On 7 June 2018 a singing male of the Eastern Olivaceous Warbler was recorded near Kuźnica in the Hel Penninsula, and another individual on 1 October 2018 at Krynica Morska in the Vistula Spit, both in N Poland. Detailed descriptions of the birds are given, and the occurrence of the species in Europe is summarized. These observations constituted the first and the second record of the species for Poland, accepted by the Polish Avifaunistic Commission.
In autumn bird numbers were low. In winter the most abundant species was the Common Goldeneye Bucephala clangula, whose numbers peaked in January at 15.922 individuals. The numbers of Mallards Anas platyrhynchos and Eurasian Coots Fulica atra have been the highest in the 35-year period of waterbird counts in the Bay of Gdańsk. In contrast, the number of wintering Common Mergansers Mergus merganser has been declining during last three years, and values found during last winter are among the lowest values recorded during last 20 years. An important decline of this species may result from climate-driven shifts in wintering ranges in a northerly direction (N and NE). A very mild winter of 2018/2019 was responsible for relatively high numbers of several other species: more than 100 Eurasian Wigeons Mareca penelope and Grey Herons Ardea cinerea, three Pintails A. acuta and three Gadwalls M. strepera and exceptionally large flock of geese Anser sp. were observed. During severe winters these species do not occur at the Bay of Gdańsk or their numbers are very low. Numbers of gulls, including the dominating the European Herring Gull Larus argentatus, were higher than in the previous winter season, but much lower than at the beginning of this century. One of the main reasons responsible for this decline is probable the shrinkage of the storage area of unsorted waste, widely used by gulls as a foraging site.