Latvian pic gallery 1

Posted by on April 30, 2006 3:14 PM | Permalink

One of many White Tailed Eagles we saw while being shown around the country by the excellent Janis Kuze, a man who has a sixth sense for birding...great week thanks a lot Janis!!!

This one at Nagli Fishponds in the east. Funny how ALL adults had a juvenile bird in tow..
Garganeys were common too in the right habitat too, again this was Nagli Fishponds..

Also in the area were "Thunbergi" race yellow wagtails, and at least four superb Marsh Sandpipers (blurred pics cos they run like trains!)

The fishponds at Nagli are vast and produce Carp by the gazillion - great smoked for breakfast while listening to Wryneck and Hawfinch on the shores of the massive Lake Lubans.
Near Lubans we had good views of Beaver - common all over the country, and masters of tree felling.
We also had Citrine Wagtail here plus Little Crake, many Smew, harriers, Ural Owl in the forest nearby ( it came right out into a clearing - MEGA!) Penduline Tit, Black Necked and Red Necked Grebes plus fresh waders galore from summer plumage Spotted Redshank to Temminck's Stint.
We saw Lesser Spotted Eagle in the Kemeri National Park (a lifer for me) and watched passage of up to 25 Rough Legged Buzzards over our heads at Cape Kolka amongst thousands of passerines, which occasionally paused in the treetops like these bullfinches.