and many nuthatch, gs woodpeckers, great and blue tit. Always a pleasure to see one of my favourites, hawfinches and it wasn’t even 9 am.

Fieldfare taking a bath

I stumbled across a nature reserve and although you could hear the buzz from the city, it was still pleasant and peaceful. I saw many more treecreepers, also goldcrest, middle spotted woodpeckers, jays, siskin, marsh tit, long tailed tit. Later it turned out to be a good raptor day, because as well as common buzzard I came across at least 6 rough legged buzzards, goshawk and red kite. Common cranes also are delightful to see, and to hear their calls. I eventually found my way to a place called Arkonska, and it seemed half the population of Szczecin was enjoying the afternoon sunshine. Having been on my feet all day I made my way back, but was moving as slow as a Liverpool full back.

The next day I bought my tram tickets from a nearby kiosk, I had anticipated the assistant at the kiosk couldn’t speak English so I wrote down “two one hour tram tickets” on a scrap of paper. Either she couldn’t understand my writing or I had clicked on Portuguese instead of Polish on my google translator. Eventually I managed to purchase the right tickets. I got on the No. 1 tram heading for Glebokie and Polish ticket inspectors were already looking at everyone’s tickets. It was after all Monday morning rush hour and the trams and roads were very busy. I made it to the tram terminus and entered the park and it was delightful. Immediately seeing the usual woodland birds, there was not a lot on the very still lake. A few mallard, great crested grebes and two goldeneyes, looking up there were a few migrating greylags flying in their v formation. I came across a grassy area, seeing skylark and yellowhammer and tree sparrow. I heard then managed to locate a green woodpecker.

Male tree sparrow

Further into the forest the trees taller with many pines. Crested tits and willow tits were spotted. I then heard and saw two black woodpeckers, what fantastic birds they are. Many ravens were displaying and then I saw a lifer, a black kite, more rough legged buzzards, common buzzards and sparrowhawks. I made my way back to the no. 1 tram, pleased with my day’s efforts.

I tried the opposite direction, south east of Szczecin, taking the 87 bus and then the 61 to Park Lesny Zdroje, which took just short of an hour. My bus ticket only gave me an hour, and I was in the limit, just. I made my way to the park, which meant walking under the underpass of a motorway, and was very noisy and I couldn’t wait to get into the more peaceful forest. Many trees had been felled and it was not as productive as I might have hoped. I did see some good birds though, with Hawfinch, bullfinch, black and green and great spotted woodpeckers, as well as the usual woodland birds. There were seven species of tit in the forest. There were many buzzards calling here. More common cranes here too.

Making my way back towards the bus stop I decided to walk over the bridge and look at the Odra river, which runs through Szczecin. Not much at all, I could see some cormorants, heron, tufted ducks, teals and mute swans. I underestimated the distance to the next bus stop and two buses passed had me cursing like a Polish truck driver. I found the bus stop and flagged the bus driver to stop, and fortunately he did.

Ortolan bunting

My last day in Szczecin I decided to go to Glebokie again, and I took the No.1 tram. As the forest was so big I could take a different route. As per usual I arranged with the staff at the hostel to leave my luggage to pick up later, for my coach at 3.45 pm. I saw the birds I had seen a couple of days earlier, but saw a lesser spotted woodpecker, another of my favourites. This bird seems to me to have character, the way they move and very active. I came across some open farmland and saw skylarks and yellowhammers and with them were Ortolan buntings. There were many of them feeding on the ground.

I made my way back to the tram terminus and saw two mistle thrush, surprised that they were the first I had seen. I arrived at the coach stop and arrived in Berlin ZOB on time and went to Grunnberger Allee, one stop before the airport, for an overnight stay. I had an early walk around a small lake called Schonefelde Seen, not too many birds about, highlight being treecreepers and great crested grebe.

I took the hotel shuttle bus and everything seemed to be running smoothly and I dropped off my luggage at the Check in desk. I was just about to go through the security area when I realised I had a bottle of water, which I couldn’t take through. I took the lid off and went to drink some when oops, I dropped the bottle and water went all over the boarding card and passport, which were in my other hand. Claudia the cleaner moped up after me, recovering and throwing the now half empty offending bottle away, I waited in the long queue fretting that the ink would run on the boarding card. The bar code was scanned, and it took the security guard a few goes for it to be accepted. Going through the scanners it sounded like tubula bells was playing because as walking through I was beeped, and was searched. My coat failed because of a chip in my bank card, my hand luggage failed because of the batteries in the camera. I had to empty everything in the bag, and my pockets of my coat. Germany was not letting me go from their country without some discomfort. My embarrassment was like being an English cricketer in the world cup. I made it back to Manchester airport glad that there were no hold ups.

Polish plugs, pouncers and passengers

I arrived at Gdansk Lech Walesa airport at 12.30 in the morning, my third trip to the city in less than twelve months. I checked in at the hotel just a stone’s throw away from the arrival lounge. I didn’t have the best of starts on Friday. I had forgotten to pack my travel adapter plug, a necessity in getting about. I took a short trip to the departure area at the airport to purchase a new plug, only to discover when I returned to the hotel, I had in fact bought the wrong one, or at least one that doesn’t work in Poland.

I went back to the airport, only to be told by the assistant that as I had opened the packaging I couldn’t exchange it. After negotiating a deal with the manager I ended up exchanging for one that did work, and had to pay the difference.

I made my way to the guest house and immediately looked out of the room window and in the gardens of the adjoining properties were great tits by the dozen, blue tit, robin, blackbirds, jay, two great spotted woodpeckers and two hawfinches. I was starting to feel better after the plug debacle. I ventured over to a wooded area opposite in Jascowa Dolina. After a quiet start, I saw a black woodpecker flying, and in trying to get a better view then was surrounded by a host of birds, including nuthatches, treecreepers, goldcrest, crested, coal and long tailed tits, also great spotted woodpeckers. The usual corvids were flying over, including ravens. Making my way back to the guest house it started to snow heavy.

I woke early next day to see a blanket of snow, and wondered whether the public transport would be affected. I asked the guest house owner and he said “used to snow here, everything keeps running”. I was on a tight schedule to make the bus to the Island called Sobieszewska. I needed to get a bus for two stops, then a tram for 8 stops to catch the 186 bus. Unfortunately I missed it by a couple of minutes, realising not as many buses run on a Saturday. The next bus was an hour and half later. I decided to go for the 112 bus that took me to the island but the other end of where I wanted to be. Looking out on to the Vistula river, I could see long tailed ducks, goldeneyes and goosanders. I heard calling which I didn’t recognise, and using an app on my mobile, discovered it was male long tailed ducks calling. My new travel plug was already having benefits, with my fully charged mobile.

 I saw a raised platform for viewing over a reedbed and pond. I heard bearded tits, but didn’t see them. Walking up towards the tip of the Island, I saw numerous fieldfare, blackbird, bullfinches, greenfinches and siskin. I walked up further towards the Mewia Lacha nature reserve.  I walked up a tall steel tower platform and two Polish birders with telescopes were looking out to the Baltic sea. They only spoke a little English, but they allowed me to look at two waders through a telescope. An oystercatcher and a dunlin, didn’t seem so exciting. I was to learn later though that these two birds made the news in Poland. It is very rare for these waders to be seen there in winter. Further along the spit was more exciting for me, a white tailed eagle sat waiting. I thanked my Polish birder friends. I don’t think I will recognise them again though, they wore balaclavas.

Oystercatcher and dunlin, rare winter visitors to Poland

I then proceeded to walk along the coast line, not that I could see much of the Baltic sand, it was mostly snow. I perhaps underestimated the time it would take to walk towards the other end of the Island. I was stopping occasionally to look to see what was out at sea and to look for amber stones, after discovering about amber being washed up in the coast after my trip to Palanger, Lithuania late last year. I saw a few hundred cormorants flying, common scoters, velvet scoters and more goldeneye and long tailed ducks. There were numerous gulls too. I arrived eventually at the other end of the Island, and the light was already fading. I looked in at the ptasi raj lake and saw immediately one of the most handsome ducks going; smews, with the males being particularly splendid. I caught the 186 bus and arriving back in Gdansk it was snowing again. I was tired now after all my walking exploits on the mixture of snow and sand.

The next day was sunny but colder and it was slippery under foot. I decided to stay fairly local and went to the President Reagana park which is alongside the Baltic sea. I took the bus there although it would have been quicker to walk. Arriving at the park I immediately came across hundreds of siskin feeding from the tops of the tall trees. They were flying from tree to tree and more joined in. I didn’t see a great deal else. There were of course tit flocks, with the highlight being marsh tits. The lake in the park was completely frozen and not a mallard in sight. They had flown to the coast line, further out were long tailed ducks, goldeneyes and gulls. Scoters were further out again. I made my way back to the guest house and on the bus Polish ticket Inspectors (four of them) entered and at least two unfortunates were collared. A Liverpool nightclub bouncer lookalike Inspector took a long time looking at my ticket and asked me something in Polish. I told him I was English and he said “ah British” no doubt ready to add to his commission of ticket non payers and hand me an on the spot fine. Fortunately (for me, not him) he misread my ticket and I was in the time allowed. When I left the bus the Polish ticket pouncers were escorting another poor soul from the bus. I spent a couple of hours at Jascowa Dolina and saw more siskin but not in the numbers as earlier. A middle spotted woodpecker was the highlight. There were at least six buzzards soaring. There was much that I had seen a couple of days earlier with a willow tit calling.

The next day I was back at Sobieszewska and this time I made the 186 bus. It was certainly quieter than on previous visits to the reserve, but when you see, white tailed eagles, smew, long tailed ducks, goosanders, scoters you can’t complain. I saw the usual woodland birds, with many great spotted woodpeckers.

Baltic sea on the left looking towards Mewia lacha nature reserve

My last day was spent at jascowa Dolina again. This was because I had an evening flight and I had to check out of the guest house early. I didn’t want to carry my luggage around, and the guest house owner kindly let me leave my luggage at the reception. Surprisingly it turned out to be the best birding day. Immediately entering the forest I saw a goshawk flying over, it was a fantastic sight. I saw 100+ fieldfare also bullfinch, brambling and more siskin. The buzzards were soaring again and a sparrowhawk spotted later. I located a lesser spotted woodpecker and seven species of tit. The usual woodland birds were seen, and I heard the woodpeckers drumming for the first time. I had read somewhere it is usually the end of January they start, and it was 3rd Feb, so bang on cue. I must have read it in one of Gerard’s books.

Nature reserve off Jascowa Dolina

I made my way back to the guest house and thanked the owner for his hospitality and he suggested I must come again. He certainly was very welcoming and helpful. I made my way to the airport and everything was on time, but arriving in Liverpool, we were kept waiting with the seat belt lights still showing much longer than usual after the plane had come to a halt. The front cabin door opened with the seatbelt signs still showing and two police officers entered the plane and escorted off a passenger. Everyone was guessing what had happened, although I expect the Poles had a better idea because they outnumbered the Brits by 50 to 1, and the escorted passenger was Polish. Then the mad scramble off the plane into the Border control passport area.

Rob