Information
After the success of a trip to Extremadura on 11th to 15th March 2006 (http://www.clevedon-portisheadbirds.com/extremadura2006.html), there had been a number of subsequent discussions for a further short trip away but none had actually come to fruition. However, in early 2009, Richard Hunt scanned the venues available from Bristol airport with more purpose and fell upon Latvia as a potential destination to take advantage of the Ryanair flights to Riga.
Checking the Internet for various trip reports suggested that a significant range of species and some real specialities would be possible in a relatively short period. Useful reference was had to two May trip reports by Danish Birders 21 to 29 May 2005 (http://www.doftravel.dk/reports/letlan05.pdf) and 12 to 20 May 2007 (http://www.doftravel.dk/reports/letlan07.pdf ); a Southport Birders trip report 24 to 28 April 2006 (http://birdblog.merseyblogs.co.uk/archives/2006/05/bazzos_report_o.html); and two Oliva Rama Tours trip reports 10 to 17 April 2007 (http://www.travellingbirder.com/tripreports/view_birding_tripreport.php?id=209) and 10 to 15 April 2008 (http://www.travellingbirder.com/tripreports/view_birding_tripreport.php?id=389).
The number of English trip reports is limited. As a result, a significant amount of planning was dependent upon the vagaries of Google translate (http://translate.google.com/translate_t?hl=en#). There are always accommodations to make on any foreign trip on timing and locations. The best trips to Latvia are generally in the spring - the earlier the trip, generally the easier the main targets of woodpeckers and owls and the later the trip, the better chance that some of the speciality summer visitors have arrived. We fell upon 15th to 19th May.
The Latvian birding website (http://www.putni.lv/index_eng.htm) is absolutely superb but has a limited English section. However, once you get used to the annotations, the species list organised in the new systematic order showing the status and distribution of the species provides excellent information on what you can expect - http://putni.nerealitate.lv/lvp/lvp_cygolo.htm. Indeed, prior study of the species status section resulted in Paul telling Jason that he must be stringing a Cattle Egret before finally picking up his binoculars and accepting that Jason had found and correctly identified this first for Latvia! The sound section is also superb practice for what may be encountered - http://www.putni.lv/index_balsis_eng.htm.
Latvia's first Cattle Egret
Two bird tour companies currently travel to Latvia being Oliva Rama Tours (http://www.olivaramatours.com/) and Island Holidays plus (http://www.islandholidays.co.uk/) but it is eminently suitable as a venue for independent travel.
Sterling organisational work in particular by Bob Fleetwood, Howard Taffs and Jason Williams soon had the logistics of flights, car hire and hotel accommodation sorted. The original intention had been effectively a one venue trip to Kemeri National Park but the realistic aspiration of Ural Owl and some additional species for the trip list further east resulted in a more stretching itinerary based around three different hotels in four nights including the east of the country.
Our costs were fairly limited with the flights around £80 each, the share of our car hire (between seven) being around £40 each and accommodation working out at around £20 each per night. A good meal including drinks was less than £10 each and having taken £150 spending money each this covered fully the cost of petrol, food and the excellent guides that we hired. Accordingly, the total cost was less than £350 for the four days. All hotels were booked over the Internet and by e-mail as was the car hire.
We used a Michelin National map 1:350,000, the inaccuracy of which caused some amusement to one of our guides. It showed about one in ten roads, some of the roads did not exist and others are actually shown incorrectly. This revelation proved some vindication to our principal map-reader as there had perhaps been some feeling within the rest of the party that the somewhat chaotic routes taken had been more a reflection of the workman than his tools! Latvian traffic police have a fearsome reputation. It is necessary to drive with your lights on at all time and speed limits are relatively low. We saw traffic police on a number of occasions including stopping other vehicles and indeed, we were checked out and had to produce our papers having driven off the road at Mersrags (in breach of the local laws). Independent travelling birders are therefore advised to take a cautious and sensible approach to local traffic laws. We would recommend an attempt to find a more comprehensive set of maps if travelling independently.
It proved to be a relatively late spring with some summer visitors such as blyths reed, river and marsh warblers not yet arrived. Nevertheless, we were very pleased with a good range of species on a successful but tiring trip and the vast majority of the serious targets successfully seen.
Realistic additional specialities likely to be of interest to British birdwatchers would be hazel grouse, tengmalms owl, eagle owl, nutcracker, citrine wagtail and blyths reed and river warblers. (Great grey owl now breeds in Latvia but only in the very far east close to the Russian border.) Indeed, rather grippingly, it transpired that a trip in the week before us had successfully connected with hazel grouse and nutcracker albeit that they had failed with tengmalms and eagle owls two species that we did not target in the time available to us in our trip (http://www.olivaramatours.com/Latvia%20Trip%20Report%202009.html).
Itinerary
15th May 2009 we left Bristol at 17:40 on flight FR8236 to Riga. The flight is approximately three hours and there is a two hour time difference. We had collected our baggage and arranged our car hire by around 11.30pm and our first species of the trip thrush nightingale singing away in scrub near the car hire car park was before midnight. We arrived at our first nights accommodation - http://www.besthotel.lv/ - before 12.30am and had a quick beer before heading for a well-earned sleep.
16th May 2009 breakfast on the balcony overlooking the street had already introduced us to the delights of birdwatching in unfamiliar territory where the sort of scarcities that would have been very welcome on our local patch were clearly going to be commonplace. Tree sparrows were nesting in the hotel roof, a hawfinch flew over and hooded crows were everywhere. A relatively early start saw us heading east shortly after 6.00am. A leisurely drive east along the A6 and then A12 was punctuated by two stops one at a cafe near Plavinas and another at some woodland near Varaklani. Before 8.00am, very regular sightings of white storks had commenced and remained constant throughout the trip. The stop at the cafe had resulted in bacon omelettes and coffee all round courtesy of some very limited Latvian translation but more importantly views over the Daugava River produced oystercatcher, common sandpiper, goosander, common tern and a very distant whiskered tern - our only one of the trip. The stop at the woodland had provided further views of hawfinch and wood warbler as well as our first yellow wagtail of the trip a reasonably good thunbergi. Species seen en route had included numerous whinchat, cuckoo, buzzard and fieldfare as well as turtle dove, crane, great grey shrike and our first black woodpecker a lengthy but distant flight view which ended when the lights changed at exactly the wrong moment at one of the many lengthy sections of roadworks before binoculars could be focussed on the flying bird.
White Stork
We travelled to our rendezvous at Metriena at 1.00pm with Andris Avotins (andris.avotins@teici.gov.lv) who monitors owls at the Teici Nature Reserve. A trip into the Teici Nature Reserve was rewarded by excellent views of two adult female ural owls and a chick as Andris undertook his routine monitoring activities.
Female Ural Owl and chick
Additional species included a singing willow tit and redstart. He subsequently led us to the Nature Reserve headquarters at Laudona and en route we had a further flight view of black woodpecker plus good views of a black kite. At the headquarters, we had excellent views of middle spotted woodpecker and got to grips with the song of icterine warbler which once learnt proved to be a constant companion for the balance of the trip. Excellent views of an adult white-tailed eagle followed a captive but wild-bred bird at the headquarters which is used as a lure for lesser spotted eagles as part of a monitoring programme. The meadows by the river nearby provided our first calling corncrake and further confusing yellow wagtail varieties.
One of the numerous Yellow Wagtail types
From there, we headed towards Madonna and a chance sighting of a woodpecker on telegraph pole resulted in excellent views of grey-headed woodpecker and nearby two lesser spotted and our first great spotted woodpeckers showed well. We headed onwards to our second nights accommodation Grasu Pils (http://www.hotelgrasupils.lv/welcome.en.htm). The habitat around the hotel is absolutely excellent and thrush nightingale, wood warbler, grey-headed woodpecker and hawfinch were in evidence in the hour or so that we spent at the hotel. Unfortunately no food was available so we headed back to Madonna where after a little searching for a restaurant we decided to fill up with supplies at a supermarket. Throughout our trip, it was not difficult to find roadside cafes, petrol stations selling basic provisions or supermarkets or shops - generally with lengthy opening hours. For the cafes, it is useful to have a basic list of Latvian words to do rudimentary translations.
Grey-headed Woodpecker
We then headed out into the forest in search of pygmy owl. The general area was between Meirani and Cesvaine. Our guide had provided us with the results of that springs surveys and highlighted the locations of several pygmy owl territories. Matching his map to our own larger scale map and the layout on the ground proved challenging but by around 8.00pm we believed that we were in the right area. Roding woodcock were in evidence. We finally succeeded at around 9.00pm with excellent views of a singing male pygmy owl which performed for over 15 minutes providing excellent scope views in fading light. On the way out of the forest, nightjar and grasshopper warbler added to our species tally.
So the day ended with nearly 100 species logged and the highlights had been five species of woodpecker and pygmy and ural owls - an excellent opening day. Sensibly a few beers had been bought at the supermarket and the day ended very contentedly with a beer in hand back at our hotel.
17th May 2009 we decided on a relatively leisurely start with breakfast booked for 7.00am. A morning stroll around the grounds produced a good selection of species with a pair of lesser spotted woodpecker seen and two black woodpeckers heard but frustratingly not seen. The ubiquitous species of the trip were also in evidence hawfinch, thrush nightingale, redwing, cuckoo, spotted and pied flycatchers, icterine warbler, white wagtail and tree sparrow. We left shortly after 8.00am. En route to Lake Lubans, we stopped to watch a male marsh harrier and rapidly added a calling wryneck, bittern, great reed warbler and great crested grebe to the trip list.
Journeys throughout the trip took longer than anticipated and this one was no exception taking over two hours on our cross country route. In hindsight, such journeys in Latvia are definitely better planned using as many main routes as possible despite the longer distances travelled as a result. Arriving at the outskirts of Lake Lubans rapidly added our only hen harrier sighting, whooper swans, white-fronted geese and great white egret. We spent the next five hours exploring the Lake Lubans, Idena and Nagli areas. Despite the fact that we were there at a relatively poor time of day and three times the time period would have been required to start to do justice to the experience, we had an excellent time with slavonian grebe, lesser spotted and white-tailed eagles, montagus harrier, osprey, garganey, smew, black and white-winged black terns, little gull, savis warbler and penduline tit being the highlights.
Tower hide Lake Lubans
It was now time to head back west. En route to the Kemeri National Park, our destination for the final two days of our trip, a very nice meal at a roadside cafe near Jekabpils, after some teething problems with the language barrier, was punctuated by a calling grey-headed woodpecker, whinchat, wheatear and yet more tree sparrows. The highlight of the rest of the journey was a further black kite. We had decided to go to Garglyne, a few miles east of Riga on the A2, to look for roller. After a slight map-reading error cost us about 30 minutes en route, we arrived at Garglyne at around 8.15pm. Roller proved more tricky than anticipated but eventually good views were had of a single bird as well as tawny pipit and woodlark.
We headed through Riga and finally arrived at out third nights accommodation which was going to be our base for the next night as well Jaunmoku Palace (http://www.activehotels.com/1/1/1097912-jaunmoku-palace-hotel-tume.html) shortly before midnight. (An alternative location used by some birding trips near Kemeri is the motel near the National Park Centre (http://www.kemerimotel.lv/new/home).) After arrival, we heard both tawny owl and thrush nightingale in the hotel grounds.
The second day ended with a beer (obtained from an earlier petrol station stop) and 120 species logged having added lesser spotted eagle as well as the wetland species of Lake Lugans and Nagli.
18th May 2009 the hotel kindly made a takeaway breakfast available at 3.30am. We met our guide Janis Kuze (janis.kuze@kemeri.gov.lv) as arranged at our 5.00am rendezvous on the A9. In the fifteen minutes beforehand, excellent views of a drumming grey-headed woodpecker had been had and coal tit and goldcrest added to the trip list. We travelled the 20kms to the Kemeri National Park headquarters and immediately had views of middle and great spotted woodpeckers and wryneck. A three-toed woodpecker was heard drumming but in an inaccessible area and unfortunately over the next two hours, there was no further sign. Woodland species included wood warbler, bullfinch, icterine warbler, crested and willow tits, a singing male red-breasted flycatcher, singing redstart, hawfinch and pied flycatcher. Excellent views of green sandpiper and crane were had at the bog area as well as our first red-backed shrike of the trip.
Having failed to secure three-toed woodpecker, we headed on to Smirdgravis which is along the road to the inland side of Lake Kanieris and a nest-hole of white-backed woodpecker. Both parents were seen regularly and on at least one occasion at least one well-grown youngster appeared at the entrance of the nest-hole. A male black woodpecker was also seen perched by the entire group here at the back of the forest clearing a significant relief in light of the brief flight views and the heard birds previously and great spotted woodpecker was seen and heard.
Rich hunting Three-toed Woodpecker!
With the middle of the day arriving, it was decided to leave forest birding behind us and head to Slempe Meadows. The mixture of rather limited reedbed and extensive meadows produced white-tailed and lesser spotted eagles, honey buzzard, black stork, calling corncrake and spotted crake, great reed and savis warblers, a further male red-backed shrike and golden oriole. A decision was made to stop for a mid-afternoon break to refuel and decide on the balance of the day with a break at a cafe near the junction of the A9 and P98.
Slempe Meadows
A brief stop en route back to the Kemeri National Park headquarters produced a male black redstart in typical industrial surroundings. After dropping off Janis at the headquarters, a return to the three-toed woodpecker site proved as fruitless as the original visit. A white-backed woodpecker was seen and black woodpecker was heard. Hawfinch and green sandpiper also showed but still no three-toed woodpecker. We returned to our accommodation which yielded singing male ortolan buntings, hawfinch and crane. We headed out to Pie Jana for our evening meal some 10 minutes drive further west along the A10 before returning to our accommodation for a relatively early night (after of course a quick beer and a check of the trip tally to date which by then was around 140 species).
19th May 2009 a more relaxed start resulted in leaving the Jaunmoku palace at 4.30am with another packed breakfast. There had been some overnight rain which at 4.00am was still quite heavy but thankfully this had eased by the time we arrived about 5 minutes late for our rendezvous with Janis. We were again targeting three-toed woodpecker near Kemeri National Park headquarters. Black and lesser spotted woodpeckers were seen as well as a singing common rosefinch before we were finally successful with three-toed woodpecker. An unsuccessful attempt to whistle up hazel grouse in the grounds of the headquarters was made before again leaving the woodland behind and heading off for the coast and Lake Engures.
By 7.30am, we had arrived at the coast. Checking a cafe at Berzciems resulted in the discovery that they would provide us with coffee in about 30 minutes time. A decision to explore the coastal scrub and the coastline in the meantime proved an excellent decision with species coming thick and fast. Sea duck were represented by common and velvet scoters and long-tailed ducks, waders with sanderling, ringed plover, black-tailed and bar-tailed godwits, knot and dunlin, gulls with little gulls and single fuscus lesser and greater black-backed gulls and land migrants with yellow wagtails, pied flycatcher, golden oriole and serins.
Gulls (if your interested!)
We then headed to Lake Engures a very large inland freshwater lake with substantial black-headed gull colonies and woodland along its eastern shoreline. The highlights for us were the raptors, duck, waders, gulls and terns with a single caspian tern and summer-plumaged red-necked grebes the highlights. Undoubtedly, the highlight for our guide was Latvias first cattle egret found by Jason from the tower hide. It was still present later that day and successfully twitched. Bizarrely, our guides desire to get the record documented resulted in the egret being the most photographed bird of the trip.
White-tailed Eagle
Lake Engures - Chew Valley on steroids!
We headed further along the coast to Mersrags with a good black woodpecker flight view en route. Here we picked up a black-throated diver, more sea duck including on this occasion a group of eider, terns including little, sandwich and arctic, a group of waders including three temmincks stint and a marsh sandpiper and two arctic skuas as well as our only carrion crow of the trip.
Marsh Sandpiper
We headed back towards Kemeri via the west side of Lake Engures where again the selection of species was excellent. Highlight here was an occupied penduline tit nest and another under construction. We headed back to the Kemeri National Park headquarters and had a middle spotted woodpecker en route. We dropped off Janis at the headquarters where Jason downloaded some of his cattle egret photos for the Latvian birding website. One last coffee stop at the Kemeri motel produced our final species for the trip marsh tit as well as icterine warbler and hawfinch. A final excellent meal at a roadside cafe near the airport was toasted with a final beer and we returned to Riga airport about two hours before our flight the 22:55 FR8237 to Bristol. With the two hour time difference working in our favour, we got back to Bristol shortly before midnight. Almost our last species of the trip was thrush nightingale singing from the scrub near the car hire car park in the same place as on our arrival.
It proved to be a more intensive itinerary than was intended with the distances to the east and the condition of the roads being slightly underestimated.
Birds
1. Black-throated Diver single in first-summer plumage off Mersrags on 19.05.09. (In addition, a single very distant diver was seen at this site but not identified to species.)
2. Slavonian Grebe single in summer plumage at Lake Lubans from the causeway on 17.05.09.
3. Little Grebe single heard at Lake Nagli on 17.05.09.
4. Great Crested Grebe the ubiquitous grebe of roadside pools. Even then, there is a great deal of water in Latvia which is apparently totally unoccupied. First seen on a roadside pool en route to Lake Lubans on the morning of 17.05.09 and then seen at Lake Lubans, Idena and Nagli on the same day; and also seen on the sea at Berzciems, Mersrags and Lake Engures on 19.05.09.
5. Red-necked Grebe at least six in summer plumage seen at Lake Engures from observation towers on both east and west sides on 19.05.09.
6. Cormorant relatively common with sporadic sightings inland and on the coast.
7. Bittern a common sound in reedbed habitat. First heard at a roadside pool en route to Lake Lubans and then at Lake Lubans, Idena and Nagli with a flight view at Idena all on 17.05.09 and at Lake Engures on 19.05.09.
8. Great White Egret seen at both Lake Lubans on 17.05.09 and Lake Engures on 19.05.09.
9. Cattle Egret a single in summer plumage seen at Lake Engures from observation tower on the east side the first for Latvia found by Jason Williams on 19.05.09.
10. Grey Heron a not infrequent sight with several seen.
11. White Stork first seen en route on the morning of 16.05.09 and then a frequent sight throughout the countryside on both sides of the country and every day.
12. Black Stork a single in flight over the tower hide at Slempe meadows on 18.05.09.
13. Mute Swan relatively common.
14. Whooper Swan four seen in roadside fields en route to Lake Lubans and then subsequently seen at the lake on 17.05.09.
15. Greylag Goose about a dozen seen at Lake Engures including a pair with goslings on the west side of Lake Engures on 19.05.09.
16. White-fronted Goose several hundred seen at Lake Lubans on 17.05.09.
17. Shelduck small numbers seen on the coast at both Berzciems and Mersrags on 19.05.09.
18. Mallard the commonest duck and a frequent sight.
19. Gadwall small numbers seen at Lake Lubans and and Nagli on 17.05.09 and Mersrags and Lake Engures on 19.05.09.
20. Shoveler small numbers seen at Lake Lubans and Nagli on 17.05.09 and Berzciems and Lake Engures on 19.05.09.
21. Wigeon seen at Nagli on 17.05.09 and Lake Engures on 19.05.09.
22. Teal seen at Lake Lubans and Nagli on 17.05.09; near Kemeri National Park headquarters and Smirdgravis on 18.05.09; and at Mersrags and Lake Engures on 19.05.09.
23. Garganey relatively common with small numbers at Lake Lubans and Nagli on 17.05.09 and at Lake Engures on 19.05.09.
24. Pochard seen at Lake Lubans and Nagli on 17.05.09 and Lake Engures on 19.05.09.
25. Tufted Duck seen at Lake Lubans and en route to Garglyne on 17.05.09; and at Berzciems and Lake Engures on 19.05.09.
26. Common Eider a group of five birds off Mersrags three males and two females on 19.05.09.
27. Common Scoter several groups totally perhaps one hundred seen at Berzciems on 19.05.09.
28. Velvet Scoter about a dozen each seen at Berzciems and Mersrags on 19.05.09.
29. Long-tailed Duck small numbers around a dozen at each site at Berzciems and Mersrags on 18.05.09.
30. Goldeneye a single seen on a small pool at Grasu Pils on 16.05.09 and thereafter at Lake Lubans on 17.05.09 and Mersrags and Lake Engures on 19.05.09.
31. Goosander first seen from the car when heading east on the morning of 16.05.09, then a female at our cafe stop near Plavinas and a pair later in the day again from the car. Not seen at the larger lakes but then again at Kemeri National Park on 18.05.09 and at Berzciems and Mersrags on the coast on 19.05.09.
32. Smew two solitary females and a pair at Lake Lubans on 17.05.09.
33. White-tailed Eagle a glorious adult seen in captivity at Tieci Nature Reserve headquarters at Laudona used as part of a Lesser Spotted Eagle ringing programme on 16.05.09. Subsequently around half a dozen each at lake Lubans and Nagli on 17.05.09; two or three at Slempe Meadows on 18.05.09; and around half a dozen at Lake Engures on 19.05.09.
34. Osprey at least three seen well at Nagli on 17.05.09.
35. Lesser Spotted Eagle the first sighting was a bird seen well over farmland at Lake Lubans from the observation tower on the west side on 17.05.09 and then at least three with two displaying were seen at Nagli. On 18.05.09, at least three were seen at Slempe Meadows with two displaying.
36. Black Kite two sightings one between Teici Nature Reserve and Laudona on 16.05.09 and the other following the A12 west east of Jekabpils on 17.05.09.
37. Marsh Harrier the second commonest raptor species with the first bird being seen from the car on the outskirts of Riga and en route to Tieci Nature Reserve on 16.05.09; en route to Lake Lubans and at Lake Lubans, Idena and Nagli on 17.05.09; at Smirdgravis and Slempe Meadows on 18.05.09; and Lake Engures on 19.05.09.
38. Montagus Harrier two sightings of males at Nagli on 17.05.09 and at Kemeri National Park headquarters on 19.05.09.
39. Hen Harrier a single ringtail seen over roadside fields near Lake Lubans on 17.05.09.
40. Common Buzzard the commonest raptor encountered. A reasonably frequent sight both on telegraph poles and in flight.
41. Honey Buzzard two sightings with a single seen at Slempe Meadows on 18.05.09 and another at Lake Engures on 19.05.09.
42. Sparrowhawk a single female seen at Smirdgravis on 18.05.09.
43. Kestrel surprisingly infrequent. First seen en route east on 16.05.09. Very few other sightings.
44. Hobby four sightings with a single bird at Nagli on 17.05.09; a single bird at Slempe Meadows on 18.05.09; and two sightings at Lake Engures on 19.05.09.
45. Corncrake heard at the meadows by the river at Laudona on 17.05.09, at Lake Lubans on 18.05.09 and also at Slempe Meadows on 18.05.09.
46. Water Rail heard at Lake Lubans on 17.05.09 and near Kemeri Nature Reserve headquarters on 18.05.09.
47. Spotted Crake a single singing bird in the middle of the day briefly at Slempe Meadows on 18.05.09.
48. Coot sporadic sightings on roadside waters and at Lake Lubans, Idena and Nagli on 17.05.09 and Lake Engures on 19.05.09.
49. Common Crane first seen en route to Metriena on 16.05.09, thereafter several sightings including en route to Tieci Nature Reserve on 16.05.09, at least 40 in flight at Nagli, en route to Garglyne on 17.05.09, in Kemeri National Park in most locations including Slempe Meadows on 18.05.09 and at Lake Engures on 19.05.09.
50. Oystercatcher not a particularly frequent sight first seen on the Daugara River at our cafe stop near Plavinas and then at Mersrags on 19.05.09.
51. Ringed Plover a small group at Berzciems on 19.05.09.
52. Lapwing a relatively common site but not seen in numbers. In the main, sightings were of breeding pairs in farmland and meadows.
53. Sanderling a single with ringed plover at Berzciems on 19.05.09.
54. Knot two sightings of single birds one in winter plumage in flight with three bar-tailed godwit at Berzciems and one in summer plumage at Mersrags on 19.05.09.
55. Dunlin a small group seen at Berzciems and subsequently at Lake Engures on 19.05.09.
56. Temmincks Stint three in summer plumage at Mersrags on 19.05.09.
57. Wood Sandpiper single at Lake Lubans on 17.05.09 and groups of over twenty at both Lake Engures and Mersrags on 19.05.09.
58. Green Sandpiper two at Lake Lubans on 17.05.09; and several including displaying birds in Kemeri National Park near the headquarters, at Slempe Meadows and at Smirdgravis on 18.05.09.
59. Common Sandpiper first seen at our cafe stop near Plavinas on 16.05.09 and thereafter at Berzciems and Lake Engures on 19.05.09.
60. Redshank several seen at Lake Engures and at Mersrags on 19.05.09.
61. Marsh Sandpiper a single bird in summer plumage at Mersrags on 19.05.09.
62. Black-tailed Godwit two seen at Berzciems and two at Lake Engures on 19.05.09.
63. Bar-tailed Godwit three seen in flight at Berzciems on 19.05.09.
64. Woodcock several roding birds seen on the evening of 16.05.09 in woodland between Meirani and Cesvaine.
65. Common Snipe first recorded at Tieci Nature Reserve on 16.05.09 and thereafter in Kemeri National Park near the headquarters on 18.05.09.
66. Ruff a flock of over 100 at Lake Lubans and groups of over twenty at both Lake Engures and Mersrags on 19.05.09.
67. Arctic Skua two sightings of single adults at Mersrags on 19.05.09.
68. Black-headed Gull a relatively common sight.
69. Common Gull never seen in large numbers but seen en route twice and at the roadside cafe stop near Plavinas on 16.05.09 and thereafter on the coast at Berzciems and Mersrags and at Lake Engures on 19.05.09.
70. Herring Gull sporadic sightings of the argentatus subspecies first seen in the morning of 16.05.09 in Riga and then at several sites in ones or twos with larger numbers on the coast at both Berzciems and Mersrags.
71. Caspian Gull we spent very little time looking at the larger gulls but a single first-winter was seen at Lake Engures from a tower hide on the western side on 17.05.09.
72. Lesser Black-backed Gull a single first-summer at Berzciems and two adults at Mersrags of the long-legged, darker-backed and long-winged fuscus subspecies on 19.05.09.
73. Great Black-backed Gull a single bird at Berzciems on 19.05.09.
74. Little Gull first seen with two adults at Lake Lubans and then around twenty birds at both Idena and Nagli on 17.05.09; and over fifty at Mersrags including several first-summers and a couple of second-summers and around twenty at Lake Engures on 19.05.09.
75. Little Tern at least four seen at Mersrags on 19.05.09.
76. Sandwich Tern at least four seen at Mersrags on 19.05.09.
77. Caspian Tern a single bird at Lake Engures on 19.05.09.
78. Common Tern a frequent sight seen on several journeys and at Lake Lugans, Idena and Nagli on 17.05.09 and at Lake Engures and along the coast on 19.05.09.
79. Arctic Tern at least three seen on the coast at Mersrags on 19.05.09.
80. Whiskered Tern a single bird distantly in flight at our cafe stop near Plavinas on 16.05.09.
81. Black Tern around one hundred at Lake Lubans, Idena and Nagli on 17.05.09 and single figures at Lake Engures on 19.05.09.
82. White-winged Black Tern twenty to thirty in total seen at Lake Lubans, Idena and Nagli on 17.05.09.
83. Feral Pigeon common around towns and villages.
84. Woodpigeon a common sight.
85. Collared Dove the only sighting was two together near our accommodation on the first morning on 16.05.09.
86. Turtle Dove heard and seen en route to Metriena on 16.05.09 and subsequently at Slempe Meadows on 18.05.09.
87. Cuckoo a very common sight and a commoner sound. First seen en route to the east on 16.05.09 and ubiquitous thereafter. A marked contrast to their scarcity in the UK this spring.
88. Tawny Owl heard on arrival at Juanmoku Palace shortly before midnight on 17.05.09.
89. Ural Owl two females and a chick seen at nestboxes at two locations in Teici Nature Reserve when guided by Andris Avotins.
90. Pygmy Owl it was late in the season for this species and a little late in the day when our guides at Teici Nature Reserve and Kemeri National Park tried to show us this species. We have absolutely no doubt that Janis could have shown us the species if we had desired. The breeding bird survey in Kemeri National Park had already resulted in confirmation of the occupation of 47 one km squares at the time of our visit. Indeed, he pointed out a nesthole near Kemeri National Park headquarters. However, on the evening of our first day, we had successfully obtained excellent views of a territorial male when checking woodland between Meirani and Cesvaine on the recommendation of Andris Avotins.
91. Nightjar we did little night time driving but one was seen and at least one heard in a forest clearing between Meirani and Cesvaine on 16.05.09.
92. Swift a common sight.
93. Hoopoe a single bird in flight at the white-backed woodpecker nestsite at Smirdgravis on 18.05.09.
94. Roller a single bird at the clearing north of the A2 near Garkalne - the only breeding site in Latvia on 17.05.09.
95. Black Woodpecker three sightings from the car the first east of Jekabpils on 16.05.09; the second later that day between Teici Nature Reserve and Laudona; and the third en route to Mersrags on 19.05.09. The species was heard twice without being seen with two at Grasu Pils on the morning of 17.05.09 and another near Kemeri National Park headquarters on the afternoon of 18.05.09. In addition, a male was seen perched by everyone at Smirdgravis on 18.05.09 returning to the same tree on two occasions in the clearing and another near Kemeri National Park headquarters on 19.05.09 (having also been heard on both occasions). So recorded on every day.
96. Grey-headed Woodpecker first seen with a chance sighting of a bird on a roadside telegraph pole between Laudona and Madona on 16.05.09. Following stopping, the bird performed excellently and was seen well. Later that day another was heard at Grasu Pils. On 17.05.09, a single heard at a cafe stop en route to Garkalne and on 18.05.09, one near Kemeri National Park headquarters.
97. Great Spotted Woodpecker first recorded en route to Grasu Pils on 16.05.09. Thereafter near Kemeri National Park headquarters, Smirdgravis and Slempe Meadows on 18.05.09.
98. Middle Spotted Woodpecker first seen at Laudona at the Teici Nature Reserve headquarters on 16.05.09. On 18.05.09, another seen near Kemeri National Park headquarters and on 19.05.09, a single seen en route to Kemeri Motel from Lake Engures.
99. White-backed Woodpecker both male and female seen well at a nest hole at Smirdgravis together with at least one large youngster being fed by the parents at the mouth of the hole and in addition one seen well but briefly near Kemeri National Park headquarters the same afternoon both on 18.05.09.
100.Lesser Spotted Woodpecker both male and female were seen well between Laudona and Madonna on 16.05.09; a pair were also seen well in the morning at Grasu Pils on 17.05.09; and finally a further one was seen well near the Kemeri Nature Reserve headquarters on 19.05.09.
101.Three-toed Woodpecker heard near the Kemri National Park headquarters on 18.05.09 and seen very well eventually at the same site on 19.05.09.
102.Wryneck first heard at a roadside pool en route to Lake Lubans on the morning of 17.05.09 and a single seen briefly near Kemeri National Park headquarters and a further bird heard briefly at Slempe Meadows on 19.05.09.
103.Skylark a regular sight and sound.
104.Woodlark at least two singing males at Garkalne on 17.05.09 and Jaunamoku Pils on 18.05.09.
105.Sand Martin first recorded at Idena on 17.05.09 and subsequently at Mersrags on 19.05.09.
106.Swallow a common sight.
107.House Martin a relatively common sight.
108.Tawny Pipit a single adult at Garkalne on 17.05.09.
109.Meadow Pipit scattered sightings with the only concentration on the coast at Mersrags on 19.05.09.
110.Tree Pipit first seen en route to Metriena on 16.05.09. Thereafter at Tieci Nature Reserve on 16.05.09 and Lake Engures on 19.05.09.
111.White Wagtail a very common site the Latvian national bird.
112.Yellow Wagtail a common place sight with a bewildering variety of forms ranging from classic flava and thunbergi to birds resembling superciliaris . First seen near Varaklani. Largest numbers seen on the coast at Berzciems with about 40 present.
113.Wren not recorded in the east of the country. First recorded near Kemeri National Park headquarters on 18.05.09 and thereafter.
114.Dunnock a number of sightings bit typically elusive at the time of year.
115.Robin a number of sightings.
116.Thrush Nightingale the first and almost the last bird of the trip singing near the car rental carpark at Riga airport on 15.05.09 and 19.05.09 respectively and at virtually everywhere we stopped from brief stops near Varaklani and Laudona to Tieci nature Reserve, Grasu Pils, Juanmoku Palace and Mersrags.
117.Redstart a single female at Teici Nature Reserve on 16.05.09; a singing male at Kemeri National Park headquarters on 18.05.09 and 19.05.09; and on the latter date also seen at Lake Engures.
118.Black Redstart a single male seen around a disused heating plant near Kemeri National Park headquarters on 18.05.09.
119.Wheatear not an infrequent sight. Occasionally seen from the car and at scattered localities.
120.Whinchat first seen at our cafe stop near Plavinas on 16.05.09 and then a frequent site on roadside wires from the car.
121.Song Thrush a reasonably common species.
122.Redwing first seen at Tieci Nature Reserve on 16.05.09. Thereafter several sightings.
123.Mistle Thrush several sightings most often seen from the car but not as common as Fieldfare.
124.Fieldfare a common sight and sound. First seen whilst driving east on 16.05.09 and on each subsequent day.
125.Blackbird a common sight.
126.Garden Warbler heard near Kemeri National Park headquarters on 18.05.09.
127.Blackcap reasonably frequently encountered.
128.Lesser Whitethroat heard at Lake Lubans on 17.05.09.
129.Whitethroat first seen at Varakjani on 16.05.09 and reasonably frequently encountered thereafter.
130.Sedge Warbler a singing bird near Varakjani at 16.05.09.
131.Grasshopper Warbler first heard in a forest clearing between Meirani and Cesvaine on 16.05.09; another heard at Lake Lubans on 17.05.09; and another seen and heard at Mersrags on 19.05.09.
132.Savis Warbler first heard with two at Lake Lubans on 17.05.09; one seen and heard at Slempe Meadows on 18.05.09; and at Lake Engures on 19.05.09.
133.Reed Warbler recorded at Lake Lubans, Idena and Nagli on 17.05.09; and at Slempe Meadows on 18.05.09.
134.Great Reed Warbler first heard en route to Lake Lubans on 17.05.09 and thereafter Lake Lubans, Idena and Nagli on 17.05.09; Slempe Meadows on 18.05.09; and Lake Engures on 19.05.09.
135.Icterine Warbler our first sighting was a singing bird at the Teici Nature Reserve headquarters at Laudona on 16.05.09. Thereafter at Grasu Pils on 17.05.09; Kemeri National Park on 18.05.09; and Berzciems, Mersrags and Kemeri Motel on 19.05.09.
136.Willow Warbler first recorded at Varakjani on 16.05.09 and frequently recorded thereafter.
137.Wood Warbler a common species frequently heard with excellent views. First seen en route to the east on 16.05.09 and seen throughout.
138.Chiffchaff a common species.
139.Goldcrest recorded several times in Kemeri National Park on 18.05.09.
140.Spotted Flycatcher a very common sight.
141.Red-breasted Flycatcher a singing male seen well at Kemeri National Park headquarters on 18.05.09 and heard there the next day as well.
142.Pied Flycatcher a common sight. Seen or heard at Metriena and Tieci Nature Reserve on 16.05.09; Grasu Pils on 17.05.09; Kemeri National Park on 18.05.09; and Berzciems on 19.05.09.
143.Great Tit regularly seen and heard.
144.Coal Tit a single heard at Kemeri National Park on 18.05.09.
145.Blue Tit regularly seen and heard.
146.Crested Tit a single bird seen and heard near Kemeri National Park headquarters on 18.05.09.
147.Marsh Tit a single bird seen and heard whilst having a coffee at the Motel at Kemeri on 19.05.09 was the last addition to our trip list.
148.Willow Tit a singing bird in the Teici Nature Reserve on 16.05.09 was followed by a calling bird near Kemeri National Park headquarters on 18.05.09.
149.Long-tailed Tit three sightings of caudatus en route to Laudona and en route to Grasu Pils on 16.05.09 and at Kemeri National Park on 18.05.09.
150.Penduline Tit seen at two sites the first was Nagli on 17.05.09 and the second was Lake Engures on 19.05.09. At both sites, excellent views were obtained and at the second near the tower hide on the inland side of Lake Engures was an active nest and a nest being built.
151.Nuthatch a relatively common sight in woodland. First seen en route to the east on 16.05.09 and thereafter Tieci Nature Reserve and Laudona on the same day; and Kemeri National Park on 18.05.09.
152.Treecreeper recorded on Kemeri National Park and at Slempe Meadows on 18.05.09.
153.Red-backed Shrike males seen near Kemeri National Park headquarters and at Slempe Meadows on 18.05.09.
154.Great Grey Shrike two sightings of birds on roadside wires in the vicinity of Metriena one en route to Metriena and one between there and Teici Nature Reserve on 16.05.09.
155.Magpie a common sight.
156.Jay not an uncommon sight. Most often seen from the car.
157.Jackdaw a relatively common sight around towns and villages.
158.Hooded Crow present at every location visited and a common site en route between locations.
159.Carrion Crow the other half of this species pair is ubiquitous but the only sighting of Carrion Crow was a single bird seen in flight at Mersrags.
160.Raven a regular sight seen each day.
161.Starling a very common sight.
162.Golden Oriole heard at least three at Slempe Meadows on 18.05.09; heard and seen at Berzciems and heard at Lake Engures both on 19.05.09.
163.House Sparrow common around towns and villages.
164.Tree Sparrow a common sight. First seen nesting in the roof of our accommodation in the morning of 16.05.09 and also breeding at Grasu Pils on 16.05.09 and 17.05.09. Also seen en route to Metriena and Garkalne on 16.05.09.
165.Chaffinch a very common species.
166.Linnet first seen en route to Metriena on 16.05.09 and thereafter at Grasu Pils on 17.05.09.
167.Common Redpoll single in flight near Kemeri National Park headquarters on 18.05.09.
168.Goldfinch a common species.
169.Greenfinch a common species.
170.Siskin a reasonably frequent species.
171.Serin two seen at Berzciems on 18.05.09.
172.Bullfinch recorded near Kemeri National Park headquarters on 18.05.09.
173.Hawfinch delightfully common. It was in fact seen at all three places where we stayed including in the centre of Riga on the morning of 16.05.09 and excellent views on the early morning of 17.05.09 at Grasu Pils. Otherwise, frequently recorded near Varakjani and at Metriena on 16.05.09; en route to Lake Lubans on 17.05.09; at Kemeri National Park headquarters on 18.05.09 and 19.05.09; and at Kemeri Motel on 19.05.09.
174.Common Rosefinch a singing male near Kemeri National Park headquarters and at Berzciems on 19.05.09.
175.Reed Bunting first seen near Varakjani on 16.05.09 and thereafter reasonably common in typical habitat.
176.Ortolan Bunting at least three singing males seen at Juanmoku Palace around the lake at adjacent farmland on 18.05.09.
177.Yellowhammer a very common sight and sound on roadside wires.
Mammals
1. Elk
2. Fox
3. Hare
4. Roe Deer
5. Water Vole
6. Red Squirrel
7. Hedgehog
Butterflies
1. Painted Lady
2. Map
3. Brimstone
4. Green-veined White
5. Sooty Copper
6. Peacock
7. Orange-tip
Moths
1. White Ermine
2. Eyed Hawkmoth
3. Dorset Cream Wave
4. Pauper Pug
5. Pebble Prominent
6. Pale Tussock
7. Nut-tree Tussock
8. Puss Moth
9. Hebrew Character
10. Scorched Carpet
11. Early Tooth-striped
Dragonflies
1. Hairy Dragonfly
2. Northern White-faced Darter
3. Northern Emerald
Jason Williams, Ben Crabb, Jim Payne, Howard Taffs, Rich Hunt, Bob Fleetwood, Paul Chapman