Latvia Day 5

Unfortunately our first day at Kolka was not dripping with migrants or vibrant with Vis-mig but it was still a pleasant days birding. At first we managed to sleep through two alarms but once we awoke we realised that we had not missed too much, vis-mig limited to a small trickle of Chaffinches and a few Tree Pipits. Over the Baltic there were a few Eiders and Common Scoters, plus a single diver sp. but nothing too different.

Next we set up inland and we had a flock of five Rough-legged Buzzards in the company of three Common Buzzards which flew right overhead, as well as three Black Kites. That was undoubtedly the highlight of the movement, and the bushes were fairly quiet as well, with just a few grounded migrants included a couple of cracking male Redstarts and a few Whinchat. A pair of Woodlark were nice, as its not a species I have seen very often, and the first time I have photographed them on the ground.

In the afternoon we headed out to the nearby forest but the best we managed was a leucistic Meadow Pipit and a single Northern Long-tailed Tit, which was still pretty awesome. During the evening, after a sensational four hour nap, I staked out a nearby Ural Owl nest and had amazing views of the male bird bringing food to the female in the nest. The female’s head was visible the whole time, so it was nice when the male came in such that I could see a complete Owl.

-Common Crane

-Woodlark

-Ural Owl

Species List:

Kolka: Common Scoter, Eider, Stock Dove, Brambling, Jay, Grey Heron, Goosander, Yellowhammer, Chaffinch, Siskin, Common Sandpiper, Woodpigeon, Herring Gull, Hobby, Mute Swan, Red-breasted Merganser, Tree Pipit, Black-headed Gull, Sparrowhawk, White Wagtail, Hooded Crow, Swallow, Long-tailed Duck, Common Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Jackdaw, Feral Pigeon, Serin, Wren, Meadow Pipit, Common Crossbill, Ural Owl, Fieldfare, Mistle Thrush, Great Tit, Rough-legged Buzzard, Common Buzzard, Blue Tit, Robin, Greenfinch, Magpie, Linnet, Hawfinch, Yellow Wagtail, Song Thrush, Crane, House Martin, Skylark, Goldfinch, White Stork, Reed Bunting, Starling, Lesser Whitethroat, Chiffchaff, Cormorant, Redstart, Whinchat, Woodlark, Whitethroat, Wheatear, Black Redstart, Black Kite, Hen Harrier, Rook, White-tailed Eagle, Long-tailed Tit, Pied Flycatcher, Red Deer,