The Final Fling. Belarus 2009. |
Written by Jos | |
The legendary Pripyat Valley, an amazing place that has captivated year after year, luring me across the border in search of its hidden gems and birding delights. What started out as a quest to see Azure Tits in 2006 turned out to be pure enchantment straddling four years and numerous trips, the Azure Tits never losing their appeal, the mouth-watering extras added pleasure. However, this trip is likely to be my last visit to Belarus for the foreseeable future - so the idea was to end it how it all began, another quest to find Azure Tits, hopefully sealing the trip with some photographs.
I was not to be disappointed - on a two-day trip, in amongst Black Storks, Terek Sandpiper and Bluethroats, no less than four fantastic Azure Tits, including another breeding pair. All very nice indeed, plus dozens of Whiskered Terns, thousands of White-winged Black Terns and tens of thousands of Ruff, plus Wrynecks, Hoopoes and singing Spotted Crakes.
Day One. 1 May. At 2.30 a.m., after a couple of hours languishing on the Lithuanian-Belarussian border, I was in the country and motoring south, Pripyat ahead.
South of the river, an hour west took me to another stretch of riverine forest, again my hope was Bluethroats. The rain had stopped, but it sure hadn't got any warmer. A cold damp walk followed, a Black Stork drifted over, Grasshopper Warblers and River Warblers were in song, so too my first Thrush Nightingales of the year, plus a selection of other migrants - Cuckoos, one more Wryneck and Whinchats. Again no Bluethroats, so I decided on a change of strategy - this day was nearing its end, I would drive round to Pinsk to position myself in a fantastic place for the beginning of day two, hopefully in better weather. At the car, a Black Stork stood sentinel, a guard for my car!
![]()
Day Two. 2 May.
What a fantastic night - having chosen to camp adjacent to pools and marshes, I'd spent the night surrounded by booming Bitterns, the poop-poop-oop of numerous Spotted Crakes and the melodies of a Bluethroat, very nice indeed. And with dawn, the sun was shining, all promised to be a wonderful day. A quick wander around and quickly I saw one of the Bluethroats and then I drove off to a nearby village to begin explorations. Truly memorably, a right bevy of bird action - from White Stork nests with burgeoning Tree Sparrow colonies through to Hoopoes and Wrynecks competing in a dawn chorus with the assorted songs of Whitethroats, Lesser Whitethroats, Blackcaps, Thrush Nightingales and Willow Warblers. A postive feast for the ear drums! Fieldfares hopped across the grassy banks, Linnets and Whinchats popped up to sun themselves on fence posts.
Ready to leave, I walked over towards a singing Wryneck, hoping to get a photograph, but then the male Azure Tit landed in a fruit tree immediatey adjacent. A cautious turn, I finally got the photograph I had been waiting for, the grand finale to my four year Azure Quest. With that, I turned and left, the day was still young, but I had a few more places to visit. Tried one more village and found one more Azure Tit, stopped at a ditch and found another Bluethroat, then drove westward, best birds of the afternoon another Black Stork, plus six Montagu's Harriers. Two Swallowtail butterflies too. With the birding over, it had been my intention to leave Belarus and enter Poland. Belarussian immigration had other ideas - despite my best attempts at two crossing points, I wasn't allowed through the border! Ah well, back to Belarus. My visa was only a two-day transit, so I was now stuffed. I decided on a return to the Lithuanian border, 300 km north. Technically, I was not allowed to return across that border either, as transit visas require travel to a third country only, but fortunately the guards didn't mind, a cheery wave and I was out of the country, my travels to Belarus at a successful end.
|
|
Last Updated ( Thursday, 04 June 2009 ) |