Poland 6: Rewa

Rewa is a small beach-resort outside Gdynia, very popular among windsurfers and kiters. But behind Rewa there is a large wetland area with channels and reed beds. A great spot for watching birds and amphibians.

Female Marsh Harrier (Cirkus aeruginosus) - sivhauk hunn

Gadwalls (Anas strepera) - snadderender

Common Cranes (Grus grus) migrating over Rewa - traner

Pool Frog (Pelophylax lessonae) - damfrosk

Moor Frog (Rana arvalis) - spissnutefrosk

Moor Frog (Rana arvalis) - spissnutefrosk

Moor Frog (Rana arvalis) - spissnutefrosk

Common toad (Bufa bufa) - padde

Polen 5: Mouth of river Vistula

The river Vistula is the largest river in Poland, and its mouth forms a huge delta just east of Gdansk. The western branch of the delta holds the bird reserve Ptasi Raj, and the main river leads out to an interesting beach landscape with sandbanks that change with floods and tidal water.

Bearded Tit males (Panurus biarmicus) in morning light at Ptasi Raj - skjeggmeis hanner

Bearded Tit female (Panurus biarmicus) - skjeggmeis hunn

Bearded Tit male (Panurus biarmicus) - skjeggmeis hann

Bearded Tit male (Panurus biarmicus) - skjeggmeis hann

Common Frog (Rana temporaria) - vanlig frosk

Common Toad (Bufo bufo) - padde

A beatiful Gras Snake (Natrix natrix) at the Vistula riverbed - buorm

Gras Snake (Natrix natrix) - buorm

Poland 4: Hel peninsula

The Hel peninsula is a 35 km long branch of the polish baltic coastline, less than 100 meters wide on the narrowest. This is a great lead for migratory birds, and when I visited Hel on April 18th, a large number of birds was migrating. I ended up sitting at the end of the peninsula photographing the birds taking off on the leg over to Gdansk.

Great Tit (Parus major) - kjøttmeis

Cranes (Grus grus) - traner

Eurasian Jay (Garrulus glandarius) - nøtteskrike

Woodlark (Lullula arborea) - trelerke

Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major) - flaggspett

Brambling (Fringilla montifringilla) - bjørkefink

Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) - stær

Sparrowhawk male (Accipiter nisus) - spurvehauk hann

Sparrowhawk female (Accipiter nisus) - spurvehauk hunn

Hobby (Falco subbuteo) - lerkefalk

Rough-legged Buzzard (Buteo lagopus) - fjellvåk

Rough-legged Buzzard (Buteo lagopus) - fjellvåk

Long-tailed Duck (Clangula hyemalis) - havelle

Poland 3: Gdansk

My favorite spot to photograph birds in Gdansk is the park in Oliwa. It holds a lot of birds and squirrels, and they are used to people and not very shy. Here are a few pictures from my last two visits.

Wood pigeon (Columbia palumbus) - ringdue

Firecrest (Regulus ignicapilla) - rødtoppfuglekonge 

Nuthatch (Sitta europaea) - spettmeis

Red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) - ekorn

Poland 2: Biebrza marshes

Most of the Biebrza marshes was still covered with ice in mid-april, and wintering birds were still present in large numbers. Elk and deer are used to winterly conditions, but the migratory birds seemed less happy with snow and ice.

Biebrza 

Biebrza is one of the few places on the European
continent where we can find Elk (Alces alces)  - elg

Roe Deer (Capreolus capreolus) - rådyr

White-fronted Geese (Anser albifrons) were still present in large numbers - tundragås

Long-tailed Tit (Aegithalos caudatus) - stjertmeis

Eurasian Jay (Garrulus glandarius) - nøtteskrike

Male Marsh Harrier (Cirkus aeruginosus) searching for food in ice-covered reed beds - sivhauk hann

White Wagtail (Motacilla alba) on the ice - linerle

Lesser Ringed Plower (Charadrius dubius) - dverglo

The Stork (Ciconia ciconia) seemed a bit depressed over the snow-covered fields - stork

Not much to eat here

Poland 1: Cold bisons in Białowieza

Not much sign of spring in Białowieza in April. But the bisons did not seem to bother to much.

Sidensvans på fluefangst

I slutten av mars kom jeg over et merkelig fenomen; en flokk sidensvans som jaget vårens første fluer over et snødekket påskelandskap på Hadselsand i Lofoten.