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Grey-headed Woodpeckers at Fontainebleau? (1 Viewer)

Ian Merrill

New member
Can anyone please help with any specific recent locations for Grey-headed Woodpecker at Fontainebleau, Ile de France?

I've been trawling eBird, recent trip reports, etc, and have drawn a total blank.

Fingers crossed

Ian
 
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Many thanks for that. It concurs with what I have been able to glean, seems like I need to look elsewhere.

Any advice on a good European site for G-h W, with easy/cheap flight connections from the UK and a nice bit of local culture to keep a largely non-birding wife happy, would be appreciated...
 
Georgia, rainforest near Batumi (can't remember the name, but can find it if you like) is a near certainty for Grey-headed. (We walked 5 minutes and had the first) Some 8 other woodpecker species are fairly doable here as well.
 
Poland (Bialowieza forest) is surely the best option, with all bar 3 of the WP species/subspecies present. If you book to go, let me know and I can give you a specific site for grey headed where I've seen them on every occasion over two springs. I believe that the Polish Government is still doing all they can to wipe this amazing place off the face of the earth, so a visit sooner rather than later is a must. Good chance of some large mammals (Bison/Beaver/Martens) and excellent food to keep the other half happy.
 
Many thanks for that. It concurs with what I have been able to glean, seems like I need to look elsewhere.

Any advice on a good European site for G-h W, with easy/cheap flight connections from the UK and a nice bit of local culture to keep a largely non-birding wife happy, would be appreciated...

Tatras Mountains in Serbia are superb, we saw the Woodpecker plus other good stuff.

GhW is also fairly easy in Belarus and can be combined with e.g Azure Tit and Great Grey Owl. I could pm you details of a decent, cheap guide (who may be able to show you the same nest he showed us) if interested in Belarus which is delightfully friendly, cheap and beautiful.




A
 
Grey-headed Woodpecker is also quite easy in central and southern Germany (I saw it in the city of Frankfurt!), but it is declining as well.
 
Tatras Mountains in Serbia are superb, we saw the Woodpecker plus other good stuff.

GhW is also fairly easy in Belarus and can be combined with e.g Azure Tit and Great Grey Owl. I could pm you details of a decent, cheap guide (who may be able to show you the same nest he showed us) if interested in Belarus which is delightfully friendly, cheap and beautiful.




A

How easy is Belarus to visit these days? I'd love to go.
 
See post #4566 by Jos in the European Rarities thread - looks like it can on occasion be several hours waiting at the border crossing. Sounds like what Britain will be post-brexit.

It's unlikely that a Brit will arrive to Belarus at a land border so that's not really an issue.

I flew in to Minsk from Russia which was easy as it's part of an EU type arrengement with Russia.

Contrary to what Jos writes, I found the visa to be easy to get (in the UK) and no hassle at all, certainly compared to what I go through for a Russian Visa! One thing to be sure of when sending a postal order for the visa, DO NOT CROSS the postal order, they will send it back, it must be uncrossed.

Small chance of Beaver too, we were lucky.

I highly recommend Belarus.

A
 

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Poland (Bialowieza forest) is surely the best option, with all bar 3 of the WP species/subspecies present. If you book to go, let me know and I can give you a specific site for grey headed where I've seen them on every occasion over two springs. I believe that the Polish Government is still doing all they can to wipe this amazing place off the face of the earth, so a visit sooner rather than later is a must. Good chance of some large mammals (Bison/Beaver/Martens) and excellent food to keep the other half happy.


Agree with these comments, superb place and one of my best ever birding holidays !!, an organised trip with a guide may provide the sought after birds.
 
Contrary to what Jos writes, I found the visa to be easy to get (in the UK) and no hassle at all.

Main issue with the visa is that the requirements, and adherence to them by the authorities, change from time to time, sometimes making the visa easy, sometimes a hassle.

The main hassle part comes when they start enforcing the accommodation requirement - technically you need confirmed accommodation for the whole trip and Booking.com reservations, etc, are not permitted, but faxed confirmation from actual hotels in Belarus. When the embassy decides to follow this rule, it is a hassle.

Incidentally, as of the last year or two, if flying into Belarus for a trip of five days or less, no visa is required anymore for British or any EU passport holders ...easiest way to get the Azure Tits et al.


It's unlikely that a Brit will arrive to Belarus at a land border so that's not really an issue.

By far the cheapest way though - from the UK, pick up a cheap Ryan Air flight to Vilnius (15 euro on a good day), then rent a car (cheaper than in Belarus) and 30 km later you are in Belarus. Wayward travelers can even stop in and get coffee with me, bargain!
 
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(Belarus) - looks like it can on occasion be several hours waiting at the border crossing. Sounds like what Britain will be post-brexit.

Second time you have tried to link post-Brexit Britain with Belarus - clearly you know nothing about Belarus or its borders.
 
Incidentally, as of the last year or two, if flying into Belarus for a trip of five days or less, no visa is required anymore for British or EU passport holders ...easiest way to get the Azure Tits et al.


By far the cheapest way though - from the UK, pick up a cheap Ryan Air flight to Vilnius (15 euro on a good day), then rent a car (cheaper than in Belarus) and 30 km later you are in Belarus.

Thanks Jos. I didn't know about the visa changes. Are there no problems taking a hire car into Belarus? I'm rather booked up for the next year or so but maybe 2019.

Sorry about going a bit off topic.
 
Thanks Jos. I didn't know about the visa changes. Are there no problems taking a hire car into Belarus? I'm rather booked up for the next year or so but maybe 2019.

Note, the visa-free is only if flying into Minsk. For any other entry route, including all road and rail options, you still need a visa. Train option from Vilnius to Minsk is actually a good one - cheap and never any delays, customs and immigration occur on the moving train.

As you are considering 2019 however, absolutely anything is possible by then - visa regime may have eased or may have gotten even tougher.
 
I have seen all Europe's Woodpeckers as have many others, but with Grey-headed timing is everything.
At Bialowieza I enjoyed great views of 3 White-backed, 1 Three-toed, 2 Black, 1 Lesser Spotted, but only the briefest flight view of Grey-headed.

I would fly to Warsaw-Modlin with Ryan Air (NOT the other Warsaw Chopin Airport) then drive to Bialowieza. They can be found in the main park or at the extreme eastern end of the village by obvious bare tree trunks close to the river bridge. But I would ask Wild-Poland what the best weeks of Feb-March are for vocal GH Woodies.
 
... but with Grey-headed timing is everything.

Spent a little of your time on my veranda and they are easy enough :)

All from the same veranda: Black, Grey-headed, Three-toed, White-backed, Great Spotted, Middle Spotted, Lesser Spotted, Wryneck.
 

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