P O L A N D
Three day birding & wildlife in Poland Explore one of the highest breeding densities of white-tailed eagles in continental Europe, the Oder Delta. The area has diverse wildlife and many attractions, including the spectacular attraction of rutting red deer in the nearby meadows and forests. A B I R D E R S P A R A D I S E I N E U R O P E
Oder Delta is one of the top places in Europe for white-tailed eagles watching. Around 100 pairs of the white-tailed eagles are nesting in the Oder Delta. Visit this remarkable place and take the opportunity to photograph them in action, hunting for fish even 10- 20 meters from the boat. Oder Delta has diverse wildlife, birdlife and many other attractions within the area.
The Oder Delta is an important stop-over site for migrating water birds using the East Atlantic Flyway, annually recording more than a quarter of a million birds during migrations and reaching 150,000 individuals in winter. Apart from birds, Oder Delta offers a high density of wildlife so you can also watch Red deer, Roe deer, Badger, Red fox, Wild boar, Hare, and Konik horses.
Winter highlights species are: Greater Scaup, Smew, Goosander, Golden Eye, Pochard, Greylag Goose, Great egret, Grey heron, Whooper swan, Long-tailed duck, Common scoter, Velvet scoter, Horned grebe, Red-breasted Merganser, Black-throated loon, Red- throated loon. Early spring is a time for watching: Common crane, Ruff, Redshank, White-fronted Goose, Bean Goose, Barnacle Goose, Shelduck, Gadwall, Wigeon. D A Y T O D A Y P R O G R A M M E
Day 1 Arrival at the accommodation in the small Polish village in the Oder Delta. Meet your guides and talk about the highlights of the region and stay in the Oder Delta guesthouse. Depending on arrival time and weather conditions, dinner will be served outside. Before or after dinner, a short walk is possible
Day 2 After the hearty Polish breakfast, you will take a boat from a fisherman harbour and you will begin bird watching and looking for White-tailed eagle. The boat trip will take three hours. Later, free time to use at your leisure, go for a walk, explore the coast of the Szczecin Lagoon, find the beaver signs, birdwatch, or just chill out in the garden. Depending on a weather condition dinner will be served outside or at the campfire, with listening and watching wildlife and birdlife around the guesthouse.
Days 3 In the morning after breakfast, your guide will lead you to a place when you can photograph and watch birds typically for the season of your visit. Departure after lunch.
D E T A I L S
Days 3 days/ 2 nights
When Year round
Accommodation A small but comfortable guesthouse in a small Polish village
Guide Iwona
How to get there You will start in Kopice, a small village in the Oder Delta Poland. You can easily reach Berlin by train (or plane if you prefer), then rent a car to get there (2,5 hr drive)
Languages Polish, German, English
P R I C E S
Individual trip €525,- for one person
For two persons €690,- for two persons
Price includes One white-tailed eagle boat safari - three hours One birdlife safari using camouflage system/ or a hide/or a walk - three hours Two-nights stay in a rural guesthouse in a single or double room The meals: hearty polish breakfast with a packed lunch and dinner each day
The cost does not include Train/Flights Other lunches and dinners than included in the programme Alcoholic beverages and extra meals Personal items It does not include the travel insurance policy, luggage, equipment and medical insurance. O U R R E S P O N S I B I L I T Y
Rewilding Europe Levy: 5% of your booking sum goes towards the local rewilding organization.
The Oder Delta is becoming increasingly well-known as a rewilding area and prominent nature tourism destination. Rewilding Europe is developing a network of local wilderness guides, wildlife watching tours and hides, lodging and other nature-based enterprises that are creating jobs and burgeoning support for rewilding.
The Oder Delta team is working with partners to boost biodiversity in the delta by improving habitats. The eagle is one of the rarest breeding bird species, with only about 100 breeding pairs left in the northeastern part of the country, most of them in the Oder Delta rewilding area and its surroundings. Nest protection shields were also installed to protect eagle nests against predation in order to boost breeding success.
The Rewilding Oder Delta team is now working to restore fish populations and fish migration in the Stettin Lagoon and associated rivers, in collaboration with local communities and the State Office for Agriculture and the Environment in Mecklenburg- Vorpommern. Activities, which focus on rivers in the Vorpommern- Greifswald district, include the rewilding of river banks, the restoration of natural hydrodynamics, the removal of obstacles to support fish migration, and the re-wetting of areas adjacent to waterways.
Read more about our work in the Oder Delta here W H A T T O B R I N G
We recommend you to dress in layers.
CHECKLIST Hiking shoes Sun hat Water bottle Day pack Long pants Rain pants Hat and gloves Jacket Raincoat or poncho Sun protection cream Non-smelling mosquito/tick repellent Binoculars Personal toiletries/medicines and ... a sense of adventure!
Pictures: Gertraud Schnabel, Iwona Krepic, M. Teste, Ron Velner, Tomasz Bialas