birding...

Black Woodpecker Dryocopus martius ©Arnis Dimperans http://www.birdphoto.lv

With an outline like a nestling, Latvia is on the east coast of the Baltic Sea. Flanked by Estonia to the north and Lithuania to the south, it stretches eastwards to the Russian and Belarus borders. It is, largely, a flat country, with a rather monotonous agricultural landscape, but it also has wide forests and wetlands of various types. Being an East European country, albeit slightly to the north, it has an impressive range of species mixed up in a cocktail that is rather different from that of Western Europe. A few examples of the notable breeding species are Black Stork, Lesser-spotted Eagle, Ural Owl, Blyth's Reed Warbler, Greenish Warbler, Red-breasted Flycatcher, Thrush Nightingale and Common Rosefinch; all these species are fairly common throughout the country. Some uncommon exotic species also breed, for instance, the Little Bittern, Short-toed Eagle, Great Snipe, Marsh and Terek Sandpipers, Whiskered Tern, Pygmy and Tengmalm's Owls, Citrine Wagtail and Parrot Crossbill.

It is not only the location that makes it different from other countries. Ineffective agriculture and forestry during Soviet rule favoured many bird species. By way of illustration, the Corncrake remains widespread with no less than 26,000 breeding pairs, the Common Crane is a rather common breeder in bogs and wet forest clearings, and a number of species of woodpeckers maintain good populations. The White-backed Woodpecker, for instance, is estimated to be 1,500 breeding pairs, but the Middle-spotted is increasing and expanding its range. The Red-backed Shrike is common - many can be seen perching on wires and bush tops along the roads. The number of White Stork is also imposing - imagine 10,500 pairs for a territory of only 65,000 sq/km. But don't be fooled into false optimism by this portrait. Times are changing - forest felling intensifies and agriculture may soon follow western models. Will the bird life remain unaffected? Definitely not, the only question is how seriously?

In Spring and Autumn many migrating birds pass over. Two bottle-necks in the western part of Latvia - Kolka and Pape, concentrate the largest numbers. Massive movement of divers and sea ducks take place along the west coast in spring. Grey geese passage happens twice a year, when many stop at our wetlands to rest. One of the most interesting wintering species is the Stellers’s Eider. It is not common, but currently one wintering site is known on the west coast. To conclude, Latvia is, without a doubt an interesting country for birdwatchers, and there are still lots of things to discover.

The Latvian Ornithological Society currently has several hundred members. Birdwatching is not yet a popular outdoor activity in the country, and people with binoculars are rarities in themselves...