HOME > BIRD CALENDER

 BIRD CALENDER

  
Birds occurence month by month and other natural phenomena.

Birding month by month
JANUARY
 Generally cold and snowy. Good period to taste real eastern winter with deep snow cover. Numerous invasion species as Waxwings/Redpolls/Snow Buntings occur in countryside. Wandering Eagles - White-tailed and Golden possible, Rough-legged Buzzard usually common.
FEBRUARY
 Passage of Shore Larks and first spring migrants - Lapwings, Sky Larks. Start of Eagle Owl and other owls activity.
MARCH
 Good month for Woodpeckers, including White-backed and Three-toed (Bialowieza Forest). Waterfowl migration is on the move in Biebrza and Narew Valleys. Thousands of geese and swans stop here for feeding during migration. Some late winter birds still remain here: Rough-legged Buzzard, Waxwing, Redpoll.
APRIL
Migration month with still thousands of Geese and first Ruff arriving. Woodpeckers and Owls active in forests. April is a peak activity month of Tengmalm's Owl. Birds call in the night in pine forests.
MAY
Most popular month for visiting. The weather may be surprisingly hot, but also sometimes rainy. Thousands of passing Ruffs, Terns in river Valleys. In forests young woodpeckers, Warblers and Eagles.

 

JUNE
 Good month for Warblers: Barred, Greenish, Blyth's Reed and more common ones: Aquatic, Savi's, River and Grasshopper. Three-toed Woodpeckers feed youngsters at holes.
JULY
Quite hot (20-30 C) and sometimes rainy month, though with numerous breeding birds active while feeding youngs. Warblers still singing, Terns feeding chicks.
AUGUST
 In the middle of the month groups of Storks and Cranes start moving southwards. Flocks reaching hundreds of birds start early morning from roosts and search for strong currents taking them further on the migration route. Shorebirds also show up in wet places eg muddy edges of fish-ponds or riversides (Biebrza/Narew) or lakes (Siemianowka Reservoir). In forests in the second half of the month owls start their autumnal activity (Pygmy, Tengmalms).
SEPTEMBER
 Raptor migration - Eagles (Lesser Spotted) and other raptors (Osprey, Honey Buzzard) start flying south. They pass over river valleys and reservoirs and may be easily observed, sometimes in small groups. Siemianowka Lake hosts various waders including rarities like Marsh Sandpiper or Broad-billed Sandpiper. On cold nights first Red Deer start hooting, accompanied by dawn whistling of Pygmy Owls. Big flocks of Cranes may gather in Biebrza Marshes at their stopovers.
OCTOBER
First frosts come in this month and trees become yellow-red. Still rather sunny, without rainy weeks. Tundra migrants arrive - Rough-legged Buzzards, Waxwings, Shore Larks. Raptors passing - Buzzards, Merlin, Hen Harrier.
NOVEMBER

Most of the trees already without leaves, sometimes first snow covers large areas of forests and marshes. Flocks of Waxwings numerous in towns and villages. Wintering raptors roam in Biebrza and Siemianowka - White-tailed Eagles, Rough-legged Buzzards, Hen Harriers.
DECEMBER
 Usually snowy and quite cold. Temperatures below zero, sometimes down to -20 C. Most of the lakes and rivers covered with ice. Numerous winter visitors include Rough-legged Buzzard (common), Waxwing (common), Golden Eagle (singles, increasing). Northern rarities possible: Snowy Owl (large marshes ans meadows), Hawk Owl

Bird occurence monthly. WHITE fields - low chances to see, YELLOW - possible to find, ORANGE - best time to see.

 

Form nameScientific name
I
II
III
IV
V
VI
VII
VIII
IX
X
XI
XII
Red-throated Diver Gavia stellata                        
Black-throated Diver Gavia arctica                        

Bewick Swan

Cygnus c. bewickii                        
Black Stork Ciconia nigra                        
White Stork Ciconia ciconia                        
Rough-legged Buzzard Buteo lagopus                        
Lesser Spotted Eagle

Aquila pomarina

Greater Spotted Eagle

Aquila clanga

White-tailed Eagle Haliaeetus albicilla                        
White winged Black Tern Chlidonias leucopterus                        
Lesser Black backed Gull Larus fuscus                        
Great SnipeGallinago media                        
Ruff Philomachus pugnax                        
Three-toed Woodpecker Picoides tridactylus                        
Roller Coracias garrulus                        
Citrine Wagtail Motacilla citreola                        
Aquatic Warbler Acrocephalus paludicola                        
NutcrackerNucifraga caryocatactes                        
Snow Bunting Plectrophenax nivalis                        
Ortolan Bunting Emberiza hortulana                        
 
Most birders come in ...
January Fabruary March April May June July August September October November December
also take a look at TRAVELLINGBIRDER