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Poland in Spring
Saturday 7 - Sunday 15 May 2005 (9 days) |
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© Jamie McMillan/Nature Portfolio  Male Citrine Wagtail |
We visit the wild ancient forest of Bialowieza, and some of Europe's richest, most unspoilt marshland with Marek Borkowski's team of guides, for some of the finest birdwatching and wildlife experiences that the continent has to offer.North-eastern Poland boasts, in a nutshell, some of the wildest and most unspoilt forest and freshwater marshland habitats in Europe. Our visit will take us first to the vast Biebrza Marshes, through a landscape of old-world agriculture, where working horses still pull ploughs and wooden carts, where free-range animals still run amongst the farm buildings, where ponds and patches of uncultivated ground are still scattered about the flower-rich countryside. Itinerary Days 1 - 4 We take a scheduled flight from London - Warsaw and drive to Biebrza, where we spend four nights in the heart of the marshes. The vast expanse of the Biebrza Marshes form one of Europe's largest stretches of marshland, extending for nearly 100 km. A maze of channels intersects a landscape of pools, reedbeds and wet meadows, which together form one of the most bird-rich habitats on the continent. The marshes will also hold most of the species you might expect to encounter in Eastern Europe: Red-necked Grebe, Spotted Crake, Crane, Savi's, Aquatic and Marsh Warblers, and Penduline Tit, while Corncrake are still quite numerous here. The wetter areas can hold hundreds of marsh terns, including the delightful White-winged Black Tern. Raptors will also be impressive in number and variety, with Red Kite, Goshawk, and Marsh and Montagu's Harriers and Osprey all possible, and a chance of both White-tailed and Spotted Eagles. We stay in a new hotel at the edge of the marshes, surrounded by wet meadows where waders breed in abundance. Here we'll see Black-tailed Godwit, Redshank and Lapwing displaying, while Snipe 'drum' overhead at dusk. At this time, the numbers of marsh birds are swelled by migrants, especially waders, pouring north into Scandinavia and Russia, and we will be entranced by the sight of hundreds of Ruff in breeding plumage, together with Wood Sandpiper and Temminck's Stint, as well as flocks of Cranes. The marsh also holds an excellent range of mammals, and we hope to see Elk and Wild Boar, as well as plenty of evidence of European Beaver. One evening we visit the 'lek', or display area, of one of Europe's most elusive and declining waders - Great Snipe. Our local agent, Marek Borkowski, has been protecting a lek site for many years, and we will join him at dusk as the birds arrive, as they make their strange grunting and whistling calls, fan out their white tail corners and leap into the air in a unique display. For many, one of the highlights of the trip is a visit to Marek's remarkable home in the marshes. Beautifully constructed in traditional local style by Marek himself, the house forms the centre of a farm where Marek breeds Tarpan horses - thought to be the closest equivalent of the original Wild Horse of Europe - for conservation work both in Poland and overseas. We hope to see the newest additions to the Tarpan herd, as well as experiencing a warm Polish welcome from the Borkowski family. Four nights Biebrza Days 5 - 8 We then travel southeast to the primeval forest of Bialowieza - one of the largest areas of virgin lowland woodland on the continent. Bialowieza's huge trees, some thought to be over two thousand years old, form the core of the forest, but there are several other habitat types in the area, including riverine marshes and secondary woodland. In the company of local guides we wander amongst the forest giants of pine, spruce, poplar, hornbeam and oak accompanied by the trill of Wood Warbler and the fluting of Golden Oriole, while flocks of Hawfinch fly overhead. This is a very open, light forest, with a rich ground flora. We visit in prime breeding season, when all the late-arriving species, including Red-breasted Flycatcher, River and Aquatic Warblers should be in full song, but not too late to see some of the key woodland residents, including all the woodpeckers. An incredible nine species of woodpecker breed here, and we stand a chance of seeing Grey-headed, Black, Middle Spotted, the rare White-backed, and the quiet but sometimes exceedingly confiding Three-toed Woodpecker. Other forest possibilities include Black Stork, several raptors including Lesser Spotted Eagle, the elusive Hazel Hen, and Collared Flycatcher. Pygmy Owl is also present and in some years we can be shown this elusive bird. Some of the other local passerines that should be present at this time include Thrush Nightingale, Icterine and Barred Warblers and Scarlet Rosefinch. Nearby wetlands can be almost as productive as Biebrza, with the additional attraction of breeding Citrine Wagtail, now extending its range westwards from its Russian strongholds, while the open farmland still holds a few pairs of Roller. The forest is probably most famous for its re-introduced herd of European Bison, and we could see some of these huge and sometimes surprisingly elusive beasts during our stay. A range of other mammals includes Red and Roe Deer. The surrounding countryside is a delightful mix of farmland, wetland and forest: right on the Belarus border, this is 'Peter and the Wolf' country, with scattered small villages with traditional wooden houses (some complete with Grandfather and Cat!) at the edge of the forest. Wolves are never far away, and some of our groups have actually seen one on previous spring trips - but there is a more realistic chance on the winter trip. We stay at a characterful new hotel in the village of Bialowieza, with excellent birdwatching possibilities around the village. Four nights Bialowieza Day 9 We drive back to Warsaw, and should have time to see something of the remarkable reconstructed old city centre before taking our return flight to London. Please note that we can arrange optional extensions to the trip in Warsaw, for a chance to spend a bit more time in this delightful city. Accommodation Hotels at both Bialowieza and Biebrza are en suite. A limited number of single rooms are available. Lunches are usually taken at local restaurants, and the food throughout the trip is excellent. Leaders: Neil Arnold and local Polish naturalist guides. |
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Numbers : Max. 14 clients Price : £ 1,325 Single supp. £ 175 Deposit : £ 200 per person The price is per person and is fully inclusive of return scheduled flights London - Warsaw, accommodation, meals, ground transportation by minicoach, incidental tips, admissions and national park fees, and the services of the leaders. The price excludes holiday insurance, drinks, optional tips to local drivers and guides, and other personal expenses. |
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