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Rudninkai and Ropejos, vast dark forests. Virtually unbroken, they hide in their depths some very desirable creatures of the nights ... owls, a good few species, but none easy to find, all in low densities and none to be served on a plate to the would be birder.
Into this was the challenge ...Nature, our forum member, called and asked if I might wish to go to a spot of owling. Hmm, I thought - have done this on occasion and usually the result is frozen limbs and not a peep of a bird! But how could I say no? Having already spent quite a few nocturnal hours out this year, I had located a couple of singing Tengmalm's Owls ...so this was my secret weapon. Hadn't actually seen them very often mind, but I was quietly confident.
Waited for darkness, then loaded up the car ...spotlights, tapes, binoculars, flask of coffee, one passenger. Off we went into the, as usual, cold night (was about minus 5). Bumped my old wreck of a car down to my chosen first stop, jumped out ...and, loud and clear, there resounded the clear unmistakeable piping of a Tengmalm's Owl! Great start, very close too. Listened, then crept in, under a full moon, slowly worked through the ancient pines. Now it was singing above us ...on went the spotlight and there was the owl - amazing thing, sitting singing like nobody's business, quite unperturbed by two grateful observers below. Well, barely half an hour into the venture and success had been had.
No point quitting now, so onward we went - stopped at a marsh, no owls, but plenty of unseen birds voiced into the night - White-fronted Geese honking their way north, Coots and Water Rails squealing from the reeds, a pair of Whooper Swans too. A little further up, a lake largely still frozen, was a real noisy affair - over the din of a thousand and half Black-headed Gulls, a Bittern, freshly in, boomed its presence out, almost a ghostly echo. More Whooper Swans here too, their white shapes haunting out from the darkness, more like a ghost story by the minute.
More places to visit and the next notched up our second owl of the night - parked up by a small pine stand in a village and there, within a minute, was a low deep hoo hoo hoo ...the Long-eared Owl was putting on a performance. Great stuff! Now I got adventurous ...let's try for Eagle Owl ...a few kilometres into a rather deep dark patch and I was on there territory, nothing! Played the tape, nothing. Moved another kilometre, nothing! By now, that familiar coldness was beginnin to loom, so moved on. Tried another spot for Eagle Owl, but still nothing ...but then another Tengmalm's Owl! This was a surprise, but even more so was when a Tawny Owl started up too! Not a very common bird in these parts, this served as a fitting conclusion to the night ...zoomed off through the night and back to a warm bed. Red Fox and Roe Deer added on route.
PS sorry its in English again.
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, patylom į Biržus atvykai 
, ai ai ai 
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Ta kad nežinojau, kad ten Biržai... Bronius liepė eiti, ir ėjau 
Keliu, keliu, per mišką, kur tu ten supaisysi, giria ar ne... 
, čia tau rekia dėkot , tikrai būčiau to nemates