Birds, Beavers and Bisons – an 8-day birding and wildlife

adventure in

24 Station Square Office 345 Inverness IV1 1LD Scotland

Tel: 07718255265

E-mail: [email protected] www.ScotNature.co.uk THE BIALOWIEZA FOREST IS THE BIEBRZA WETLAND EUROPE'S LAST IS THE LARGEST AND THE BEST NATURAL DECIDUOUS AND PRESERVED PEAT MIXED FOREST PRESERVED IN EUROPE IN A PRIMEVAL STATE

Hardly untouched by human management The Biebrza Marshes encompass a variety of throughout its history and under strict protection undisturbed and valuable natural wetland habitats, for over 70 years, the Bialowieza forest has including various types of marshes, peatlands and developed naturally, sustaining the unique wet forests. It stretches for 120 km in length and character of its primeval up to 40 km in width. The origin. national park covers 59,000 ha. Walking through this truly magnificent multi-species and The Biebrza landscape is multi-layered forest, where maintained by constantly trees attain gigantic sizes of moving water, creating up to 50 m in height and an different conditions for plants age of up to 500 years, and and animals throughout the where dead standing and year. In spring, the floods of lying trunks are in various the river Biebrza extend for stages of decomposition, many square kilometres, gives you a feeling of being creating a perfect refuge for taken back to ancient times. thousands of migrating waterfowl and waders. When The unique value of Bialowieza Forest is its the floods recede, the marshland becomes covered biological richness. The flora comprises over in a multitude of grasses and flowers, offering 4,500 species. Over 630 species of vascular ideal breeding conditions for thousands of birds. plants, 150 species of moss, 210 species of lichens The landscape of Biebrza Marshes is one of true and almost 500 species of mushrooms grow here. wilderness with a romantic feel to it, and at the Over 10,000 animal species inhabit the forest of same time, fascinating and outstandingly rich in which the majority are insects (8,500). One plant and animal communities. hundred and twenty species of birds breed in the forest, including 12 species of raptors, eight Biebrza’s greatest assets are the birds. The park species of owls and an impressive nine species of was included in the list of the Ramsar sites in woodpeckers! 1995 as an internationally important wetland for migratory birds. Of the 235 species of birds What could be a better home for Europe’s biggest recorded here. The Biebrza is a stronghold for land , the magnificent European Bison. many central European species. Here, Great Two thousands years ago, it inhabited most of Snipe males display in numbers unparalleled Europe. Today, in Bialowieza, a free-living anywhere in central Europe. Between 2,500 to population of 300 thrives in their natural 3,500 pairs of Aquatic Warbler breed in the environment. The forest is also home to , marshes, making it the second most important , Lynx, Elk, Red Deer, Roe Deer, breeding area in its entire range. Two hundred Beaver and 12 species of pairs of Cranes breed here, bats. the largest population in central Europe. So are the This incredible diversity of breeding populations of plants and animals in its White-winged Black Terns primeval form has been (between 140 and 3,000 recognised by the UNESCO breeding pairs), Scarlet and the Bialowieza Forest Rosefinches (3,000 - 4,000 has been included in the list pairs), Water Rails, Spotted of World Heritage Sites and Crakes, Corncrakes and as a Biosphere Reserve. Bitterns. The list can go on...

Here, the Elk can be seen at its best looking relaxed in an open space. ITINERARY

DAY 1 As you arrive to Warsaw airport, you River, Marsh, Sedge and Great Reed Warblers, will be collected and transferred by Marsh Tit, Green and Wood Sandpipers and minibus to the Bialowieza Forest. As we leave Woodcock. The Greater Spotted, Lesser Spotted busy Warsaw and head east, we will enter the and White-tailed Eagles could be seen soaring most rural part of Poland which has a long and high in the sky at any time. However, an diverse historical past with ornithological highlight (or influences coming from challenge?) for the majority of us different cultures and will be sighting all nine species religions. You will be of woodpeckers: Three-toed, introduced to some aspects of White-backed, Grey-headed, it as we travel past Great Spotted, Middle Spotted, picturesque churches, roadside Lesser Spotted, Green and Black crosses and wooden Woodpeckers, and Wryneck. At settlements. We will break our dusk, we will undertake a special three-hour journey at a road- trip in search of Pygmy Owl. A side restaurant for lunch, real bonus will be a sighting of where you will have first the emperor of the forest, the introduction to some European Bison. traditional Polish cuisine. We will also undertake a day An evening meal will trip outside the Bialowieza await us at a comfortable guest Forest to explore the Polish house on the outskirts of the countryside and enlarge our bird- Bialowieza National Park list. This includes a visit to an where we will spend our first extensive water reservoir where, three nights. amongst the array of wildfowl species, Citrine Wagtail and Common Resefinch breed. Also, in DAYS 2-4 We will start our visit with an early an evening, we will make a visit to a nearby lek morning walk in the Strict Nature of the Great Snipe to observe their contest. Reserve, where entry is by permit only and with Depending on the weather, one of the an accompanied guide. Walking under the evenings will be concluded with a bonfire where canopy of those gigantic trees will be an we will barbeque our own sausages. unforgettable experience. In the next two days, we will undertake walks DAY 5 We will leave Bialowieza Forest or cycle rides (optional) through the Bialowieza today and head north to an Forest to see the full spectrum interesting complex of fishponds, of different habitats and bird where four species of European communities they support. grebes can be viewed in their full There are a number of species breeding plumage. that are typically associated In the afternoon, we should with old forest and on our first reach Narwianski National day we should be able to see Park, known as "the Polish Pied, Collared, Spotted and Amazon". This is a unique Red-Breasted Flycatchers, wetland of hundreds of square Icterine, Wood and Greenish kilometres of marsh intersected Warblers, Thrush Nightingale, by a web of channels of the river Firecrest, Nuthatch, Black Narew, and endowed with small Stork, Treecreeper, Hawfinch, lakes and islands of sedges and and, if we are lucky, the elusive reeds. There are numerous Hazel Grouse. A visit to river backwaters with little or no valley and flood-plain forests current where water-lilies and could add to our list: Barred, other floating vegetation cover the surface. Weather permitting, Warbler will give us a chance to we will take a trip on long and get a good glimpse of these narrow, two-man boats to reach secretive and threatened birds. secluded channels. Pushed by Here, we stand a good chance to long poles, the boats will move encounter elegant Elk amongst slowly through the alley-ways bushes and swamp vegetation. of reeds on the dark waters A short-eared Owl also have where Otters and Beavers lurk. been recorded here in recent Although it is difficult to years. observe them during the day, For many though, a we will occasionally come Penduline Tit hanging from its across Beavers’ lodges. Here, nest or an Ortolan Bunting the warblers (Grasshopper, singing its heart out from the Savi's, River, Marsh, Reed and top of a tree. A colony of Great Reed) blend in so European Bee-eaters is well perfectly among the reeds that established in the area and we only their continuous songs will pay there a visit as well. will alert us of their presence. Although the White Stork is Sedge Warblers alone have a a fairly common species in the breeding population of 10,000 Polish countryside, a visit to a pairs! The park is also home to farm that hosts 22 nests of this Bittern, Marsh, Hen and species will be a delight. Montagu's Harriers, Water Rail, To fully appreciate the Spotted and Little Crakes and beauty of the Biebrza Marshes, Scarlet Rosefinch. You will be we will undertake a tranquil touched by the peace and boat ride, where a breeding tranquillity of this place. Kingfisher should be seen, amongst plethora of other waterbirds. The Biebrza DAYS 6-7 We will spend three Marshes are home to 600 nights at a hotel on Beavers and we will also the Biebrza Marshes, where you undertake an evening boat ride will enjoy birdwatching from in search for these iconic your doorstep. The marshes in animals. Close encounters with front of the hotel host a healthy them are guaranteed. population of all three harriers: One of the restaurants we Marsh, Hen and Montagu's will dine in is styled in an old Harriers. fashion way and you will enjoy During our two-day stay at Biebrza Marshes its tastefully designed interior and delicious Polish we will travel across the Biebrza valley, visit cuisine. Here, we will taste “nalewka”, a traditional several platforms and bird hides and undertake Polish vodka/honey liquor based on a 100 year-old moderate walks across the area. recipe. Hundreds of White-winged Black, Black and Whiskered Terns dipping over the water, DAY 8 drumming displays of Common Snipes, booming After breakfast, we will travel back to Bitterns, “dancing” Cranes in a distance, or Mute Warsaw to take our return flight to Britain. If Swans taking off in front of you will be just a time permits, we will have a quick tour of the old fraction of what there is to take in. Sea Eagle, part of Warsaw. Hobby, Golden Oriole or Bluethroat (both forms

are found here) are some of the more interesting species we should encounter during our trip. An evening visit to breeding habitat of Aquatic