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Nature photography by Frode Falkenberg

Aquatic dip and a Caspian Gull

30/5/2004

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The last two days of our stay in Lithuania was spent in the western part of the country. Yesterday we left Kaunas at 10:30, and drove step by step towards Rusnė island. Rusnė is one of the safest spots to fint Aquatic Warblers in Lithuania, and naturally this was the main taget species today. 
On our way we managed to see a few new species for the trip. First out was a Little Tern fishing in the Neris river. Near Jurbarkas two Little Gulls, a Sandwich Tern, an Oystercatcher were new, while a hunting Red Kite and singing Corn Bunting was near Usenai. We spent s few hours at Rusnė island. Despite nice weather it was cold, and the song activity was low. No Aquatic Warblers were seen or heard. Birders we chatted with in Poland said that the cold May had delayed the Aquatic Warblers there. Maybe the same for the Rusnė birds?
Picture
Millions of Chironomidae's were swarming in Rusné, but we didn't find any Aquatic Warblers.
Picture
Singing male Corn Bunting Emberiza calandra in western Lithuania 29 May 2014.
Some local event made it almost impossible to find somewhere to sleep near Rusnė. We had to drive for quite a while to find a spot, actually all the way up to Švėkšna. 
The next morning we drove out to Ventes Ragas, the famous ringing station with the worlds largest Helgoland trap. At Ventes we saw a Caspian Gull. It was actually a new species for all of us, and it was not many previous records in Lithuania. Ventes Ragas was pretty slow birdingwise, but a Grey Wagtail was an appreciated add to the list. In the ponds near the observatory we saw several Pool Frogs Rana lessonae, which was another new species for us.
Picture
One of the trip highlighs, a first-summer Caspian Gull Larus cachinnanns at Ventes 30 May 2014.
Picture
A Pool Frog Rana lessonae at Ventes Ragas in Lithuania 30 May 2014.
Then we drove through Lithuania back to Vilnius, delivered the car at the airport (which had been bitten by a dog in the bumper, and we had to pay despite out insurance), and finally returned to Norway by plane.
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