[mikus.zet]

Since pretty much nobody ever writes anything for this section of the phorum, in order to liven it up I've made a brave decision of setting up a new topic, aimed at recording the most important sightings of birds (and hopefully not only birds) from the place where I live. Special attention will be paid to the species being a particular interest for birders coming here from abroad (Great Britain, Holland, Germany etc.). We, the Poles, and the English, for instance, have a totally different rating of many sightings - seeing a razorbill in one of the local harbours is great for me, whereas a white-tailed eagle appears as a pretty common view here; in England it has to be the other way round. I'll try to keep this in mind when giving the list of my sightings.
I live in the northern Poland, on the Bay of Gdansk (also rendered as the Gdansk Bay or the Gulf of Gdansk, the region of the Tricity: Gdansk, Sopot, Gdynia). We don't boast as many eastern-european specialties as the famous Biebrza marshes or Bialowieska forest do - you won't find three-toed woodpeckers or great snipes here, no real chance of aquatic warbler either. But we do have a breeding citrine wagtail in the area - and many other nice species!
One another point has to be made before I begin: I'm not an expert birder, I've been only watching them for a few yaers, the song of most species still remains unfamiliar to me , it is also for my binoculars (8x35) that my sightings are somewhat limited in their range (in the broadest sense possible ) But I do assure you, that the vast majority of my observations are to be relied on; if I have any doubts, I always indicate it.
The following are my most important current year sightings:
- 01.17. Ptasi Raj reserve (the mouth of Smila Wisla) - Lesser-spotted woodpecker Dendrocopos minor and Middle-spotted woodpacker Dendrocopos medius - both at a distance of a few metres, White-tailed eagle Haliaetus albicilla - good views with the glass, Eider Somateria mollissima - male
- 01.25. the base of the Hel penninsula near Wladyslawowo - what I saw was a huge raptor and I'm almost positive that it was a WTE. Also - a few Raven Corvus corax showing well on top of pine trees.
- 02.05. Gdynia harbour - Razorbill Alca torda - some 10-15 metres away from me, Eider male, even closer
- 02.15. park in Przymorze (a district of Gdansk) - Middle-spotted woodpecker
- 03.03. mouth of Reda - at least 2 Bearded tit Panurus biarmicus, a few Raven
- 03.09. Gdynia harbour - Black guillemot Cepphus grylle - excellent views, Little gull Larus minutus - almost within the reach of the hand
- 03.13. Gdansk Gorki Zachodnie (left bank of Smaila Wisla) - Bittern Botaurus stellaris - walking on the verge of the reedbed, flying over it, and eventually assuming this characteristic posture that bitterns assume when frightened (I don't know the expression for it in english ) - overall stunning views.

[KAROL B]

I think that good idea is writing near english birds' names also polish because you can't find them in dictionary. So it can be quite helpful.

[mikus.zet]

Thanks for the tip, Charlie, it is indeed a good idea
I've just got back from Mewia Lacha reserve (mouth of Wisla) where I went in order to make up for the lost time with my mammal-watching. I haven't slept a wink overnight, but it paid off beautifully Just slightly after dawn I watched an Otter (Wydra) lutra lutra - my first ever, and a Beaver (Bóbr) castor fiber by a huge beaver lodge.
Birds were slightly dissapointing, but, with all the above, I don't care

[ Dodano: 2005-03-27, 19:50 ]
as promised, polish names of birds:
middle-spotted woodpecker - dzięcioł redni
lesser-spotted w. - dzięciołek
white-tailed eagle - bielik
eider - edredon
razorbill - alka krzywonosa
bearded tit - w?satka
black guillemot - nurnik (białoskrzydły)
little gull - mewa mała
bittern - b?k

[Kejbii]

Supplement You can also find variant English names of the species mentioned above (these are perfectly correct as well):

Middle spotted woodpecker
Lesser spotted woodpecker
White-tailed sea eagle
Common eider
Bearded reedling
and Eurasian bittern.

Here You are a useful search engine for bird`s names where You can find species` names in various European languages - using e.g.Latin as a clue:

http://www.knutas.com/birdsearch/

[mikus.zet]

thanks for giving us the opportunity to extend our birding vocabulary The fact is that chaos with bird names in various languages can be puzzling at times

[Tetrao]

My English is not as good as yours but I try

Cytat:

middle-spotted woodpecker

Cytat:

Middle spotted woodpecker

Both names are wrong! In English every word in bird name should be written with a capital letter:

Middle Spotted Woodpecker

Razorbill

Common Eider

and so on

exception:

Lesser Black-backed Gull etc.


The latin names are different, and looks like those in Kejbii's style. The capital letter is given only in the first word of name:

Dendrocopos medius

Alca torda

Somateria molissima

[mikus.zet]

The truth is truth, Teti and . But I don't pay any attention to it for the sake of time saving

[Kejbii]

Wrong, Teti, wrong The fact is, both styles are in use...so it is not a mistake to write the names "my style" or "Your style" [maybe there have been made efforts to impose that "capital letters` rule" but not everyone is respecting ]
"Your" rule is, for instance, used in "Collin`s Bird Guide" but "my rule" is, for instance, used here:
http://www.rspb.org.uk/birds/guide/w/index.asp

[Tetrao]

Hmmm interesting. But in my opinion the names in "Collin's style" looks better then in these from that site!

However latin names are invariable, not only in birds.

Ufff the English is very hard for me now, when I finished studing it regulary! I need to change it necessarily!

[mikus.zet]

Guys, instead of arguing about the usage of capital letters or hyphens , why don't you post your sightings here Szymon, what about your recent bluethroat, jacksnipe, osprey, weren't they nice Your English is certainly good enough to write just a few words about them.

[Anem]

Cytat:

Hmmm interesting. But in my opinion the names in "Collin's style" looks better then in these from that site!

Maybe it's because "Collins" is better than all the rest

Cytat:

Ufff the English is very hard for me now, when I finished studing it regulary! I need to change it necessarily!

So I think that writing in this subforum is a very good way to recall some of the hardest words...

[Tetrao]

Cytat:

Szymon, what about your recent bluethroat, jacksnipe, osprey, weren't they nice

Hmmm I think that the most interestng species of that you mentioned is a Jack Snipe! One or two birds were wintering in a little stream near my subburb! It is the first winter record in Upper Silesia region.
Osprey & Bluthroat are quite common during the spring passage in whole country but there are beautyful birds, and some kind of sping announce!

I'Think it's a very good idea to post our interesting sightings here, not only the rare one!
I also see that you guys are very good English wrighters so please don't laugh at my language . I want to use this subforum to practise this , so I would be glad if you show me my mistakes!

Thanks!

PS Anem , Kejbii - have you seen something interesting lately?

[Anem]

Cytat:

PS Anem , Kejbii - have you seen something interesting lately?

Hmmm... It's very difficult to observe something really interesting through the window as I'm doing from several days... althrough today for instance I saw a beautyful White Stork (Ciconia ciconia) Bocian biały flying north-east. That was my first Stork this spring...

I hope that in the nearest future I'll find some time to go for a long walk and then my ornitological remarks will surely be more impressive.

[Kejbii]

Yesterday a group of birdwatchers, mainly of TP "Bocian" (Society for Nature Preservation "Bocian") members, were lucky to watch:
flocks of geese (Greylag, White-fronted and Bean geese - Anser anser, Anser albifrons, anser fabalis ), Northern lapwings and Golden Plovers Pluvialis apricaria (wel over 2000) - flying over and foraging on the flooded meadows adjacent to the Liwiec river, some 15 km East of Siedlce (a city in the Mazovian region, central Poland).
Other species spotted there in large quantities - in separate and mixed flocks with lapwings and plovers - Common starling Sturnus vulgaris , Black-headed gull Larus ridibundus. Other species that were spotted on the overflow:Common crane Grus grus 4, Grey heron Ardea cinerea 2, White stork Ciconia ciconia (3, in flight), Mute swan Cygnus olor 3, Common buzzard Buteo buteo, Black-tailed godwit Limosa limosa (at least 2), Common redshank Tringa totanus (at least 1, and several calls heard), Common gull Larus canus (at least 3), White wagtail Motacilla alba (at least 6), Sky lark Alauda arvensis (at least 30).
Several forest dwellers that showed up in the bordering forest: Great spotted woodpecker Dendrocopos major 1 male, Winter wren Troglodytes troglodytes 1, Fieldfare Turdus pilaris 1, Mistle thrush Turdus viscivorus 1; species "more heard than seen" there: Bullfinch Pyrrhula pyrrhula, Crested tit Parus cristatus, Marsh tit Parus palustris, Goldcrest Regulus regulus, Yellowhammer Emberiza citrinella 1, in a bush on the verge of a meadow. And a Northern goshawk Accipiter gentilis 1 seen in flight, seen by some on the way to the overflow.

[ Dodano: 2005-03-29, 15:54 ]
Wooosh, post can`t be edited due to overtime; so here is a supplement to the above:

geese flocks - counted collectively over 1200 individuals, lapwings - 1869 (count by Mirek & Emila ).

Other species sighted on the overflow: Wigeon Anas penelope at least 600, Common teal Anas crecca at least 10, Garganey Anas querquedula at least 3, Pintail Anas acuta at least 2. Green sandpiper Tringa ochropus 1 individual heard, Common redshank Tringa totanus several more individuals heard.
In the forest: Robin Erithacus rubecula 1

[ Dodano: 2005-03-29, 15:57 ]
Common buzzard Buteo buteo: there were at least 4 sighted in flight (1 in display flight); 1 perched

[Tetrao]

Cytat:

Winter wren

Strange, never heard that name...