Day 3. The Walk to Hel

Day started off bright and sunny so I ventured out expecting another 25C day, dressed in t shirt and shorts. 2 miles out on a walk clouds rolled over the peninsula, clinging to the land and views across Puck Bay disappeared. With the clouds came a bitterly cold northerly, so back to my room to change. Locals wearing gloves and bobble hats!
However, by now I had regsitered more good birds: 50+ migrating cranes over, sandwich tern, more endless willow warblers, lesser whitethroats, pied flycatchers and redstarts. One female redstart posed perfectly, low in a bush for a pleasing photo. Also, shelduck on the bay and a common sandpiper were trip ticks.
I returned to Jastarnia for a coffee and bus to Kuznica where I checked out the Baltic (nothing) and local woods. A goshawk through the trees and wren were new birds but, apart from redstarts, chaffinches and crossbills, nothing good. I popped into the camp run by the Baltic Ringing Group from Gdansk University, spending time checking nets with them, but just chaffinches. I made my way back via reedbeds and willows with plenty more of the same. A nightingale was seen briefly in undergrowth and a thrush sp disappeared as soon as I saw it. In the reeds both water rail and savi's warbler were heard, with a fleeting glimpse of the latter. Back at my room I planned today and went for another good meal. All in all, another excellent day.
New bird species:
56. Crane
57. Shelduck
58. Sandwich tern
59. Black headed gull
60. Savi's warbler
61. Bearded tit (heard)
62. Common sandpiper
63. Nightingale
64. Goshawk
65. Wren
66. Water rail
Photos show path to the Baltic, the nets and ringing camp, reedbeds around Jastarnia and a board explaining local birds.
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