Bird-watching in Ķemeri NP

Bog birds
Lielais Ķemeru tīrelis bog is one of the most important nesting sites for bog birds in Latvia. The following species nest here: wood sandpiper (up to 80 pairs), golden plover (up to 40 pairs), great grey shrike (up to 6 pairs), 3-5 pairs of curlew, occasionally also whimbrel and of course common cranes. Sometimes short-toed eagle can be seen here, it used to nest at the edge of the bog in the 1980s. The northern part of the bog, including several kilometres long boardwalk through the lake maze, can be used for bird watching. The bird-watching season in the bog starts in April. If you would like to enjoy the quiet atmosphere of the bog, go on the boardwalk just after the sunrise. If it is a clear weather you will be able to hear cranes from the most distant parts of the bog. And maybe you will be lucky enough to hear whimbrel or golden plover. During migration time, bog lakes are used for overnighting by thousands of geese. Arrival of these birds around sunset is a truly exciting view – you can witness it personally on a guided tour.

Waterfowl
The most significant lakes in ĶNP are Lake Kaņieris and Lake Slokas, shallow former sea lagoons. Lake Kaņieris is a Ramsar site (there are only three of them in Latvia so far) which is a confirmation of its ornithological importance. The bird-watching season on Lake Kaņieris starts already in March, immediately after the ice melts, when migrating waterfowl starts arriving. Wigeon, goldeneye, goosander and smew as well as a number of other species use the lake as a resting site on their way to the nesting grounds. The lake is a significant nesting place for the great bittern, Savi’s warbler and hundreds of several species of duck. White-tailed eagles and ospreys feed here; bearded tits sometimes can be seen in the reeds adjacent to the boat station, while in the wet forests surrounding the lake, several protected woodpecker species nest. At the moment Ķemeri NP is working on planning and establishing tourism infrastructure around the lake. Presently, the boat station and the road between Lapmežciems and Antiņciems are the most convenient locations for bird watching. If you canoe down the River Slocene you can’t avoid the songs of river warbler and great reed warbler, and if you are lucky you will have a glimpse of an osprey.

Meadow birds
Dunduru and Melnragu meadows are the largest meadow massifs in the park. They have been drained in the past but the beaver activity has turned them partly into wetlands. Here corncrakes nest and two pairs of lesser-spotted eagles feed, and in spring and autumn migrating geese and swans rest in the meadows. It is easy to visit the meadows if you use the road that starts at the Melnragu farm and crosses them in the south direction down to Kauguru channel. Lielupes floodplain meadows and Odiņu – Pavasaru polder. These areas are an important nesting site for corncrakes (in the polder meadows up to 30 singing males were counted). Several times hen harrier and Montagu’s harrier were observed around here, lesser-spotted eagle feeds here and, in summer 2001, corn bunting was seen near the Pavasaru farm. During the corncrake census, it is possible to hear also Blyth’s reed warbler. How to visit this place? Use the Pavasaru – Odiņu dam; the northern part of the Lielupe floodplain meadows and a large stretch of River Lielupe can be conveniently seen from the polder dam by the Odiņu house.

Forest birds
ĶNP represents different forest types, starting from the old pine forests on dry sandy soil on the coast and on the inland dunes around the raised bogs, to the extensive floodplain swamps. Natural forests are an important nesting site for a variety of bird species, especially woodpeckers (up to 15 pairs of the medium-spotted woodpecker, 30 pairs of white-backed woodpecker and 40 pairs of three-toed woodpecker nest here) and black stork (up to 15 pairs nest in the park). Ķemeri NP is a home to one pair of white-tailed eagle and several pairs of lesser-spotted eagles, and eagle owl and pygmy owl. If you wish to go woodpecker-watching we can recommend you to use the boardwalk in the black alder swamp behind ‘Meza maja’, the best season for it being the end of March to the beginning of June.

Seacoast birds
Guess what – birds can also be seen on the beach. In summer, a pair of shelducks is regularly seen here, while during the migration time various waders can be observed on the coast. It is interesting to visit the coast also in wintertime when wintering long-tailed ducks, smews and sometimes also divers can be seen here. When going to look for wintering birds, do not forget to check the River Starpiņupe at its estuary on the coast – there is a chance to see a dipper or a kingfisher.