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.