paul Robinson
Well-known member
Hi
I had a meeting in central Prague on the Monday so arrived Saturday night with the idea of spending most of Sunday on a bit of birding.
I was staying in Dejvicka near the metro stop and looking at the maps the handiest decent place to get to by public transport was Divoka Sarka, a wooded gorge about 20mins by tram from the Metro Station. Get a number 20 or 26 to the terminus and the park is on your right. Public transport in Prague is excellent, frequent and cheap. Buy a 30min ticket (24czk) or if you think you will be using a lot of transport try a day ticket for 110czk, about €5. This is good for all transport. Don't forget to validate the ticket with a time stamp when you get on first. I got there about 9.30am but trams run on sunday morning from 6.30am!
Arriving at Divoka Sarka terminus you see a path down to a lake just before you stop. Beyond the stop a path runs behind a McDonalds to the gorge proper. I took the first route as I liked the look of fields and hedges beyond before the trees started. The woodland is really nice open deciduous stuff lower down with a bit of birch and conifers higher up. Lots of great-tits & blue tits along the lake shore (empty of birds as it was frozen over). Two buzzards were calling over the woods beyond the field and heard my first green woodpecker of the day.
The fields and hedge margins the other side of the lake were excellent. Dozens of tree sparrows and yellowhammers, with more flying up all the time from the cereal crops as you walked. A sparrowhawk flew over.
Heading into the woods above the gorge GS woodpeckers were calling with a bit of drumming now and again. If you found a nice secluded spot (there were some dog walkers, runners and in the gorge proper groups of chatters & families) you could hear several of them tapping away gently on food. More green woodpecker calls, lots of great tits, some goldcrests high up and a small flock of hawfinches. There were several treecreepers but I couldn't get a call. Several seemed much more buff below than irish birds and 'dumpier' looking but I couldn't definitely call them as short-toed.
There are lots of trails which criss-cross the main tarmac path through the gorge and I spent my time going up and down these rather than using the busier pathway. Very few other people were using these trails so you could get into some pretty nice remote feeling places for such a popular spot. These produced lots of GS woodpeckers, treecreepers, nuthatches, goldfinches and siskins. I could hear another woodpecker much further down the valley but could not ID the call - most likely middle spotted.
The main gorge path runs along a stream. Taking the dirt trail off it which skirts the stream you come to a fork with one fork leading up the gorge side. This was a bright open bit of woodland with lots of blackbirds and fieldfares in the leaf litter. Looking at one of the many GS woodpeckers I picked up a green woodpecker directly behind it. At one point the leaf litter seemed to take off and just above the treeline a goshawk cruised past. turning round to watch a near by drumming GSW a male honey buzzard came down the valley. A fantastic 10mins or so with a "white headed" long tailed tit thrown in at the end.
Back down at the stream another buffy dumpy treecreeper but this one managed a little trill so I'm having it as short-toed! Dipper and grey wag with lots of goldcrests in the low bushes. Two ravens come over the gorge too.
I did not manage to get higher up to the deciduous/conifer tree line but still a bit disappointed not to see firecrest. Also no sight of MS, grey headed or black woodpeckers - thought I might reasonably get one of the first two.
The walk back along the gorge bottom had little to see. It was generally a bit colder than higher up and darker. I finished about 3pm.
An earlier morning visit in April/May would produce a better return but it is a lovely place for a day to wander in.
regards
Paul
I had a meeting in central Prague on the Monday so arrived Saturday night with the idea of spending most of Sunday on a bit of birding.
I was staying in Dejvicka near the metro stop and looking at the maps the handiest decent place to get to by public transport was Divoka Sarka, a wooded gorge about 20mins by tram from the Metro Station. Get a number 20 or 26 to the terminus and the park is on your right. Public transport in Prague is excellent, frequent and cheap. Buy a 30min ticket (24czk) or if you think you will be using a lot of transport try a day ticket for 110czk, about €5. This is good for all transport. Don't forget to validate the ticket with a time stamp when you get on first. I got there about 9.30am but trams run on sunday morning from 6.30am!
Arriving at Divoka Sarka terminus you see a path down to a lake just before you stop. Beyond the stop a path runs behind a McDonalds to the gorge proper. I took the first route as I liked the look of fields and hedges beyond before the trees started. The woodland is really nice open deciduous stuff lower down with a bit of birch and conifers higher up. Lots of great-tits & blue tits along the lake shore (empty of birds as it was frozen over). Two buzzards were calling over the woods beyond the field and heard my first green woodpecker of the day.
The fields and hedge margins the other side of the lake were excellent. Dozens of tree sparrows and yellowhammers, with more flying up all the time from the cereal crops as you walked. A sparrowhawk flew over.
Heading into the woods above the gorge GS woodpeckers were calling with a bit of drumming now and again. If you found a nice secluded spot (there were some dog walkers, runners and in the gorge proper groups of chatters & families) you could hear several of them tapping away gently on food. More green woodpecker calls, lots of great tits, some goldcrests high up and a small flock of hawfinches. There were several treecreepers but I couldn't get a call. Several seemed much more buff below than irish birds and 'dumpier' looking but I couldn't definitely call them as short-toed.
There are lots of trails which criss-cross the main tarmac path through the gorge and I spent my time going up and down these rather than using the busier pathway. Very few other people were using these trails so you could get into some pretty nice remote feeling places for such a popular spot. These produced lots of GS woodpeckers, treecreepers, nuthatches, goldfinches and siskins. I could hear another woodpecker much further down the valley but could not ID the call - most likely middle spotted.
The main gorge path runs along a stream. Taking the dirt trail off it which skirts the stream you come to a fork with one fork leading up the gorge side. This was a bright open bit of woodland with lots of blackbirds and fieldfares in the leaf litter. Looking at one of the many GS woodpeckers I picked up a green woodpecker directly behind it. At one point the leaf litter seemed to take off and just above the treeline a goshawk cruised past. turning round to watch a near by drumming GSW a male honey buzzard came down the valley. A fantastic 10mins or so with a "white headed" long tailed tit thrown in at the end.
Back down at the stream another buffy dumpy treecreeper but this one managed a little trill so I'm having it as short-toed! Dipper and grey wag with lots of goldcrests in the low bushes. Two ravens come over the gorge too.
I did not manage to get higher up to the deciduous/conifer tree line but still a bit disappointed not to see firecrest. Also no sight of MS, grey headed or black woodpeckers - thought I might reasonably get one of the first two.
The walk back along the gorge bottom had little to see. It was generally a bit colder than higher up and darker. I finished about 3pm.
An earlier morning visit in April/May would produce a better return but it is a lovely place for a day to wander in.
regards
Paul
