Highlights included , Black Woodpecker at nest , Ural Owl , Grey Headed Woodpecker , Thrush Nightingale , Scarlet Rosefinch , Citrine Wagtail , breeding Montagu's Harrier , displaying Lesser Spotted Eagle , Bluethroat , Barred Warbler singing , Common Cranes , Hawfinch (26 in one flock) , Red breasted Fly , White tailed Eagle (9 together + one carrying dead Crane , Golden Oriole , Red necked Grebes , Wryneck , Middle spotted Woddpecker , Caspian Tern , White winged Black tern , Whiskered tern , Map butterfly , Northern Chequred Skipper..Common Clubtail , Moose , Beaver and Wild Boar...and many more
Garden Birds at Kolka included ,Black Woodpecker , Hawfinch , Red Backed Shrike ,Hobby ,Grey Headed Wagtail , Common Rosefinch , Woodlark , Black throated Diver (2 fly overs) , Golden Oriole , Icterine Warbler and Common Crane (flyover)
List of Birds
Greylag Goose pretty common on lakes at Eugures Ezera
White -fronted Goose only one seen near Kolka
Barnacle Goose ..4 seen on the sea at kolka
Dark bellied Brent Goose 4 + 2 at Kolka
Mute Swan ..Common throughout
Whooper Swan.....birds seen heading north at Kolka and at least 4 breeding pairs at Fishponds and at Eugures Ezera
Shelduck , Garganey , Shoveler
Gadwall an impressive flock of 130 + at Fishponds and small numbers at
Widgeon at Eugures Ezera and Eugures Ezera
Mallard common throughout
Pintail at Eugures Ezera and Fishponds
Teal 4 at Eugures Ezera and a few at Fishponds
Pochard at Eugures Ezera
Tufted Duck at Eugures Ezera
Greater Scaup a few males on the sea at Kolka
Eider small numbers on the coast around Kolka..
Velvet Scoter good numbers at Kolka most days with 70 +
Common Scoter large numbers at Kolka
Long -tailed Duck
Goldeneye small flocks on the sea at Kolka (aprox 35 +)
Red -breasted Merganser Common around Kolka point with birds seen displaying
Goosander , A common resident
Mandarin Duck **
Quail ...1/2 call in fields at the southern end of fishponds
Little Grebe ...1 at fishponds was the only sighting
Great Crested Grebe...common throughout
Red -necked Grebe ..a good breeding population at Fishponds and at Eugures Ezera. Seen fighting with Great Crested Grebes over nest location..
Slavonian Grebe...one seen at Fishponds in summer plumage.
Feral Pigeon ,Stock Dove ,Woodpigeon , Collared Dove
Turtle Dove 5 seen at Kolka
Common Cuckoo very common one hepatic bird was seen at the Fishponds.
Eurasian Nightjar watched displaying and catching insects in woodland near Lake Lubans .
Common Swift ..common
Eurasian Coot ,common
Common Crane , common throughout with a large group of 55 + on woodland drive just outside Kolka , and birds with young at Kemeru raised bog , can be seen and herd just about anywhere.
Eurasian Oystercatcher seen at Kolka
European Golden-Plover , 2 only
Northern Lapwing ..Common in suitable habitat , seen when driving between sites and good numbers at Fishponds
Common Ringed Plover ...Kolka point held a few birds daily
Little Ringed Plover ....small numbers seen at various sites.
Bar-tailed Godwit ..1 at Kolka point
Black-tailed Godwit ..2 + 4 at Fishponds
Sanderling ..2 at Kolka point
Eurasian Woodcock , seen most evenings with birds very close and roding..
Common Snipe ....
Common Sandpiper
Green Sandpiper
Spotted Redshank ..I in near full summer plumage at Fishponds
Marsh Sandpiper ..1 seen in flight at fishponds
Wood Sandpiper ..2 birds displaying on the ground and in flight and showing well at Kemeri Raised Bog .
Common Redshank
Black-headed Gull...Common
Little Gull...large numbers at Eugures Ezera with 1000+ birds
Common Gull ..Common
Herring Gull ..Common
Lesser Black-backed Gull ..Common
Great Black-backed Gull ...A few individuals near Kolka
Caspian Tern .....Eugures Ezera
Picture above Caspian Tern , Little Gull , BH Gull and Common Tern
Black Tern ...A small breeding colony at Fishponds and small numbers at Eugures Ezera
White-winged Tern
Whiskered Tern
Common Tern
Arctic Tern ..Small numbers on passage
Sandwich Tern ..Common at Kolka
Red-throated Diver ..small numbers at Kolka
Black -throated Diver ...excellent passage at Kolka point with 12 the first afternoon the next few days saw 300 + , 70 , 80 and 1 ..flying right overhead ...
Great Northern Diver
White Stork
Black Stork ..One seen very well
Great Cormorant...Common to abundant at Cape Kolka ...
Bittern....Seen very well at Eugures Ezera with 2 birds together and could be herd calling from the garden at Fishponds..Great to see and hear...
Grey Heron...Regular
Great White Egret...Common the first 3 at Kolka were heading North out to sea.
Osprey..Common with upto 3 seen together at Fishponds and a regular sight .
Lesser (never)Spotted Eagle.....After renaming this species the Never Spotted Eagle we finally saw 2 on the last day just south of the fishponds.It was worth the wait as they put on a display , with stooping twisting and prolonged scope views.................
Marsh Harrier..Common
Montagues Harrier......A 2cy male was seen at Kolka and a pair the fishponds gave stunning views.The male and female food pass was one of the highlights of the trip for me.
Northern Goshawk..One seen distantly on an evening drive whilst watching a Black Woodpecker at the nest.
Eurasian Sparrowhawk...
White -tailed Eagle..Seen most days in good numbers but 9 together at the fishponds was memorable to say the least..
Common Buzzard...common
Honey Buzzard..Small numbers seen on passage at Kolka and a bird displaying at Eugures Ezera...
Tawny Owl..herd calling from the garden at Kolka
Ural Owl ...Wow a stunner.....
Short - eared Owl..One at Kolka on the first day was our only sighting coming in off the sea.
Hoopoe.. A few sightings from the car and a nest site on the coast.
Common Kingfisher ..2 sightings at
Eurasian Wryneck ..not as common as expected but seen well on a couple of occasions.
Middle Spotted Woodpecker ..Nest site found and male and female both watched feeding young..brilliant...
Great Spotted Woodpecker ...Common
Grey-headed Woodpecker ..Seen very well on a couple of occasions at , excellent attractive species.
Black Woodpecker joint bird of the trip for me with the first one in the back garden at Kolka. We eventually found a nest site where close views were obtained and many more sightings around Latvia.
Eurasian Kestrel ..Common
Eurasian Hobby ...Very Common the commonest raptor of the trip
Peregrine Falcon ,,,Seen at Kolka ...
Eurasian Golden Oriole ,, again a common garden bird with birds singing from first light at Kolka and at the fishponds , not so often seen but occasionally a stunning male would show itself..
Red-backed Shrike ..one of the first birds seen at Kolka from the front room . One morning there were 4 on next doors fence ..seen most days in good number..
Eurasian Jay ...Common
Eurasian Magpie...Common
Eurasian Jackdaw ...Common some 'Nordic Types ' were seen if looked for
Rook ..Common
Hooded Crow ..Common
Common Raven ..Common
Coal Tit .. 2 seen at Kolka point
Crested Tit ..4 birds seen very well ,
Willow Tit only 2 seen near Cape Kolka
Eurasian Blue Tit ...Common
Great Tit..Common
Eurasian Penduline-Tit ...My favourite find of the trip ,on the first day one was found in the last fallen down tree on Kolka point....herd at the fishponds and Lake Lubans
Wood Lark ...Common
Eurasian Skylark ...Common
