Poland

This has now become annual.  Visits to Poland are always rewarding, the countryside that in the most-part remains wild, with pine and deciduous forests that spread far and wide.  There is so much wildlife here.

The destination was the small village of Marózek, around 20km from the nearest town of Olstynek.  It is a lovely place, set within a pine forest on one side and a freshwater lake on the other.

The forest was alive with birds.  Fieldfare were in display mode, a common bird here.  

A total of three Goshawk were seen on this trip, this one cruised high over the woodland.  The sighting in the Ilawa Forest about an hour away was spectacular - a rampant male that burst through the trees in pursuit of a Red Squirrel.

These House Martin were nesting around the village.  Small groups collected mud around the puddles formed after the heavy rains on Saturday.  Swallow and Swift were also present here.

A woodland walk around 5km up the road yielded a couple of male Red-backed Shrike, one of which was in full song.

It was great to just sit and listen to the birdsong.  Common Redstart were in good supply and their song could be heard throughout the woodland with a couple seen perching on telegraph wires.

They were in the good company of Wood Warbler, Tree Pipit, Serin, Chaffinch and Black Redstart.  The latter were breeders in the house garden.

The rich flutey tones of Golden Oriole were heard on a few occasions.  A Cuckoo added soft accompaniment from the woodland beyond the lake with one seen floating over the house.

Tree Sparrow were present in the village.

Lesser Whitethroat were garden birds.  This one was rattling its lungs out.

With a Pied Flycatcher seen in the Ilawa Forest, this Spotted Flycatcher bred close to the house as it darted around in its successful pursuit of insects.

There wasn't much activity on the lake.  Around a dozen Great Crested Grebe were present, a couple of female Goosander seen along the lake edge, and this female Goldeneye tending to her young family.

A really nice surprise to see this confiding Hedgehog that appeared at dusk plodding lazily across a woodland track close to the house.

The views across the lake were magical.  Within the reeds around three male Great Reed Warbler cronked and croaked their bizarre call, at times sitting up in the overhanging willows.

There was little raptor activity during the time here.  A sub-adult White-tailed Eagle was seen distantly fishing on the far side of the lake before heading off toward the woodland.

Two Lesser Spotted Eagle were soaring around the local area, one being harrassed by a Hobby.

A surprise sighting was a female Montagu's Harrier that cruised low over the lake toward the forest late one evening.