BELARUS For Ornithology
Thinly populated Belarus practically hasn’t been visited by western ornithologists until now. But a large area of forests and marshes, clean lakes and first of all a vast landscape of the Pripyat Lowland, have a wonderful world of birds. Thanks to the geographical location one can meet here such species like Acrocephalus Naum, Motacillidae, Parus cyanus Pall as well as such northern birds as wood-grouse-Tetrao Urogallus L, black-grouse, wattle owl, curlew and some species widespread in the south like hoopoe, white wattle tern, Pomatomus sallatrix, white-throat.
A distinguishing feature is the muliplicity of such rare species for Central Europe likeblack stork, bittern, landrail. The largest in the world population of Acrocephalus paludicola consisting of 5500 – 9000 pairs as well as such birds like eagles belong to the ornithologica peculiarities.
Day 1
Fransfurt- Minsk flight. Transfer to the hotel.
Day 2
We are visiting the Berezinsky Biosphere Reserve. It occupies the territory of 82000 hectares. There are a lot of upland swamps, vast pine forests, clear lakes and rivers.
There are places inhabited by the wolf, the brown bear, the elk, the beaver and the otter. A walking-tour through a vast virgin upland swamp, where such curlew and Tringa erythropus are found. Besides, on the outskirts of the swamp one can see such birds as three-finger woodpecker and Turdus iliacus. In the sky one might see black stork, cry eagle, honey-buzzard and raven. We are going to visit the Natural Science Museum of the Biosphere Reserve.
Day 3
Those who wish can go to the place of wood grouses courtship display to the Zaitsev Pereskok (Hare Jump) in the Savsky Pine Forest. (at 3 a.am). Till breakfast we are staying at the hotel, having a short break. In the afternoon we are having a walking-tour to a rather shallow big waterlogged lake through vast pine, birch and alder forests (crane, white-back woodpecker, woodpecker, owls, snipe, nightingale). Then we are going to Bereshskoe Lake, which contains a great number of nutritive materials (different swallows, swans and mews). In the evening we are going to the water basin of the Braslave Lakes National Park that is just in the northwestern part of Belarus, close to the frontier with Lithuania.
Day 4
We are having a trip to the northern side of Snoudy Lake and are going to boat to the Tourmos, Krasnogorka and Lakino islands. The islands are inhabited by cormorant, silver-, storm-mews, bittern. Beside the lake we have already observed the grazing elks and such birds as black stork, cry eagle, oriole, Carpodacus erythrinus Pall.
Day 5
Before lunch we are having one more trip to Braslav Lakes (Cyanosylvia svecica and Remiz pendulinus), then we are going to the Narochansky National Park. During short stops one can see such birds as harrier and cry eagle. Near the lake, close to the hotel, the following species of birds have been noticed: goatsucker and nightingale.
Day 6
we are having a trip along the eastern and western lakesides of Lake Naroch (bittern, golden-eye, Rallus aquaticus). Then we are having a walking-tour to the peninsula at Miastro and Bieloye (White) Lakes with numerous beaver constructions. If time, we are going to visit Blue Lakes located in the center of vast forests with attractive.
Day 7
We are having a trip south via Minsk to the Pripyat marshes, close to Telekhany. In the evening we are going to the vast waterlogged forests of that area, to the place of reproduction of such birds as wattle owl, black grouse and wood cock.
Day 8
Strolling in the waterlogged forests, in the water-meadows and on the steppes of the Telekhany region, as well as at Vygonovsky Lake, one can see the following birds: wattle owl, black stork, snake eagle, honey-buzzard, crane, wood grouse, landrail, hoopoe, roller, wryneck.
Day 9
In the morning we are having a trip to the valley of the Yaselda River. In the vast marshes of this valley one of the largest populations of birds in Belarus under the name of Acrocephalus paludicola is found.
Day 10
In the morning we are having one more trip to the Telekhany region. That is a trip to the Pripyatsky National Park founded in 1969. The National Park includes vast submerged areas in the flood-lands of the Pripyat River with vast water-meadows.
Days 11-13
We are having an excursion to the bottomland meadows not far from the town of Tourov. Along with ruff performing courtship rituals we can see such birds as black stork, rail, mews, heron and sea eagle.
We are going to have a trip to the so-called “King – Oak”. According to some data, the old pines of this area are moren than 700 hundred years old. In the meadows we can see European bison grazing and black and white storks flying over them. In the afternoon we are going to get acquainted with the project concerning the settlement of these ancient animals to the former place of habitation. Around the Simonicheskoie forestry we are going to look for some marsh turtles at the Svinovod River. One more trip will lead us to the place of reproduction of the rare bird azure tit on one of the islands of the Pripyat River. Along with a great number of other birds, the vast meadows is the place of reproduction of such birds as curlew. At one of the boating stations one can observe the following birds: cry teal, mews, halcyon, nightingale.
Day 14
In the morning we are having a walking-tour around the hotel (wryneck and sparrow-nawk) and then we are going to Minsk.
Day 15
Transfer to the airport. Flight to Frankfurt.
Participants:
12 people maximum, 8 people minimum.
The cost of the tour includes:
- overnight stop in well located houses convenient for tourists
- - full board (including a packed lunch )
- flight
- travelling expenses
- boating tours
- German-Speaking escort
- interpreter
- excursion expenses
- tickets according to the itinerary of the trip
- visa
- transport charges and insurance
- insurance.
