Back from work trip to Germany, and then striaght off to Krakow for a long weekend away
My first visit to Poland since becoming more serious about birding, having previously only ever noted one species - a field full of common cranes back in 2008 on a business trip. So, any other species was new for the Poland list!! And although I didn't fit in any serious birding, I still managed 19 species (all new for Poland!):
At Krakow airport, in Balice:
1. Rook (and perhaps one of the most common birds seen during the trip)
2. Magpie
In Krakow itself:
3. Jackdaw (in most parks)
4. Feral pigeon/rock dove (everywhere, and very well fed!)
5. Mallard (on the River Vistula)
6. Mute swan (R. Vistula)
7. Coot (R. Vistula)
8. Black-headed gull (R. Vistula)
9. Great tit
A sobering trip to Auschwitz was quite shocking. Despite the popular myth, however, birds do sing there, and with warm weather and birch woodland around the camps, there were several species singing and showing:
10. House sparrow
11. Blue tit
12. Coal tit
13. Green woodpecker (only heard)
14. Greenfinch
15. Starling
The next day, we had a trip to Wieliczka to see the salt mines, and on the outskirts of Krakow:
16. Common buzzard
In Wieliczka:
17. Collared dove (also seen later from our hotel room on neighbouring buildings)
And back in Krakow on the last day, a walk around some of the parks and green spaces added:
18. Eurasian treecreeper
19. Fieldfare
(no species not seen on other lists)