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Click
here to see a slide show of images taken on our recent trips to
Poland
Day One
We depart London Heathrow on a scheduled flight to Warsaw. On arrival
in Warsaw our good friend and local guide Waldemar Krasowski will
meet us. We drive east towards Bialowieza (pronounced Bee-a-wo-veesha)
National Park, absorbing the peaceful rural landscape and making
a few birding stops on the way. We arrive in the small village of
Bialowieza in the late afternoon and check into our beautiful hotel,
which will be home for the next four nights.
Day Two - Day Four
We spend three full days exploring in and around the Bialowieza region, birding the
myriad of trails that cut through this superb primeval mixed woodland. Bialowieza
forest is the largest remaining remnant of the original European forest and birding
here is like stepping back two thousand years! Covering an area of 580 square
kilometres in Poland alone, the forest also continues in a vast tract across the
Belarus border. The predominant woodland type in Bialowieza is deciduous and
constitutes around 47% of the forest area. Coniferous forest constitutes 37% and wet
deciduous and mixed forests 16% of the area. The forest stand consists mainly of Norway Spruce, Scots Pine, Alder and Oak as well as several birch species.
Common Ash, Lime, Aspen, Hornbeam and Elm are also widespread. Much of the
forest is sensitively managed but just under 50 square kilometres have been set
aside and is known locally as the 'Strict Reserve'. The main idea of setting aside the
'Strict Reserve' is to protect all the environmental elements in the forest - soils,
waters, flora and fauna, as well as natural processes that are taking place in this
complex ecosystem. Access to this area is strictly controlled but our guide has
special permission and we will spend some of our time viewing wildlife within this
area. It is incredible to think that almost 40% of the forest is covered with trees which
are more than 80 years old! In fact the average age of the forest stand is 73 years in
the managed areas and 130 years in the 'Strict Reserve'! Even more incredible is the
biodiversity of fauna - the forest contains approximately 9200 species of insect, 13
species of amphibian, 58 species of mammal and nearly 250 species of bird - 177 of
which have bred.
Our days will be filled with the
sights and sounds of exciting forest
birds. Perhaps the most famous
denizens of the forest are the
woodpeckers and we will spare no
effort in trying to locate as many as
ten species, from the enormous
Black to the diminutive Lesserspotted.
We'll be making a
particular effort to encounter the
'special' species such as the
localised White-backed, the
secretive Three-toed, the
handsome Middle-spotted and the
very vocal Grey-headed. By early-
May all the summer migrants will
have arrived and will be on
territory. Stunning Collared and
Red-breasted Flycatchers sing
their hearts out alongside Icterine
Warblers and there will be more
familiar woodland species such as
Crested Tit, Siskin, Redpoll,
Redstart, Wood Warbler and
Nuthatch. Hawfinches are as
secretive as ever, but they breed
here in high densities and in the
spruce stands Nutcrackers and
Hazel Hens vie for our attention - though they remain as secretive as ever . Other
highly sought after species include raptors. Tengmalm's and the minuscule Pygmy
Owl breed in the forest and by the time of our visit, Waldemar will have found
territories for both - in 2007 and 2008 Shetland Wildlife paid for the construction and
erection of 10 Tengmalm's Owls next-boxes so fingers crossed! Looking skywards
we'll keep an eye out for Honey Buzzards, stealthy Goshawks, Booted Eagle, Shorttoed
Eagle and even Golden Eagle. The forest fringes, rough thickets and
sympathetically farmed damp meadows are home to true eastern species such as
ever-rasping Corncrakes, delightful Thrush Nightingales, Common Rosefinches,
Wrynecks, Barred, River and Marsh Warblers and stunning Bluethroats. Lesser
Spotted Eagles can also be found here, as indeed can both Black and White Storks.
We also visit the woodlands and marshes in the vicinity of Siemianwka Lake.
Damming the River Narew since 1970, it is hard to believe this region is man-made,
for it is now a superb habitat and boasts an outstanding assemblage of both resident
and migratory birds. The highlight for most here will be lemon-headed Citrine
Wagtails - a very rare breeding bird in Europe but the area boasts some 30 breeding
pairs. The lake is also superb for raptors with huge White-tailed Eagles virtually
guaranteed along with Lesser Spotted Eagle, Marsh Harrier, Montagu's Harrier,
Osprey, Hobby, Short-toed Eagle and a few Red Kites. Out on the marshes, three
species of 'marsh' tern breed - White-winged Black, Black and Whiskered - and the
reedbeds are home to Bittern and Great White Egret. The forest also offers us a
great opportunity to record some truly exciting mammals. European Bison (known
here as 'Wisent') sadly became extinct in the wild in the 1920s but in 1952 a captive
breeding programme was initiated and there are now some 250 individuals roaming
the forests in and around Bialowieza. Other mammals to look out for include Wild
Boar, Elk, Red and Roe Deer, Red Squirrel and the secretive Pine Marten. Both Wolf
and Lynx occur here but we would be extremely fortunate to spot either of these.
Fingers crossed then!
Day Five - Day Seven
After some optional early morning birding, we leave Bialowieza after breakfast and
gradually make our way north-west to the famous Biebrza Marshes. We'll stop off at
the Bialystok fishponds, which are a superb area of reed-fringed ponds holding
species such as Red-necked Grebe, Penduline Tit, and Great Reed Warbler. We
arrive at Biebrza and settle into our superb hotel, which overlooks the marshes. We
have two full days to explore the internationally important Biebrzanski National Park -
a wetland site unique in Europe and under RAMSAR protection. Like Bialowieza, the
Biebrza region supports an incredible biodiversity. Over 270 species of birds have
been recorded, 181 of which have bred. There are also 48 species of mammal, 13
species of amphibian, 5 species of reptile, 36 species of fish and over 750 species of
moths and butterflies! We'll be exploring the mazes of river channels, flooded
meadows, lakes and huge areas of wild marshes for a superb selection of birds.
Breeding waders such as Ruff, Black-tailed Godwits and Lapwings are common and
masses of 'marsh' terns hawk insects over reedbeds that are home to Blue-headed
Wagtails, Little Crakes, Little Bitterns, Penduline Tits and Savi's, River, Great Reed
and Grasshopper Warblers. One of the most important reedbed denizens here is the
globally threatened tiger-striped Aquatic Warbler. The global population is estimated at between 12,000-20,500 singing
males, with major populations
occurring in Belarus, Ukraine,
Hungary and this region of Poland.
The species winters in West Africa
south of the Sahara but little more is
known about the species during
winter. The other speciality of
Biebrza is the Great Snipe. During
the daytime they skulk completely
out of sight in the damp meadows
but at dusk the birds move onto their
'lek' sites to perform their incredible
displays. Males stand erect with their
chest puffed out and their tails
fanned, sometimes jumping into the
air! This event will certainly be one of the highlights of our visit. Raptors are common
here and on the very western edge of their range, Greater Spotted Eagles nest here
in very small numbers. The damp meadow fringes hold Corncrakes, Black Storks, Thrush Nightingales, Bluethroats, Ortolan Buntings and Turtle Doves. If time permits
we will also visit a site for Rollers and Bee-eaters, both of which are very rare
breeders in Poland.
Day Eight
After some morning birding around Biebrza we head towards Warsaw
to check-in for a late morning or early afternoon flight back to
London Heathrow.
Holiday Information
2009 Operating Dates
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Sat 9th May
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Sat 16th May
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COST
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£1095
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Single Supplement
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£150
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DEPOSIT
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£300
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Group Size - maximum 14 travellers
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Need more Information?
No problem! We'd be delighted to discuss this holiday with you.
Please call us on 01950 422483 or drop us an e mail.
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