LATVIA  – The Magic of the Baltic

10 – 17 April 2007

by Anthea Skiffington

Tuesday 10 April

When offered the chance of a trip to Latvia, I couldn’t resist – I knew little or nothing about this Baltic State at the western extreme of the old Soviet Union, but someone said the magic words “Owls and woodpeckers” and that was the decider!

I travelled with OlivaRama Tours, whose first official visit to Latvia it was - so for our leader, Jules Sykes, as well as for the rest of us, this was all-new territory.  It’s fair to say that as six of us assembled at Stansted for our afternoon flight, we were all keenly looking forward to discovering whatever lay in store.  And we weren’t to be disappointed!

We arrived in Riga just before 7 pm local time, where we were met by Ken Shaw the OlivaRama co-leader, Janis Kruz the reserve warden at Kemeri National Forest who was to be our guide for the first two days, and group members John and Ian; this contingent had already been in Latvia 24 hours and so had started the birding ahead of us, and when they reported they’d already had White-backed Woodpecker and Pygmy Owl, our excitement rose – as did the pressure on Ken and Janis to find these birds again tomorrow!

Our hotel, the Jaunmoku Pils, was a beautiful Gothic-looking hunting lodge; one group member was heard humming the Addams Family theme as we got off the bus, and I admit I was half-expecting to see giant bats zooming out from behind the turrets, and hear owls hooting.  As it happened, no bats materialised, but as I retired to my very comfortable room, a Tawny Owl did obligingly call – making a nice start to the bird list, as well as contributing to the general atmosphere!

Wednesday 11 April

A pre-breakfast walk in the hotel grounds gave us Hawfinch, Marsh Tit, Yellowhammer, Fieldfare and Redwing, along with the Chaffinch which was to prove our most constant companion in Latvia – they are everywhere, which you might expect in such a highly forested country.

After an excellent buffet-style breakfast we set off for Kemeri National Park, with our sights firmly set on Pygmy Owl.  And Janis did not disappoint us – he led us straight to a site, whistled in the owl, and it came and sat on a branch right by us and obligingly posed for photos.  This was a breath-taking look at a “life” bird, and we were absolutely blown away by it!  Near the information centre, Meza Maja, Janis used a recording to call in Middle Spotted Woodpecker, and it flew into a tree right in front of us, looking for its imagined rival, and treating us all to excellent views. 

On to Dunduru Meadows, where the wetlands at Melnragu held Common Cranes, Marsh Harrier, Garganey, Goldeneye, Snipe and Green Sandpiper, while at the Dunduru Watchtower we got Raven and Common Buzzard.  From the bus, we enjoyed great looks at White Storks on nests, and Hooded Crows were everywhere.  After lunch at a transport café (we were now all becoming amazed at the consistently high quality of Latvian cuisine) we moved on to the Sumragu peninsula.  Here, during a leisurely 8Km walk through the forest, along a path fringed by streams which bore much evidence of European Beaver activity, we found a Grey-headed Woodpecker, and enjoyed great views of a Goshawk being mobbed by a Sparrowhawk.  We stood awhile hoping for Three-toed Woodpecker, which didn’t oblige, although we did hear Black Woodpecker drumming and calling, and we did get our first looks at White-tailed Sea Eagle, and a distant Lesser Spotted Eagle was picked up and identified by Ken, Janis and Jules.  As we returned to the vehicle, our disappointment at missing the Three-toed suddenly turned to great excitement as a Hazel Hen appeared perched on a low branch beside the path, and everyone was able to see this elusive bird.  We returned to the hotel in high spirits, to settle with a Latvian beer, work out the bird list, enjoy dinner and plan the next day’s birding – though it would have been pretty hard to top today!

Thursday 12 April

After discussion it had been decided to alter our plans to go to Cape Kolka first thing and instead to try again for the Three-toed.  So at 6 a.m. we piled on to the bus to head back to Kemeri.  As we walked the trail (clambering over the trees which the local European beavers had thoughtfully dropped across our path) we heard Black Woodpecker again, and some group members had brief looks at it – but then to our delight, we heard, and then saw, the Three-toed Woodpecker!  This bird could not have been more obliging – in fact it was a right little poser.  It located a small tree trunk right in front of us and proceeded to drum at several points until it found the exact resonance it was looking for. Then it sat there happily hammering heck out of the stump, enabling a lucky few of the group to get photos of it, and all of us to enjoy superb views.

Next we headed up the coast to Cape Kolka in the hopes of passage migration.  And these hopes weren’t disappointed.  No sooner had we parked the vehicle than we picked up Rough-legged Buzzard and Common Buzzard, Goshawk and Sparrowhawk passing through.  The seawatching proved absolutely superb – rafts of Long-tailed Duck, Scoter and Velvet Scoter, plus Goosander, Great Crested Grebe and Red-throated Diver, and good views of Eider, while many more Sparrowhawk were coming in off the sea.  The trees behind us held Willow Tit and Crested Tit, Siskin and Redpoll.  We returned to the car park for coffee, interested to see several large flocks of Woodpigeon streaming overhead.  And then a final bonus – a flock of 20 Common Cranes flew right over our heads, calling.  Magical! 

Next on to Engures, a wetland site on the coast, and from a very windy viewing platform, amongst the flocks of Tufted Duck, Pochard, Pintail and Greylag Geese we located a Red-necked Grebe, a Great White Egret, and several Black-tailed Godwits; and several V-shaped flocks of Common Cranes passed over us – we reckoned, well over 200 birds in all.  As we walked back to the vehicle, we found a Large Tortoiseshell Butterfly sunning itself on the ground.

We made a belated stop for lunch at a café overlooking the sea, and here we added Bewicks Swan, Oystercatcher and Barnacle Goose.  Then it was time to head for Riga, where we were to say a reluctant goodbye to Janis, who had proved an excellent guide and who had worked really hard to ensure that we saw as many woodpeckers (and other birds) as he could conjure up for us.  His knowledge and expertise had proved invaluable, and we were all very appreciative.

Here we picked up Maris, who was to be our guide for the next part of the trip, and then we set off on the long drive towards the Rundale Palace. Our guesthouse just outside the palace grounds was very comfortable, though the men did have to bunk in together and I, as the only single woman in the group, had an attic room in the family part of the house.  After dinner, Maris led us on a starlight walk to the Rundale Palace, hoping to hear Long-eared Owl.  We didn’t – but the 18th-century palace by moonlight was absolutely stunning, and I couldn’t get over the views of the stars – there literally seemed to be a million of them.  We could even see satellites travelling across the sky, like slightly slower shooting stars.  It made one realise how bad the light pollution is in South East England – you never get to see the night sky looking like that.  Latvia could be an astronomer’s paradise! 

Friday 13 April

Out before breakfast to walk the grounds of the Palace.  I was impressed with the beautifully laid-out formal gardens, every individual shrub still covered with white muslin-type material against the severe Latvian frosts.  A Little Ringed Plover landed near us; Maris told us these birds breed in the gardens here. 

After breakfast we packed up the vehicle and drove on, alongside a river which is the border between Latvia and Lithuania.  We were now heading into excellent Lesser Spotted Eagle territory, and Maris told us how the Lesser Spotted is the only bird of prey that eats moles – in July, when the young moles disperse, these eagles are to be seen on the ground, picking them off.  We stopped to enjoy views of a migrating Black Stork, and further on, in a forest, Viestte, we found Rough-legged Buzzard, Siskins and – at last! – a White-backed Woodpecker.

A stop at Daudzeva Ponds, a fishing lake, gave us Smew, Goldeneye, 6 Goosander, and our first Barn Swallow for the trip, along with a calling Chiffchaff.  As we drove away from the lake, we stopped to see a Northern Wheatear and suddenly to our delight an Osprey appeared – a nice addition to the raptor list. 

An hour’s drive onwards brought us to the area surrounding Lake Lubans.  From a Watch Tower viewing point, we counted 43 Smew, with several Goldeneye, a White-tailed Sea Eagle, another Osprey, and huge flocks of Taiga Bean and White-fronted Geese.  Driving on, we were delighted to see 4 Black Grouse from the bus, one of which was displaying; and from the next Watch Tower, we found Great White Egret. 

We arrived at our accommodation at Idena, which proved interesting – I had a bed in the dining room, while our leaders and the driver slept in the sauna!  However, the dinner was absolutely superb.  We were presented with carp, freshly caught in the lake that day and home-smoked. These were brought to the table whole, and we broke off portions to eat with rye bread, tomato and cucumber.  The fish was juicy and unbelievably fresh, just melting in the mouth! 

Straight after dinner, we went out to look for Ural Owl.  Maris did his best to call them in for us, hooting in an impressive imitation of their call, but although we did see Woodcock, no owl showed up.  We weren’t too disheartened, it had been a brilliant day!

Saturday 14 April

A pre-breakfast saunter around the reedland area near the house gave us booming Bittern, while Tree Sparrows chirped from the roof of the sauna. Then, off to Lubans Lake where we found literally hundreds of Whooper Swans and many displaying Goldeneye, with Pintail, and an amazing total of 53 Smew.  Geese were plentiful, in thousands, roughly in a ratio of 3 Whitefront – 1 Bean.  We were interested to locate two juvenile Whoopers which were neck-banded – after much effort we were able to read the numbers as K31 and K32, which one of our number promised to report to the BTO – hope he did!  We found 5 Red-necked Grebe, looking stunning in breeding plumage, and a further Osprey, while a White-tailed Eagle obligingly put up about 4000 geese, treating us to an amazing spectacle.  And as we drove home for lunch, an unexpected Grey Partridge was sitting on the side of the track.

After lunch, we drove on through Lubana, a black alder riverine forest which Maris said in the best in Latvia for Hazel Hen, and indeed a few lucky people did get a quick glimpse of one.  Then we stopped to do a 6Km walk through oak woodland at Pededze.  This proved to be more of a yomp than a walk, but we did manage to see Nuthatch, Treecreeper and Middle Spotted Woodpecker.  When we finally rejoined our bus, Edgars the driver was very excited because he had seen a European Beaver – unfortunately for us, he was the only one who did! 

We tried again for Ural Owl, but although we heard Tawny, no Ural Owl obliged.  Back at the guesthouse, a very late supper of bread and cheese had been provided, and after a couple of bottles of wine we decided to postpone doing the bird list till the next morning – it was now midnight and we were all more than ready for bed! 

Sunday 15 April

A before-breakfast stroll produced booming Bitterns again; we reckoned there were three males in the territory.  After completing the previous day’s impressive bird list, we packed up and headed off for a long drive towards the Estonian border.   Soon we entered Zuklis, which is Lesser Spotted Eagle territory, and with our usual good luck we enjoyed superb views of one that came to check us out as we clambered out of the bus to scope it.  We also saw Common Cranes doing a display flight, following each other, and Maris said this was the first time he had ever seen this sight – usually, it’s Black Storks that behave this way.  Ravens were pretty obliging in this area, too.

Entering the gently hilly region of northern Latvia we paused at Bzezgu (at 255m, this proudly proclaims itself the “highest peak in Latvia”!) to climb to the top of the “viewpoint” and stretch our legs, and added a Camberwell Beauty to our growing butterfly list.  Our next walk, along a woodland stream, gave us superb views of two Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers.  Not far past the town of Valmeira, we stopped in a village named Burtnieks to scope out a field of geese, which proved to be mostly Taiga Bean and Whitefront, but with half a dozen Barnacle Geese and about ten Tundra Bean Geese for those who were clever enough to distinguish them from the Taiga Bean (I don’t include myself in this category).

On to our accommodation, the amazing Lantus guesthouse, which was newly-built and extremely luxurious.  In the downstairs communal area, there was a huge dining/sitting room with a log fire, and a wonderful meal was laid out when we arrived.  We tucked in hungrily, then went out to search for Ural Owl, our last chance.  Once again, we heard Tawny and saw three Woodcocks, but we failed to find any trace of a Ural Owl despite Maris’ best and most skilful efforts.  Still, that’s birding – we all know you can’t have absolutely every bird you go for!  To our amazement, a whole second meal had been laid out upon our return, and we did justice to this one too.  As we sat around drinking wine and doing the bird list, we all felt very warm, sleepy and contented, and only the very bravest amongst us ventured into the sauna (let’s be truthful - after hearing Jules’ scream as he hit the cold pool, no one else was tempted!)

Monday 16 April

We slept in this morning – very welcome, after three late nights owling! – and after breakfast we headed off over the Estonian border, for a quick look at the Haardemeeste Marshes.  Here we found big flocks of Bewick Swan and Barnacle Geese, 4 Sea Eagles, Goosanders flying past, and Pintail.  We added 4 Avocet to the species list, and Yellow-legged Gull.  As we returned to the bus, Jules and Steve had a Red-throated Pipit fly over, but try as we might we couldn’t locate this bird again.  As we drove back towards the Latvian border, we enjoyed excellent looks at a Great Grey Shrike.

Back in Latvia, we headed back for Riga, stopping just outside the capital at Vangazi forest, which we named “Last Chance Saloon” – our last try to get a good look at Black Woodpecker.  We were completely unsuccessful at this – but, in compensation, we had wonderful views of a pair of Merlin, displaying.  Maris was very pleased at this, as this was only the second known potentially breeding pair in Latvia.  A nice note, to end the birding!  The group’s final tally of birds was 124 species, of which I personally had seen 118, with which I was extremely satisfied.  As to the Ural Owl, well, you always have to leave something to go back for, don’t you!

To sum up, I had gone to Latvia not really knowing what to expect, but was surprised and delighted with the very high standard of the birding.  I had 7 “lifers” on this trip (I had gone hoping for 6, so my expectations were exceeded) and furthermore, thanks to Jules, Ken and the Latvian guides I had excellent looks at all of them.  The woodland around Kemeri is magnificent, particularly for woodpeckers, and Cape Kolka is superb for seawatching and migration; while the Lubans area is wonderful for geese and swans.  In short, would I bird Latvia again? –  in a heartbeat!  And I would fervently recommend this excellent, but underestimated, country to any birder.