Poland's Biebrza National Park is home to around 270 species of bird
© AFP/File Janek Skarzynski

BURZYN, Poland (AFP) - To the uninitiated ear it rang like a chant by a group of sports fans, all the more so when another voice boomed out: "Montagu's Harriers!"

But the gasps of delight came from a jovial group of a dozen binocular-wielding Britons doing what they love best -- "birding" -- in Europe's avian megalopolis.

The hoopoe, which has striking black and white wings and a pinkish-brown head crest, never fails to impress.

Nor does the noble-looking Montagu's Harrier, a bird of prey named after an early 19th century naturalist.

But the goal of the amateur ornithologists was also to catch a glimpse of rarer species such as the Spotted Eagle, the Great Snipe and, above all, the Aquatic Warbler. They managed all three.

Poland's Biebrza National Park -- which with a total of 59,233 hectares (146,306 acres) -- is the country's largest reserve.

Sitting close to the border with Belarus, the park was created in 1993 after the collapse of the Soviet Union meant the area became less politically sensitive.

The Aquatic Warbler, mainland Europe's rarest songbird, has lost around 40 percent of its European habitat over the past decade, in part because of intensive farming methods. Only 12,000-20,000 pairs remain, and many spend the summer in the park.

Burzyn, where the roofs and telephone poles are topped with storks' nests, is one of a string of hamlets on the edge of the park with a commanding view over the River Biebrza, marshes and boggy pine forests.

The Biebrza National Park is Poland's largest nature reserve
© AFP Attila Kisbenedek

That environment makes the area a mecca for birds -- who breed, feed and stop over on their way to and from North Africa, Scandinavia and Siberia -- and for the human enthusiasts who flock here to watch them.

It is the permanent home or short-term destination of 270 species of birds.

"In Europe it's probably my favourite place, Poland," said Stuart Meredith, 46.

Meredith, who runs a birdwatching travel company based in northwest England, travels worldwide and has been bringing parties to the east European country for seven years.

As a musician -- he used to be in a punk band -- his ear is fine-tuned enough to identify hundreds of birds by their song alone. His group delighted in comparing their skills with his.

Married couple Brian and Margaret Meredith -- who are not related to Stuart -- reeled off the six species they had seen for the first time: Thrush Nightingale, Bard Warbler, Marsh Warbler, Pygmy Owl, Scarlet Rosefinch, Great Snipe.

Brian, 59, said they had been ardent birdwatchers for nearly four decades, after he was intrigued by the "strange hobby" of a workmate.

"I didn't know any birds at all, other than pigeons, sparrows and the odd starling," he said.

The group were halfway through an eight-day trip, and had visited other areas including the Bialowieza Forest, a neighbouring reserve, and even fishponds on the outskirts of Bialystok, the main town in this largely-rural region.

At the latter, they gathered excitedly as they spotted a coconut-sized nest suspended from a branch, and several whispered: Look! Look! A Penduline Tit nest. Ssh, it's gone in!"

The group had notched up 122 different species during days beginning as the early morning mists cleared at 6:00 am (0400 GMT) and often stretching until 10:30 pm (2030 GMT).

After their evening meal, they got down to the business of logging their sightings on a tick-list.

The flurry of names was poetic: Meadow Pipit, Great Grey Shrike, Golden Oriole, Black-Tailed Godwit.

Outsiders can find it hard to understand what drives the birdwatchers, who are sometimes seen as oddball obsessives who spend hours gazing through a lens in the hope of a fleeting glimpse that will allow let them to put a tick in a box.

"I think it's easy to pooh-pooh anything. If you're not into things, you reduce them to trivia," said tour participant John White, 63.

"But it's about appreciating the sheer variety and wonder of nature. Every time you see a new bird, or perhaps an ordinary bird doing something unusual, it's a thrill."

Asked what qualities make a good birdwatcher, Stuart said: "You have to be very, very patient. And you have to be a bit mad!"

"But it's not as 'anoraky' as it used to be," he laughed, using a mocking British term often given to trainspotters and people with other hobbies seen as unimaginative or dull.

©AFP