Belarus in Summer

Naturetrek Tour Itinerary 2009

Outline itinerary
Day 1 Fly Minsk and short touristic excursion.
Day 2 Transfer Hlupin - Pripiatsky Reserve
Day 3/7 Pripiatsky Reserve
Day 8 Transfer Minsk and fly London

Dates
Tuesday 28th July – 5th August 2009
Tuesday 11th August – 19th August 2009
Tuesday 25th August – 2nd September 2009

Cost
£1,195 (London/London); £895 (Minsk/Minsk)

Insurance
£36

Visa
£160

Single room supplement

£90 per night

Food and beverage supplement

£10 per person per supplement

Grading
A. Day walks only

Focus
Birds, mammals and general natural history

NB. Please note that the itinerary below offers our planned programme of
excursions. However, adverse
weather & other local considerations can necessitate some re-ordering of
the programme during the
course of the tour, though this will always be done to maximise best use
of the time and weather
conditions available.
Introduction
As more and more of the outstanding areas for wildlife in Europe are threatened by
the insatiable demands of our modern society, it is increasingly the case that many
of the best remaining habitats are now to be found in the former Soviet republics. A
prime example of this is the wonderful Pripiatsky National Park, close to the Ukraine
border in southern Belarus, where a remarkable range of wetland and primeval oak
forest habitats are protected.

Founded in 1969 to preserve the unique natural complexes of marshland draining

into the Pripiat River, the reserve has been subsequently enlarged by the
incorporation of adjacent areas and now embraces over 64,000 hectares of
floodplain, raised bog and mixed forests, including 7,000 hectares of wetland oak
forest, the largest primeval oak forest in Europe. Thanks to the lack of human
interference, strict protection and the inaccessibility of the region for many months
of the year due to flooding, Pripiatsky is a haven for wildlife and constitutes a
wonderful new addition to the Naturetrek programme of spring wildlife tours.

A stunning variety of birdlife awaits visitors to this watery paradise; both Black and
White Storks occur here along with large numbers of White-winged Black Terns,
Great Egrets, Common Crane, Black-tailed Godwits, Ruff, Great Snipe, Terek, Green
and Wood Sandpipers. In the forests, eight species of woodpecker and 12 species of
owl have been recorded whilst other attractions include Azure Tit, at the western
limit of its European range, Hazel Grouse, Capercaillie and a diverse mixture of
summer visitors including Thrush Nightingale, Collared and Red-breasted
Flycatchers. In contrast to many European bird sites, Pripiatsky also supports a very
impressive population of mammals, including Bison, Wolf, Wild Boar and Beaver,
although it is inevitably much harder to see most of these than the more visible
feathered inhabitants.

Day 1 Tuesday
Pripiatsky National Park
We fly from London to Minsk where we will be welcomed by our Belarus hosts and
show to you capital of Belarus Minsk with brilliant evening dinner with traditional
Belarussian food.

Day 2 - 8 Wednesday – Tuesday

Pripiatsky National Park
Early morning transfer by road to accommodation close to Pripiatsky Reserve, a
journey of about four hours from the capital. We have no time pressures as we
devote the next six days to a thorough exploration of the varied habitats comprising
the National Park. Alongside the Pripiat River, numerous marshy meadows and
shallow pools are scenes of great activity as breeding waders establish their nesting
territories whilst other family members bound for more distant Arctic tundra, pause
only to feed for a few days before continuing north. Lapwing are a familiar sight,
tumbling through the air, Blacktailed Godwits perform their 'wickering' song-flights
over the fields and flocks of Ruff, resplendent in summer finery, congregate on
traditional 'leks' to dazzle the attendant females with the magnificence of their head
adornments. Green and Wood Sandpipers may seem at first glance to belong to the
category of passage migrants, as this is how we know them best in Britain, but
finding the originator of an unfamiliar musical song uttered from the branches of
dead trees in the marsh to be one of these birds will be a reminder that these
waders also nest beside the Pripiat River, as do the rarer Terek Sandpipers bobbing
like Common Sandpipers along the water’s edge.

Larger birds will be evident stalking through the aquatic vegetation; White and
Black Storks exact a harvest from the huge numbers of Marsh Frogs and Fire-bellied
Toads which create a spring chorus of croaking from the marshes of even greater
volume than the dawn bird song. Many pairs of Black Storks nest locally and these
handsome black and white birds are often to be seen soaring over the park,
frequently sharing the thermals with raptors such as Marsh Harriers, White-tailed,
Short-toed, Spotted and Lesser Spotted Eagles. Back on terra firma one of the
loudest
songsters at this time of the year demonstrates the richness and fluency of a
Nightingale and yet there are subtle differences for this is the Thrush Nightingale or
Sprosser, which in these northern climes replaces its better known relative in damp
thickets and forest edges. As we walk amid the towering ancient oak woodlands,
many other voices will demand our attention. These dark and dank forests are the
natural home of European Bison, Wild Boar and many other creatures but it is the
birds, and in particular the woodpeckers, that are most likely to be encountered.

Eight species occur in the reserve including Wryneck, Black, White-backed, Grey-
headed and Middle Spotted and with youngsters demanding food from tree-hole
nests, the adults will be more conspicuous than usual in their relentless search for
grubs and insects to feed their offspring. Hawfinches, Collared and Pied Flycatchers
also love these broad-leaved woods but Pripiatsky boasts many types of forest,
indeed over 51% of the forest cover is coniferous, and it is in these pine woods that
we must look for some of the other interesting residents such as Capercaillie,
Crested Tit, Crossbill and Nutcracker.

Acres of swaying reeds around the fringes of the waterways offer cover for newly
arrived Great Reed Warblers rasping out their distinctive songs from perches high
on the stems. The loud reeling of Savi's Warblers can also be heard from such
locations, along with chattering contributions from Sedge and Reed Warblers. Many
Bitterns occur in the reed-beds, more usually heard booming than seen but at this
time of year not infrequently flying around in courtship chases.

What of other birding highlights in this wonderful reserve? One of the most sought
after of small birds is the
beautiful little Azure Tit, nesting here at the western-most extremity of its limited
European range. Several pairs may be found in the damp birchwoods and scrub
near the Pripiat River, a frosty looking jewel of a bird which always causes
excitement when it appears. Twelve species of owl have been recorded from the
reserve including, at both ends of the size scale, Pygmy and Eagle. A nest site for
the last named is known to the wardens and if we are lucky we may enjoy the
privilege of watching from a discreet distance as these huge owls tend to their
brood.
Encounters with the other species depend to a large extent on luck but we will hope
to increase the odds by
undertaking some evening spotlighting in the forest. Out on the marshes, flocks of
terns swooping over the water include numbers of White-winged Black, Whiskered,
Black, Common, and rather surprisingly, Little Terns. Further interest is provided by
stately Common Cranes and several species of snipe can be found nesting in their
respective habitats, the forest loving Woodcock 'roding' at dusk over the woodlands
whilst Common, and the rare Great Snipe, inhabit the wetter areas, each performing
distinctive spring displays. In a reserve noted for its variety of grouse, Capercaillie,
Black Grouse and Hazel Grouse constitute the local breeding species and we will be
hoping to observe all three during our excursions. Reference has already been
made to some of the raptors regularly to be seen in the skies over Pripiatsky but
other possibilities include Osprey, Montagu's Harrier, Black Kite, Hobby and
Goshawk.

Keeping wary eyes on these potential threats from the safety of waterside cover,
handsome Bluethroats are among the most attractive of the smaller passerines and
in contrast to their usual skulking habits, become positively showy when rival males
deliver bursts of melodic song at each other, sometimes uttering the challenge from
a short display flight. Another secretive bird which draws attention to itself in a less
musical fashion is the Corncrake, and many of these fast declining summer visitors
can still be heard in the evenings, rasping away from flower filled meadows.
Pripiatsky is however much more than a bird reserve and whilst our main focus will
be on the avifauna there are butterflies, reptiles and mammals to look for as well as
the colourful and diverse spring flora. European Beavers are very likely to be seen,
especially at dusk in the vicinity of their huge lodges, and night-time river
excursions should also provide spot-light views of Daubenton's Bats typically
hunting insects low over the water. If we are very fortunate we may glimpse some
of the rarer mammals such as Elk and Wolf but perhaps the most frequently
observed of the larger creatures are the surprisingly unobtrusive European Bison,
which browse the forest edge but swiftly melt into cover when alarmed.
It should be readily apparent that Belarus offers a wonderful wildlife experience but
to visit this fascinating country also provides the chance to travel back in time to
observe a way of life that has all but vanished from Western Europe. Old-fashioned
wooden villages that seem frozen in 19th century isolation are frequently
encountered along the routes travelled, characterised by picket fences, duck ponds,
overloaded horse-drawn hay carts, and with old peasant folk seated on benches
along dusty village roads, or herding home cattle at the end of long days, betraying
the perennial bitter hardness of Belarusian rural life.

Day 8 Tuesday
London
Leaving the sights and sounds of Pripiatsky behind, we return to Minsk for a return
flight to London

Grading
This tour is graded A, consisting of easy day walks only, and is suitable for those of
all ages and degrees of fitness.
Food & accommodation
All food and accommodation is included in the holiday cost only by breakfast.
Facilities may be shared depending upon size of group. All additional food can be
ordered directly from Pripiatsky Reserve with supplying of traditional Belarussian
and Slavic food.

Mammal, bird & plant lists

Where available these are automatically provided on booking, and will gladly be
sent to you before, if you wish for a more detailed preview.

Your safety & security

You have chosen to travel to Belarus. Risks to your safety and security are an
unavoidable aspect of all travel and the best current advice on such risks is
provided for you by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. In order to assess and
protect against any risks in your chosen destination, it is essential that you refer to
the Foreign Office website – www.fco.gov.uk/travel or telephone 0870 6060290
regularly prior to travel.

How to book your place

In order to book a place on this holiday, you will need to read our main Naturetrek
brochure and complete and return the enclosed booking form together with a
deposit of 80% of the holiday cost plus the cost of the insurance premium if
required. If you do not have a copy of this brochure, please call us now on 01962
733051.

Accommodation Style
We can gratefully offer to you traditional village style houses with single and double
rooms supplements:

Villagehouse at Simonichskaya Rudnia (Симоничская Рудня)

Villagehouse at Hlupin (Хлупин)