Passive bird watching in Lithuania
(Or, what I saw on my holidays without really trying)
I’ve almost forgotten when I was on holiday – we left on Friday 24th June – checks diary: er, yep, and came back on 4th July, but Independence didn’t come into it. I had Mrs Jackdaw with me. I needed her to help me avoid spilling my coffee while eyeing up the flight attendants.
No binoculars were used at any time – even on the flight attendants. I think it’s best if I just present it as a sightings diary & add a few snippets in between if needed.
24 June - Journey from Riga airport, Latvia, to Palanga by minibus
– In Latvia: storks, but not so many as usually seen in Lithuania; male & female marsh harriers; stork and hooded crows waiting together round a hay bale at sunset – probably waiting for rodents to come out.
If you see a harrier in Lithuania/Latvia, it’s highly likely to be a marsh. Other species are very rare indeed.
– In Lithuania – Palanga: Male common redstart on my sister-in-law’s fence; corncrakes heard in neighbouring meadow.
25 June
– Palanga: Common redstart M & F and youngsters being fed in neighbour’s garden; swallows and swifts over neighbouring meadow; M red backed shrike on fence; green woodpecker over meadow; corncrakes heard in neighbouring meadow (every day, the symphony of plastic comb scratchers!).
– Journey from Palanga to Kretinga by car: Buzzard; rooks; wind farm (new species).
– Kretinga, around town: M & F blackbird; M & F chaffinch; M common redstart; kestrel; many swifts; goldfinches gathering nest material (feathers) from wall; house martins; M white wagtail.
26 June
– Kretinga – in mother-in-law’s garden: Chiffchaff; feral pigeon; common redstart family; blue tits; M blackbird; rook; wood pigeon; goldfinch.
– Palanga: Stork in neighbouring meadow; In mixed conifer and birch forest on the way to the beach (Baltic Sea coast): chaffinches; Beach: white wagtails; swallow; hooded crow; cormorant off shore; lesser black backed gull; adult & juvenile herring gulls; black headed gull; most birds mostly after invertebrates, either flying or on the sand, but also some shell fish; Over the main road on return – house martins.
27 June
– Kretinga, around town: M Common redstart; great tit; swifts; willow warbler; rook; house martins; goldfinches; house sparrow; feral pigeon; wood pigeon.
– m-i-l’s garden: Lesser whitethroat; willow warbler; blackbird; common redstart family.
– north cemetery: House martins; swifts; hooded crow.
– park: Willow warbler; chiffchaff; Female pied flycatcher.
– friend’s garden in the evening: M fieldfare guarding cherry bush, chasing off other thrush spp.; kestrel overhead.
28 June
– Kretinga, around town: Greenfinch M and juvenile; spotted flycatchers; house sparrow; rooks; jackdaws; swifts; house martins
– Kretinga to Klaipeda by minibus: Stork foraging
– Klaipeda new and old town: House sparrow; swallow; swifts; swallow hunting over dual carriageway; fieldfares nesting in tree on busy back street in new town (chick visible & squeaking in nest, parents foraging in the square); chaffinches; rooks; herring gulls (it’s a sea port); goldfinches; white wagtails.
29 June
– Kretinga: Great tit; blackcap.
– Palanga: House martins; hooded crows; jackdaws; white wagtail; skylark coming up off of meadow; six herons in flight.
30 June
– Kretinga: Rooks; jackdaws; magpie; house sparrows; house martin nest in friend’s unused porch – bird on eggs; juvenile greenfinch.
1 July
– Kretinga: Many swifts – one seen over neighbour’s garden doing triple (or quadruple) wing-over-wing (“victory roll”) somersault from and to level flight. It was over in two seconds. Seen from kitchen window, while drinking coffee. Jaw dropped out on kitchen table.
There are very many homes in Kretinga (and Lithuania generally) which were built quickly 50 or sixty years ago and have roofs which are just about adequate to keep out the rain and snow. So there are plenty of accessible roof spaces for swift nests. There could be several hundred pairs across the town, or even more. Far more plentiful than house sparrows.
M greenfinch; magpie; dozen blackcaps in neighbour’s tree; house sparrows; rooks; jackdaws; wood pigeon.
– Golden Pond: M pied flycatcher; two fieldfares; white wagtail; chaffinch; goldfinch; mallards, adults & juveniles;
(2 July - by train to Vilnius)
3 July
– Vilnius – very wet: Tree sparrows in the city centre as well as house sparrows.
4th July – off home by big metal bird.
Finis
Later I’ll try to post a photo of the house martin nest in the porch, but not having any success at the moment ... no other bird photos, sorry! Camera not up to it.
Seriously thinking about trying harder!
House martin's nest in unused front porch - with handy perch to one side, newly decorated.
Very illuminating! The sitting bird's tail is sticking out to the right of the nest.
The unused porch, showing perfectly formed gap between the top of the cup and the porch
roof. There's also a jackdaw reflected in the glass.
Two waders (Homo sapiens) - daughter of Mrs Jackdaw's cousin and our nephew - discussing
the possibility of a sand throwing fight while mums are not looking.
A wader in the setting sun. Positive I/D: My sister-in-law's OH
really good report and photographs, of your recently hols, most enjoyable : )
Hi Susan,
Glad you enjoyed it! I've been wondering if anybody actually looked at it ... Better with bird photos but can't do much of that at the moment.
:-)
Andy