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The Walk to Hel (Poland) (1 Viewer)

jforgham

Birding for fun
28th April found me at Stansted airport at the unearthly hour of 4.30a.m. for an £80 Ryan Air return flight to Gdansk. All went well, landing on time and I was out of the airport before 10a.m.
A bus to Wrzeszcz station and then a train to Wladyslawowo were sorted. I had to change trains at Gdynia and then get off the train at Reda where the line was closed for repairs. A bus took me the final 30km to Wladyslawowo where I began the walk to the town of Hel.
The Hel peninsula is a long, extremely thin spit of land with the Baltic on the northerly shore and Gdansk/Puck Bay on the southerly side. In places, just 100m wide. There is a single road down the middle of the peninsula that runs adjacent to the (presently) non functioning railway and a cycle track. Most of the way there are paths through the mixed forests, mainly conifers but also holding birch and occasional willow. In all, the length is some 25 miles.
The first day, with my rucksack, I wanted to get to the town of Jastarnia, some 14 miles away. The temperature was good, low 20'sC, and all was fine.
Once stocked up with the afternoon's picnic, I commenced the walk at 2.15pm and immediately was into some good birds in pathside vegetation. Willow warbler, lesser whitethroat, redstart and chiffchaff were ubiquitous and I stopped frequently to try to get a few photos. Today, I was on the Puck Bay side and apart from hundreds of grey herons, mallards and mute swans, I scored with a party of 20+ goosanders, some way out. A marsh harrier lazed in an easterly direction as did a white stork and an unidentified, probably common, buzzard.
Other common birds noted were hooded crow, herring gull, house sparrow and jackdaws. A group of 8 tree sparrows were noted near Lidl's at the start of the walk and a little later, 2 hawfinch, high in the trees. Also up in the canopy were plenty of common crossbill.
I arrived in the first village, Chalupy (pronounced Hawupy) and stopped for a beer and some food. Just great to be here, watching the world go by. A male redstart was singing from a birch and I was joined on the shore by a white wagtail.
After this stop, I made another in the next, slightly larger settlement of Kuznica. Here I walked past plenty of mist nets from the local ringing camp, pitched somehwere in the woods on the Baltic side. I had planned to visit here later in the week. Another beer at Kuznica before the final hour's walk to Jastarnia, where I arrived at my pre booked b and b at 7.45. A long day, so out for an early meal and to bed.
Total species for the day 32.
Day 2 dawned clear and warm, so out for an early start, to complete the walk to Hel, some 12 miles further east. Temp was again, mid 20's and with no rucksack to carry, just bins and camera, I had time to wander through woods where I recorded 4 species of woodpecker (G, L, MSW whilst only hearing black woodpecker drumming.) In the small harbour at Jastarnia, tufted duck, cormorants and in the local willows, plenty of pied flycatchers and more redstarts. Greta start to the day.
Stopping off at the tourist destination of Jurata for a coffee and beer before completing the walk in the early afternoon. A wood warbler was singing as I entered Hel and short toed treecreeper noted in the woods. Several raven around Jurata and goldcrests calling from the canopy.
In Hel, a celebratory beer before the bus returned me to Jastarnia. Here, I wanted to investigate the local shoreline and reedbeds. Great place to be, if a little daunting as the reeds are populated by wild boar. However, with as much time on my hands, I was able to sit a while and wait for photo opportunities, which eventually came along. New birds were whinchat, stonechat, cuckoo, reed bunting, sparrowhawk with a flock of greenshank on the mud, accompanied by a few dunlin.
An evening meal before another relatively early night.
Day 3 looked to be good, weatherwise, so out to the reedbeds again in shorts and t shirt. Error! By 10 the clouds rolled over the peninsula and with them came a bitterly cold northerly wind that dropped the temperature to 3C. A swift walk back to get properly dressed meant I was wandering past locals wearing bobble hats, gloves, thick coats and hoodies.
As I then set off out again, 50+ cranes headed over north easterly, firstly somewhat distant, but then most obligingly, circled and flew directly over me. A nightingale called briefly, and a quick check to make sure it was not a thrush nightingale. It wasn't, but a female redstart was keen to be photographed, low in a bush. At this point a call I had only heard last year at Lakenheath RSPB: a savi's warbler and in the reeds the ping of bearded reedlings. Further along the shore another new bird, common sandpiper, before I took the bus to Kuznica and a walk through the Baltic side of the woods. I came across the ringing group from Gdansk Uni and helped check the 30+ mist nets they have scattered around the woods, but only chaffinches whilst I was there. Apparently, on the previous Sunday, 5 pallid harriers had migrated overhead, but the cold wind was keeping things quiet.
A goshawk shot by and a water rail called from a small reedbed near the station. Back to Jastarnia for my last night, and another visit to local hotspots.
Day 4 and a walk back to Jurata through woods didn't give anything new apart from a song thrush but plenty of birds to see. I wasted 15 minutes at Jastarnia harbour where I heard the call of an unknown gull and an eagle! After searching all possible areas, with the calls frequent, I eventually discovered it was a recording, obviously designed to keep gulls away!
Jurata and the Baltic coast for some sea watching, but nothing apart from herring gulls and a possible caspian moving east, but without my scope, too distant to nail.
I then returned to pick up my sack and take the bus to Wladyslawowo for my last night. Here, I found a sensibly priced room for the night, enjoyed a freezing walk along the beach and a good meal and few beers in a local bar.
Last day and up early for another sea watch where a few mallards, cormorants along with continous movement of herring gulls. A Sandwich tern or two made the trip list before I headed off to the town park where warblers were singing in profusion. A male redstart lent itself for a reasonable shot and a party of 30 siskins disappeared into the conifers in the dunes. Breakfast followed by a walk to check the shore at the beginning of the peninsula. A greenfinch, collared doves, magpies etc about along with grey herons.
Back to the beach, where, being Bank Holiday, plenty of Poles were sitting around with windbreaks and layers of coats to fight off the bitterly north wind. Here, I indulged in sitting in a beer marquee conducting my sea watch. Great place with a few Tyskie beers. I then had the repeat bus, train, train bus journeys to the airport for a 22.10 flight to Stansted, landing at 23.30, meaning I was home before 1a.m.
A fantastic 5 days, with 60 miles covered on foot and a list of some 70 bird species. Butterflies were really consigned to the warm days early in the trip, with holly blue, peacock, small copper and an unidentified white being noted, along with a small lizard, wild boar and a few deer in the woods near Jurata.
I plan to return in winter to check the sea and bay for the large numbers of grebes, divers and sawbills that overwinter in the shletered bay.
Good trip, and a few photos below.
 

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A few more phtos
 

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Final few; more can be seen on my blog: address below.
photos 1 and 2 local maps
Photo 3 Puck Bay
Photo 4: standard beach wear for The Baltic
photos 5 overhead migrating crane.
 

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