On April 11th, full of hope, I set off to the field and go round the area of one of the largest lekking sites of the great snipe in the Upper Narew River Valley. The weather is marvellous – the Sun is about to set down, mist falls upon the land, I can feel spring in the air and, at a distance, I hear drumming display of the common snipes and a couple of startled cranes. Excited, I listen out for great snipes – to much regret, with no success. I say to myself – “Had they been here, I would surely hear them, normally they start to display before sunset.”

Just to make sure – as it is not exactly the middle of the breeding season – I stay around the lekking site for some more time. After an hour, slightly chilled and very disappointed, I go back to my car – “And yet they haven’t arrived…”. No birthday gift. Taking my waders off, I hear the great snipe’s trill in my head. “No way!” – I think. “It’s a phone ringing, or I hear my own dreams, I am so far from the lekking site”. In spite of the lack of any rational grounds to expect the bird’s presence, I climb on the car’s roof and concentrate – a long silence, then silent “clicks” reach me from a distance – THEY’RE THERE!!! Definitely there, I can clearly hear at least one male! Finally they have come! I approach the lek and hear two male doing a great job! Hurray!

It is our pleasure to inform with this short field report that the first great snipes have already arrived to the Upper Narew River Valley, where the project of their active protection is being carried out. We await further birds, as well as salutary rain, which will hopefully compensate the drought caused in the Valley by exceptionally low spring floods. Humidity conditions of habitats are particularly unfavorable for great snipes this year. If these conditions don’t change, it will have a substantial impact on the shortage of foraging sites and, in consequence, on the decline of the number of great snipes in the Upper Narew River Valley.

Michał Korniluk