North-west Poland (West Pomerania) and east Germany
10 – 16 June 2018
Sites
Czarnocin
Odra Delta Nature Park
Dąbskie Lake (nr Szczecin)
Woliński National Park
Wolin
Lower Odra Landscape Park
Namyślin (near Kostryń)
Nationalpark Unteres Odertal
Ujście Warty (Mouth of Warta River) National Park
Kaleńsko (tern rafts)
Birds
Greylag Goose Anser anser
Recorded at Odra Delta Nature Park and Ujście Warty. Large moulting population present at latter site, where a number were caught, ringed and neck-collared (yellow with four black letters) on 15th. When flightless they hide in willow scrub to avoid the attentions of the White-tailed Eagles. Re-sightings have been recorded wintering in Italy and France, and breeding birds in the Czec Republic. Mostly quite pink-billed, though apparently they vary and are likely to be intermediate between anser and rubrirostris.
Mute Swan Cygnus olor
Common and widespread
Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus
One at Dąbskie Lake, and one at Szczecin Lagoon.
Egyptian Goose Alopochen aegyptiaca
Pair (or maybe two) at Kaleńsko.
Garganey Spatuala querquedula
At Odra Delta Nature Park, Ujście Warty, and Kaleńsko.
Northern Shoveler Spatula clypeata
At Nationalpark Unteres Odertal.
Gadwall Mareca strepera
Dąbskie Lake and other sites.
Eurasian Wigeon Mareca Penelope
Double figures at Odra Delta Nature Park.
Mallard Anas platyrhynchos
Common and widespread.
Eurasian Teal Anas crecca
At Nationalpark Unteres Odertal.
Common Goldeneye Bucephala clangula
Adult with young at Kaleńsko.
Common Pheasant Phasianus colchicus
Heard at Ujście Warty.
Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficolis
One at Szczecin.
Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus
At Dąbskie Lake, Nationalpark Unteres Odertal, and other sites.
Slavonian Grebe Podiceps auritus
One at Kaleńsko.
Black Stork Ciconia nigra
One at Kaleńsko, and a probable at Ujście Warty (flying away).
White Stork Ciconia ciconia
Widespread, nesting on tower platforms in villages.
White Stork (Niall Corbet)
Eurasian Bittern Botaurus stellaris
Booming birds at Czarnocin and Odra Delta Nature Park.
Grey Heron Ardea cinerea
Common and widespread.
Great Egret Ardea alba
At Nationalpark Unteres Odertal and Ujście Warty.
Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo
Common and widespread.
Osprey Pandion haliaetus
One at Nationalpark Unteres Odertal.
Eurasian Sparrowhawk Accipter nisus
A male took a House Martin near Namyślin.
Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus
Fairly common and widespread.
Montagu’s Harrier Circus pygargus
A lovely male over a cut hay field south of Czarnocin.
Red Kite Milvus milvus
Fairly common and widespread.
Black Kite Milvus migrans
Singles at Odra Delta Nature Park and Nationalpark Unteres Odertal.
White-tailed Eagle Haliaeetus albicilla
Fairly common and widespread, with 30 counted at Dąbskie Lake, near Szczecin.
White-tailed Eagle (Christine Hall)
Common Buzzard Buteo buteo
A few widely scattered records.
Water Rail Rallus aquaticus
One under the ‘Bubo bridge’, Lower Odra.
Corn Crake Crex crex
Heard at Namyślin. Absent at Czarnocin this year, it is thought, due to the dry conditions.
Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus
One at Dąbskie Lake.
Eurasian Coot Fulica atra
Widespread.
Common Crane Grus grus
Fairly widespread, including pairs with young.
Common Cranes (Niall Corbet)
Eurasian Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus
Singles at Ujście Warty and Kaleńsko (pair breeding at latter site).
Northern Lapwing Vanellus vanellus
Fairly widespread.
Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius
Nesting at Ujście Warty and Kaleńsko.
Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata
Heard at Odra Delta Nature Park and Ujście Warty.
Common Snipe Gallinago gallinago
At Odra Delta Nature Park and elsewhere.
Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus
Two at Czarnocin, also recorded at Ujście Warty.
Common Redshank Tringa totanus
A few noted.
Spotted Redshank Tringa erythropus
Flock of 12 at Ujście Warty.
Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus
Common.
Common Gull Larus canus
Present at the river at Wolin.
Herring Gull Larus argentatus argentatus
Present at Szczecin harbour, Wolin and Szczecin Lagoon.
Caspian Gull Larus cachinnans
First-summer birds at Dąbskie Lake and Wolin.
Little Tern Sternula albifrons
Nesting on tern raft at Kaleńsko (feeding young chicks). Feeding chicks on young Pike, Bleak, Perch, Spined Loach, Bitterling, Well’s Catfish, Burbot and White Bream.
Little Tern (Niall Corbet)
Common Tern Sterna hirundo
At Dąbskie Lake and elsewhere. Nesting on tern raft at Kaleńsko.
Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybrida
Two on the river at Szczecin.
Black Tern Chlidonias niger
At Nationalpark Unteres Odertal, Ujście Warty etc. Feeding at ‘Bubo bridge’ marsh, but thought to have been disturbed from nesting by snail fisherman.
Black Tern marsh (Christine Hall)
Feral Pigeon Columba livia
Near Namyślin and probably elsewhere.
Stock Dove Columba oenas
Recorded at Namyślin and Ujście Warty.
Wood Pigeon Columba palumbus
Fairly widespread.
Turtle Dove Streptopelia turtur
Purring birds at Czarnocin.
Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto
Recorded in a few places.
Common Swift Apus apus
Common.
Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis
At Odra Delta Nature Park and the ‘Bubo bridge’, Lower Odra.
Eurasian Hoopoe Upupa epops
Bird singing at Kaleńsko.
Eurasian Wryneck Jynx torquilla
One at Ujście Warty.
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker Dryobates minor
At Odra Delta Nature Park.
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (Christine Hall)
Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major
Fairly common.
European Green Woodpecker Picus viridis
One at Ujście Warty.
Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus
Noted at Lower Odra.
Peregrine Falco peregrinus
One on Szczecin river trip.
Red-backed Shrike Lanius collurio
Common and widespread.
Red-backed Shrike (Christine Hall)
Great Grey Shrike Lanius excubitor
One at Nationalpark Unteres Odertal.
Golden Oriole Oriolus oriolus
Present at Czarnocin, Odra Delta Nature Park, and Namyślin.
Eurasian Jay Garrulus glandarius
Fairly widespread.
Eurasian Magpie Pica pica
Fairly widespread.
Jackdaw Coloeus monedula
Noted at Kostryń.
Carrion Crow Corvus corone
At Czarnocin.
Hooded Crow Corvus cornix
Fairly common and widespread.
Raven Corvus corax
Fairly common and widespread.
Crested Tit Lophophanes cristatus
Recorded at Namyślin.
Marsh Tit Poecile palustris
At Czarnocin.
Willow Tit Poecile montanus
At Czarnocin and Odra Delta Nature Park.
Blue Tit Cyanistes caeruleus
Widespread.
Great Tit Parus major
Widespread.
Bearded Reedling Panurus biarmicus
Family party at Row Peninsula (north Odra Delta Nature Park).
Woodlark Lullula arborea
One at the heathland site near Cedynia.
Skylark Alauda arvensis
Fairly common and widespread.
Sand Martin Riparia riparia
Half a dozen at ‘Bubo bridge’ marsh, lower Odra.
Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
Common and widespread.
House Martin Delichon urbicum
Common and widespread.
Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus caudatus
White-headed birds near Nationalpark Unteres Odertal.
Willow Warbler Phylloscopus trochilus
Fairly common.
Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita
Recorded at a few sites.
Wood Warbler Phylloscopus sibilatrix
Present at Czarnocin and Wolinski Nat Park.
Great Reed Warbler Acrocephalus arundinaceus
Common and widespread, in Phragmites.
Great Reed Warbler (Christine Hall)
Sedge Warbler Acrocephalus schoenobaenus
Fairly common, at wetland sites.
Eurasian Reed Warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus
Common and widespread, in Phragmites.
Marsh Warbler Acrocephalus palustris
Noted near Czarnocin.
Icterine Warbler Hippolais icterina
Fairly widespread, singing in tree tops.
Grasshopper Warbler Locustella naevia
At Odra Delta Nature Park, and Ujście Warty.
Savi’s Warbler Locustella luscinioides
Reeling birds in Phragmites at Odra Delta Nature Park (near observation tower), and Ujście Warty.
Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla
Common and widespread.
Garden Warbler Sylvia borin
One at lower Odra.
Lesser Whitethroat Sylvia curraca
Common.
Common Whitethroat Sylvia communis
Fairly widespread.
Goldcrest Regulus regulus
Noted at Nationalpark Unteres Odertal.
Eurasian Wren Troglodytes troglodytes
Seen at Czarnocin.
Eurasian Nuthatch Sitta europea
Fairly widespread.
Common Starling Sturnus vulgaris
Fairly common.
Common Blackbird Turdus merula
Fairly common.
Fieldfare Turdus pilaris
Busy feeding young at Czarnocin and elsewhere (feeding in open ground and flying into forest).
Song Thrush Turdus philomelos
Recorded at a few sites.
Pied Flycatcher Ficedula hypoleuca
One at Czarnocin.
Spotted Flycatcher Muscicapa striata
Common at Czarnocin.
Bluethroat Luscinia svecica cyanecula
White-spotted male collecting food at Ujście Warty.
Common Nightingale Luscinia megarhynchos
Singing at Czarnocin, and juvenile seen at Odra Delta Nature Park.
Black Redstart Phoenicurus ochruros
Fairly common.
Common Redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus
Common at Czarnocin, and noted elsewhere.
Whinchat Saxicola rubetra
Present at Odra Delta Nature Park and elsewhere.
European Stonechat Saxicola rubicola
At Czarnocin, Odra Delta Nature Park and elsewhere.
House Sparrow Passer domesticus
Common and widespread. Nesting is White Stork nests.
Eurasian Tree Sparrow Passer montanus
Common at Nationalpark Unteres Odertal, Namyślin etc.
Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava flava
‘Blue-headed wagtail’ common and widespread.
Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea
At Namyślin.
White Wagtail Motacilla alba alba
Common and widespread.
Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis
Relatively common.
Tree Pipit Anthus trivialis
Bird singing from a treetop near Nationalpark Unteres Odertal.
Common Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs
Common.
Common Rosefinch Carpodacus erythrinus
Fairly widespread (Czarnocin, Odra Delta Nature Park, Dąbskie Lake, Ujście Warty etc.), usually singing where trees meet open habitat (wetland, reedbed, grassland).
European Greenfinch Chloris chloris
A few scattered records.
Common Linnet Linaria cannabina
A few records (e.g. Czarnocin).
European Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis
A few records (e.g. Czarnocin).
European Serin Serinus serinus
Relatively common at Czarnocin, and noted at other sites (e.g. Nationalpark Unteres Odertal).
Corn Bunting Emberiza calandra
Common and widespread.
Yellowhammer Emberiza citrinella
Common and widespread.
Reed Bunting Emberiza schoeniclus
Relatively widespread.
TOTAL: 130 species
Dutch bird surveyors also reported River Warbler at Odra Delta Nature Park and Red-breasted Flycatcher singing in the wooded beach road at Czarnocin.
Mammals
Eurasian Beaver Castor fiber
Seen at the sluice bridge at the entrance to Odra Delta Nature Park, Lower Odra
Landscape Park, and Kaleńsko.
Eurasian Beaver (Christine Hall)
Red Squirrel Sciurus vulgaris
One or two records.
Water Vole Arvicola terrestris
A large dead vole by the barbeque at the hotel in Namyślin was likely to be a youngster of this species.
Brown Rat Rattus norvegicus
A flattened specimen greeted us in the car park of our hotel in Namyślin.
Brown Hare Lepus europaeus
One or two records.
Bicolored Shrew Crocidura leucodon
One caught by a cat in the hotel garden at Namyślin.
Eurasian Water Shrew Neomys fodiens
Vocal at Odra Delta Nature Park.
Hedgehog sp. Erinaceus sp.
Dead on road. European and Northern White-breasted hedgehogs occur in Poland.
Bat Nyctalus sp.
A Nyctalus bat was climbing up the wall of the hotel at Namyślin.
Red Fox Vulpes vulpes
Seen at Odra Delta Nature Park and on road at night en route to Czarnocin.
Red Fox (Christine Hall)
Racoon Procyon lotor
Introduced. Tame individual in a chicken coop at lower Odra.
American Mink Neovison vison
One at Lower Odra Landscape Park.
American Mink (Christine Hall)
European Pine Marten Martes martes
Dead on road in lower Odra.
Eurasian Badger Meles meles
Dead on road in lower Odra.
Wild Boar Sus scrofa
Common, including sucking young, at Odra Delta Nature Park.
Wild Boar (Niall Corbett)
European Roe Deer Capreolus capreolus
Relatively common and widespread.
Red Deer Cervus elaphus
Relatively common and widespread.
Wolf seen at kill near the entrance to Odra Delta Nature Park at c 05:00 by Dutch bird surveyors.
Reptiles
Slow Worm Anguis fragilis
One at the ‘Bubo bridge’, lower Odra.
Grass Snake Natrix natrix
Seen at Odra Delta Nature Park, and a few flattened on the roads (dark form).
Amphibians
Common Toad Bufo bufo
One at night at the Czarnocin cabins.
Green Frog (marsh, edible or pool?) Pelophylax sp.
Common and vocal during day.
A general lack of boards and other discarded objects lying around made looking for small mammals, reptiles and amphibians, difficult!
Butterflies
Large Chequered Skipper Carterocephalus palaemon
Large Chequered Skipper (Niall Corbet)
Small or Essex Skipper Thymelicus sp.
Small or Essex Skipper (Niall Corbet)
Small Copper Lycaena phlaeas
Common Blue Polyommatus icarus
Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta
White admiral Limenitis camilla
Brimstone Gonepteryx rhamni
Wood White Leptidea sinapis
Large White Pieris brassicae
Green-veined White Pieris napi
Small White Pieris rapae
Marbled White Melanargia galathea
Marbled White (Niall Corbet)
Meadow brown Maniola jurtina
Pearly Heath Coenonympha arcania
Other
Banded Demoiselle Calopteryx splendens
Banded Demoiselle (Niall Corbet)
Juan Brown, Niall Corbet, Sian Haddon Christine Hall, Tabby Lamont, Jonathan Louis, Ian McCall, Stephen Willis.
