Aquatic dip and a Caspian Gull

No Aquatic Warblers, but loads of swarming Chironomidae and Mayflies Ephemeroptera. Food for the warblers should pose no problem. However, for us most went wrong afetr this. Some local event made it almost impossible to find somewhere to sleep near Rusnė. We had to drive for hours in the totally dark rural Lithuania before we found a spot to sleep. All the way up to Švėkšna.

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?

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.

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.

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 our insurance), and finally returned to Norway by plane.

First summer Caspian Gull Larus cachinnanns

Pool Frog Rana lessonae

Non-biting Midge Chironomidae sp.

Corn Bunting Emberiza calandra