The Land of Bocian
Two spring visits to Poland
May 2003 and
May/June 2004
Author: Keith Martin.
55 Belmont Road, Twickenham, Middlesex TW2 5DA, U.K.
keith@borsuk.clara.co.uk keith.martin@rhul.ac.uk
This
report covers the birding aspects of two trips to Poland: from 1st to 16th
May 2003, and 23rd May to 5th June 2004. The primary
reasons for the first trip were to visit family and friends in Busko-Zdrój and
to attend a conference in Warsaw. The
2004 visit was to take my parents to visit Anita’s family and to show them a
bit of the country. Site visits were mainly concentrated around two five-day
visits to the northeast of Poland, however other locations of interest are
included on each trip for completeness.
Poland
Poland
is an increasingly popular destination for Western European birders, with the
main attractions being the small remnants of ancient European forest in the
northeast and the fact that much of the countryside is currently managed in a
manner that much of the Western Europe once was. The latter means a
predominance of small-scale farms, leading to a mixed agricultural landscape,
with hay meadows, small orchards and managed wetlands, the most famous being the
Biebrza Marshes, also in the northeast. Unlike Britain, Poland has a rural
environment that largely remains good for birds. How long this will remain is
anyone’s guess…
Although
I had previously made several trips to Poland at various times of year (including
one August visit to get married), with the exception of one brief early summer
visit, I had never really had a “proper” visit to the famous birding locations
of Białowieża and Biebrza. The 2003 visit had thus been awaited
eagerly – and it did not disappoint. It was in fact so successful that we
returned again in 2004, and no doubt will do so many times again.
Conditions
Spring
in Poland is normally a very pleasant time of year, with plenty sunshine,
temperatures in the 20’s and generally dry conditions. Although we visited
slightly too late to see Biebrza at its best (on each occasion it had started
to dry out), Białowieża and much of the Polish countryside is
magnificent in May. In 2003 we encountered several grey days while in the
northeast, one of which featured a spectacular thunderstorm and another that
involved steady rain for most of the day and cool conditions. In 2004 we had a
week of quite miserable weather, cloudy skies, rain and temperatures in the low
teens. It then warmed up a bit, but remained unseasonably cool. However a
particularly wet early spring meant that the growing season was somewhat
delayed and despite being a few weeks later than our 2003 visit, the wildflower
shows in the countryside seemed more spectacular than 2003. The advice remains
to expect warm weather, but as anywhere in northern Europe, to also expect the
unexpected!
Irritations
Travelling
with a native erased the most likely difficulties of language and culture. The
only human irritations we encountered in 2003 were in trying to rent a car in
Białystok, where Anita
had to negotiate through a myriad of excuses, lies and changing conditions
until we obtained a satisfactory result – not sure how a non-native would have
survived. Natural irritations are very few, being restricted almost entirely to
the aggressive and prolific mosquitoes in the northeast. In 2003 these were
almost unbearable in parts of Białowieża, being in such thick swarms
that we had to close our mouths as we cycled through them. However, their
presence was highly localised to areas of wet forest, and much of the forest
was entirely free of them. The later visit in 2004 was relatively mosquito free
in Białowieża, but we caught up with them in Biebrza, where they were
the densest that I can ever recall. That said, they were sluggish and fairly
slow to bite, meaning that steady walking and sweeping a hand in front of the
face kept them at bay. More on them later!
Sites visited
The
sites visited are listed below.
The
first four sites are all located about 80 kilometres north of Kraków. The town
of Busko-Zdrój is included simply as it is Anita’s family home and our regular
base, not as a special birding location. Birds there can simply be regarded as
“typical” suburban species for that part of southern Poland. Górki is an
outstanding series of fishponds just south of Busko-Zdrój. Drugnia, again, is
just a typical rural location and not special in any particular way. The Nida
River is a landscape park about 15 kilometres from Busko-Zdrój, consisting of
floodplain meadow and riverine scrub.
The
Dunajec River and Łańcut both lie to the southeast of Kraków and are
essentially tourist locations. The Dunajec is a slow flowing river that passes
through a spectacular gorge on the Slovakian border and can be negotiated in
gentle tourist rafts. Łańcut is one of the most spectacular Polish
palaces, set in marvellous wooded grounds.
The
last five locations are all in northeast Poland and are better known to
visiting birders. The most famous are of course Białowieża and
Biebrza. Reservoir Siemianówka is also a respected birding location, with vast
areas of marsh and open water. The Dojlidy fishponds lie on the edge of
Białystok and are well worth visiting, providing a similar habitat to
Górki. Finally, Kiermusy is essentially a hotel / restaurant between
Białystok and Biebrza that is set in some very “typical” northeast Polish
countryside. The richness of this latter site is a testament to the
biodiversity of this landscape, as it can be assumed that there are many other
locations in this area that would be equally species rich.
Our
visits to these sites are indicated in the table below.
|
2003 |
Site |
2004 |
|
1st -
4th May |
Busko-Zdrój (town and park) |
23rd
– 29th May |
|
3rd
May |
Górki fish ponds |
23rd
May |
|
4th
May |
Drugnia |
|
|
|
Nida River |
26th
May |
|
|
Dunajec River |
27th
May |
|
|
Łańcut Palace |
28th
May |
|
|
Kiermusy |
30th
– 31st May |
|
10th,
16th May |
Dojlidy fish ponds |
31st
May |
|
11th
– 13th May |
Białowieża |
31st
May – 3rd June |
|
|
Siemianówka |
3rd
June |
|
13th -
15th May |
Biebrza |
3rd
June – 5th June |
Transport and Accommodation
The
first four sites were all around the small town of Busko-Zdrój where Anita’s
family lives. On both trips we borrowed a family car to visit those outside the
town.
Dunajec
and Łańcut were visited in 2004 by car on a two-day excursion,
staying overnight in Łańcut.
In 2003 we travelled north to Białystok by train (via Warsaw) and stayed with friends in the city. They gave us a lift to Białowieża, where we then explored the forest by bicycle. This proved to be an excellent way to cover the large distances involved in Białowieża forest, as well as staying in touch with the landscape and sounds. We stayed in a small bed and breakfast in the village of Pogorzelce, just a few kilometres to the west of Białowieża village. This was a very peaceful location and the local catering was superb, with all meals available on request. In 2004 we had a car at our disposal and, using the same base in Pogorzelce, explored the forest by foot.
In 2003 we hired our own vehicle to get around the Biebrza region, which is large and rather dispersed. We based ourselves at the forest station next to Czerwone Bagno, in the north of Biebrza. The self-catering accommodation here was fairly rudimentary but very rustically acceptable (there were Cranes strolling the lawns). Although ideally placed for walking in Czerwone Bagno, this location was not central, resulting in a fairly long day when we visited southern areas of Biebrza. In 2004 we had our own vehicle and based ourselves in a self-catering cottage in the village of Chojnowo. We had booked another place in advance (over the Internet) using Biebrza Ecotravel, who somewhat dominate tourism in Biebrza. This booking apparently vanished into the ether, and we would therefore caution any accommodation arrangements made with this company, as we believed we had a confirmed booking! Fortunately our visit was in the off-peak season and we were able to find an alternative. In 2003 we took all our own food, but in 2004 ate obiad at several excellent places around Goniądz/Osowiec.
In 2004 we also spent one night at Kiermusy. This is a rather overly-done “folk style” hotel / restaurant, but it is worth putting up with the rude waiters. The food is delicious and the birdlife in the immediate area outstanding (if you don’t mind being woken at 4am by screaming Wrynecks).
Relevant Reading
[1] Collins Bird Guide, K.
Mullarney, L. Svensson, D. Zetterstrom, P.J. Grant, Collins, 2001.
[2]The Macmillan Field Guide to Bird
Identification, A. Harris, L.
Tucker and K. Vinicombe, MacMillan, 1996.
[3]
Finding Birds in Poland, D. Gosney, Gostours, 1996.
[4]
Białowieża Primeval
Forest, 2nd Edition,
PTOP.
[5]
Biebrza Marshes (Southern Basin / Middle Basin), PTOP.
[6]
Biebrzański Park Narodowy (Basen
Dolny / Basen Górny i Środkowy), Official National Park maps.
[7]
Birding in Poland, Jerzy Dyczkowski, http://www.birding.gt.pl
[8]
Portrait of a Living Marsh, R. D’Arcy Shillcock, Inmerc BV (WWF), 1993.
My favourite European field guide is undoubtedly [1], and it proved as valuable as ever to have with us as a default reference. I also carried [2], which is a useful backup for awkward species, particularly warblers. Dave Gosney’s guide [3] is fairly thin and slightly dated, however most of the locations mentioned are still relevant. Much more indispensable are the excellent local maps produced by PTOP [4,5] (the local ornithological organisation), which indicate habitat and even rather optimistically suggest bird locations. The cartography aspect of these has been surpassed by [6] in Biebrza, however the national Park map contains less birding information. Jerzy Dyczkowski’s excellent web site [7] is highly recommended, and has detailed information on both Białowieża and Biebrza. Finally, if Biebrza has won your heart then the next best thing to taking it home with you is to get hold of a copy of the beautiful compilation of international artists work [8] of the region. This is a stunning collection.
Situated about 80 kilometres north of Kraków, Busko-Zdrój is Anita’s family home and is only included on this list as a site purely for the interest of identifying common suburban birds of this part of Europe. The main urban centre is not particularly green, but the town has grown around some spas, which are situated in a large area of forested parkland. Although there are relatively few large gardens in the suburban areas, those that do exist tend to include reasonable numbers of fruit trees.
Some of the more interesting garden birds included Serin (commonly heard and occasionally seen flying over the rooftops), Black Redstart (nesting in the eves of a building in the back garden), Linnet, Icterine Warbler (very visible on the later 2004 visit but not recorded in 2003) and Lesser Whitethroat (only observed once in the garden of Anita’s father’s café, but previously seen in the back garden). Around the spas interesting species included Fieldfare (fairly common), Kestrel and Garden Warbler. Abundant urban species, particularly in the park, included Rook, Jackdaw, House Sparrow, Swift and Wood Pigeon. Other parkland species included Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Mistle Thrush, Great Tit, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Spotted Flycatcher, Tree Sparrow, Green Woodpecker, Swallow and House Martin. We failed to find the “many owls during the day” that had been reported in 2003 by a family friend one month previously in the park – but did wonder whether a colony of Long-eared had occupied the park during the winter.
The countryside around Busko-Zdrój is mainly strip arable farming, resulting in a beautiful open rolling landscape of relatively few trees. Almost every small farm plot seemed to be worked, even those between and behind houses in the villages. In 2003, fields were all recently ploughed or green with early herbage. Lapwings strolled the furrows and occasional White Storks were seen (a few nests in nearby villages – apparently more in 2004 than 2003). Other birds noted just outside the town included Corn Bunting, Grey Partridge, Hoopoe, Red-backed Shrike, Marsh and Montague’s Harriers.
We only learnt about this location through a friend of Anita’s mother in the local council.
3rd May 2003
Not expecting too much, we set off on the short journey to the south of Busko-Zdrój, passing through a couple of villages and eventually finding ourselves in the middle of flat and fairly uninteresting farmland. Anita hailed a passing farmer and asked about Górki. He pointed down the road and indicated that we were basically there – we had given up just 200 metres short of the destination. And what a destination it was…
Górki is a complex of fishponds normally off limits to the public, but we had phoned ahead for permission. The complex was absolutely vast, with large reed fringed ponds on either side of the road. We really had no idea where to go, so we just set off on a somewhat arbitrary meander along the embankments to the south of the road.
One of the best aspects of this site was that the water level varied around the different ponds, creating many different habitats. The first pond that we studied was right next to the road and had been largely drained, leaving extensive mud flats. Small flocks of waders scuttled over the mud and occasionally took off and banked around the reeds. We quickly ascertained that these were mainly Ruff (coming into breeding plumage) and Wood Sandpiper. The males were getting a bit frisky and occasionally a ruff puffed up slightly and chased the nearest covey of reeves. This was a real thrill for me, as I had only previously seen this species in its rather more conventional non-breeding regalia. Other waders present included Little Ringed Plover, Black-tailed Godwit and Redshank.
Proceeding along the reed-fringed embankments there was no shortage of Sedge Warblers, Reed Warblers and Reed Buntings. Further in we were pleased to hear the Reed Warblers turning gruffer, louder and larger – and eventually saw several thrush-sized Great Reed Warblers flitting ahead of our track. Out on the ponds floated literally hundreds of Great Crested Grebes, and careful scanning revealed around 30 Black-necked Grebes and 5 Red-necked Grebes. The dominant ducks were Pochard and Tufted, although several others were present, including Gadwall and Shoveler. Overhead, Marsh Harriers were regularly noted.
We reached the edge of the ponds and followed the outer perimeter along an embankment that offered views out over the dry meadows, as well as the ponds. A broody sky darkened and increased in texture as we proceeded along this outer fringe of the site. A lone Whimbrel was seen standing out on the grass, while a Golden Oriole and a (probably Thrush) Nightingale were heard singing in the distance. Turning a corner we found ourselves looking back across the fields to the nearby village. Standing in the meadow was an astonishing flock of 50 Grey Herons. And even better, next to them were 10 White Storks stalking amphibians with a pair of Black Storks. Just to complete this magnificent leg of the walk we found two Bluethroats in the tall reeds close to the car and a flock of 10 Little Stints and 5 Green Sandpipers on a dry pond by the edge of the road.
It seemed almost greedy to try walking the ponds on the other side of the road, but the temptation was irresistible. Hiking up another sedge-lined embankment we heard a locustella warbler reeling from a small island – probably Grasshopper Warbler in this case. We then flushed two small ducks that blew polite raspberries as they took to the air, identifying them as Garganey. It didn’t take us too long to realise that the pond complex extended even further in this direction than the side we had already walked. Time had simply run out and rather reluctantly we headed back to the car knowing that this site needs many more visits to fully explore. Heaven knows what else was out there!
Probably the most amazing feeling being in a place such as Górki was the peace. We wandered around this little paradise for a few hours seeing nobody but ourselves, and hearing nothing but the sound of birds…
23rd May 2004
A few weeks makes quite a difference. We found Górki to be a much wetter and lusher place in 2004, with only one of the ponds drained. This time we decided to explore the pond system to the north of the road. This area had been checked out in December 2003 and looked to have excellent potential for breeding birds, with shallower and more vegetated pools.
As soon as we stepped out of the car we heard the boom of a Bittern. Right next to the road we located a Bluethroat singing from a power line and glimpsed several Golden Orioles flying between two stands of poplars. The path that we chose to follow was knee high with meadow flowers and, on either side, bulrushes and reeds over two metres tall obscured the view of the adjacent water. Great Reed and Sedge Warblers were common along this stretch. We emerged from this jungle onto a higher embankment where we could study life on the ponds. Pochards and Tufted Ducks were again ubiquitous, with excellent close views of Black-necked Grebes. The “breeding” pool was indeed covered in birds, including several pairs of Garganey, most of whom were enjoying a mid-morning snooze. Several March Harriers cruised over the complex and a suspicious distant bird was identified as a Bittern circling and dropping into the marsh about half a kilometre away.
We hiked further into the ponds system and entered a vast cloud of House Martins, Swallows and Swifts that seemed to sweep in ahead of a brooding storm. The sky was packed with birds and their plaintive cries echoed over the surface of the water. The moody weather system provided an incentive to turn around, conveniently next to a small pond on which two pairs of Red-necked Grebes posed in the telescope and a Water Rail screamed from the rank grass on the margin.
A short foray onto the other side of the pond system in search of waders was not very productive. Although the only drained pond was extremely dry, it seems likely that this slightly later visit had just missed the main migratory surge that we had witnessed in 2003. A couple of Redshanks were seen and a few Black-tailed Godwits were noted overhead, presumably breeding somewhere in the meadows surrounding the ponds. High up in the thermals two large birds were identified as Black Storks and the distinctive whistle of a Penduline Tit was tracked to a small willow along one of the embankments.
The sky clenched shut once again and a heavy shower dumped its worst upon us. The wise took the road back, while the foolish walked along another embankment that ended up in head-high sedge that soaked us to the skin. However there were no complaints about another excellent visit to Górki.
We have subsequently learnt that Górki is being studied by local ornithologists and it is hoped that contact can be made with them to find out more about this extremely interesting location.
4th May 2003
Drugnia is a small village about 20 kilometres to the north-east of Busko-Zdrój that we visited solely because Anita’s family owned a small piece of land out there and we wanted to check it out. I don’t suggest this as a site in itself, but include it here solely as an example of what can be expected in a relatively “random” piece of countryside in this region of Poland.
Drugnia was also reached via a navigational assault course that involved numerous locals who delivered mutually incompatible pieces of advice. We made it in the end, and left the car in the shade of some tall poplars. A small stream cut across an area of rank grassland, forming a narrow gentle valley between two expanses of open forest, which consisted mainly of young spruce and birch. The sedge in the valley formed dried rushes at the immediate banks of the drainage ditch. This valley ran for approximately one kilometre before ending at a more substantial stream that acted as natural barrier to further walking. Despite some small self-contained farmhouses at the end of the access road, the only sign of human presence on the family’s land was a pile of rubbish.
The common birds here were Meadow Pipit, Skylark, Yellowhammer and Swallow. In the scattered scrub at the forest edge we came across several pairs of Whinchat, Greenfinch and Willow Warbler. The forest margins turned up a lone Great Spotted Woodpecker and a Willow Tit, making a mournful whistle that I had not previously associated with that species. Other interesting species observed included a Hoopoe that flew over the valley, and several Buzzards and White Storks circling on the thermals overhead. There was plenty evidence of Wild Boar activity, a Marsh Frog was seen by the stream and a yet to be identified green lizard was observed and photographed in the thick sedge by the banks of the river at the boundary of the valley.
26th May 2004
The Nida River is a tributary of the Wisła, flowing to the west of Busko-Zdrój. The area around the small town of Pińczów is a national “landscape park”, which I’ll confess we have not quite determined the true meaning of. We part we visited was adjacent to the river itself, about five kilometres west of Pińczów in the direction of Imielno.
This area was essentially Nida River floodplain. This manifested itself in a flat meadow with scattered reeds and sedge, where Whinchats sang from the tops of bushes and Black-tailed Godwits, Lapwings and Common Snipe wheeled across a giant sky. Next to the slow-flowing river was a dense riparian strip of impenetrable willow and rank grass. This interesting habitat was easily viewed from a track along the top of an embankment that ran parallel to the river, as well as from a smaller track that followed the edge of the riparian habitat and offered occasional river access.
The most outstanding feature of the riverine habitat was the density and diversity of warblers. These included Common Whitethroat, Blackcap, Garden Warbler, Willow Warbler and Marsh Warbler. Several Thrush Nightingales were also heard and Penduline Tits seemed to be relatively common (at least to hear). Great Reed Warblers were heard calling from a distant patch of reeds out on the floodplain. Also on the plain were numerous Meadow Pipits and Skylarks, a Reed Bunting and a White Stork. Other common birds included Tree Sparrow, Yellowhammer and Chaffinch, with distant Cuckoo, Kestrel and (probably) a Marsh Harrier.
We only walked a short distance along this embankment, returning by the same route. It looked possible to continue a significant distance in either direction and this will certainly be an aim in future visits, as this site seemed to offer unusually easy access to a swathe of attractive countryside.
27th May 2004
One of the fun tourist outings in southern Poland is to “raft” the Dunajec River between Sromowce Wyżne and Szczawnica. While this may sound like an adventurous outing for those in need of adrenaline boosters, the word “raft” is easily misinterpreted. In this case it involves sitting in comfort on a pile of logs, while a boatman in patterned uniform gently punts the vessel down a very slow flowing section of this impressive waterway, as it flows the Slovakian border and cuts through some deep and narrow limestone gorges. It is gentle as rafting comes, highly scenic and good value for a couple of hours.
The Dunajec River was mostly lined on either bank by mixed forest, occasionally breaking into small meadows or impressive gorges. Mountains presented a backdrop throughout the trip. The river was generally very slow, occasionally speeding up over gentle “rapids”, and regularly broken by small stony islands.
The most common bird along the river was undoubtedly White Wagtail, which was ubiquitous. Further downriver it was joined by Grey Wagtail, which astonished us by being seen just as often in the trees on the edge of the forest as it was on the banks. Other common birds included Blackcap, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Chaffinch, Swallow, House Martin and Swift. Several Song Thrush and Blackbird were seen in the more deeply forested sections, where several Robin and Wren were also recorded (both relatively uncommon on our travels in Poland) and the occasional Wood Warbler heard. In the open areas Fieldfare and Starling were fairly common. The birding highlight was a Black Stork that circled above one of the gorges and was possibly the occupant of a massive stick nest noted high up a sheer cliff on one of the tighter bends. Several Common Sandpiper were seen, as well as some immature gulls, which were probably Yellow-legged.
While the rafting was fun, this area looks worthy of more exploration. The visitor centre at Sromowce Wyżne indicated the presence of interesting species such as Rock Thrush and Wallcreeper in the surrounding hills. We also saw evidence of Beaver along the first stretches of the river. Above all however, this is a very scenic region of Poland. At this time of year massive groups of Slovakian schoolchildren were hiking the trails on the Slovakian side, but presumably out of season this will be a very quiet area and the walking likely to be excellent on both sides of the river.
28th May 2004
Łańcut Palace is a magnificent building with a fascinating history, and worth including in any southern Polish itinerary. It is also set in mature parkland, which is worth a visit in itself. We stayed overnight next to the park, allowing an early morning visit to the park before visiting the palace itself. The park consisted of small stands of very mature trees, broken by areas of meadow. It was refreshing to see so many wild flowers clearly being treasured by the groundsmen, with no apparent urge to mow them down and replace them with a desert of lawn.
Common birds in the grounds included Jackdaw, Blackbird, Song Thrush (surprisingly common), Starling, Wood Pigeon, Magpie, Chaffinch, Serin and Spotted Flycatcher. Fieldfares very exceptionally common around the palace, with large “creches” of youngsters. Several Icterine Warblers were vociferous in the shrubbery and we also saw as good a view of Golden Oriole as can be expected – possibly the first time I have had a decent view of a coloured male in my binoculars! Other species seen here included Middle Spotted Woodpecker, Green Woodpecker, Jay, Mistle Thrush, Nuthatch (family), Redstart, Black Redstart, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Blue Tit, Great Tit and Red-backed Shrike. A small pond had Mallard and Mute Swan.
30th- 31st May 2004
Kiermusy was
really just intended to be our Białystok overnight, lying about 20
kilometres west of the city, on the edge of the Biebrza region. It consists of
a small hotel / restaurant complex, next to a small stream that winds itself
through very typical rural countryside of the region. The main restaurant is
decorated in a very “folklore” style, with wooden décor, farm implements, dried
flowers etc etc. The food is excellent and the accommodation in a separate
building was quite comfortable. Our room had a wonderful view of a White
Stork’s nest.
We arrived late
Sunday afternoon, after a long drive up from the south. The restaurant was very
busy with day-trippers from Białystok. After checking in, we followed the
crowds by strolling down the lane to the bridge over the stream. A wooden walkway
had been built along the banks of the stream within the grounds, which skirted
a small reed bed where a Sedge Warbler was in full voice. Grey Partridges
scuttled across a recently mown field and a pair of Yellow Wagtails provided a
splash of colour by the bridge, as did a lone White-winged Black Tern. Distant
Turtle Doves were noted in flight on the opposite bank and a Thrush Nightingale
grated from the depths of a small coppice. We started back along the wooden
walkway and got as far as the reed bed, where we located the source of the
sweet “please-to-meet-you” whistles that had been teasing us for ten minutes: a
small colony of Scarlet Rosefinches were foraging around the edge of the reeds.
Back at the hotel, the clacking of bills marked the end of the White Stork’s
day, and extremely tame Swallows retired to their nests in the eaves.
I awoke to the
screeching of young Starlings and the twittering of House Sparrows, both of
whom appeared to be residing directly above our bedroom window. The first
shafts of light were burning a sheet of mist from the heavily dewed meadows,
creating a landscape as pure as that after fresh snowfall. A Grey Partridge
pecked beneath our window and a Hoopoe was exploring the lawn. An urge to get
up and enjoy this exquisite start to the day was dampened by a glance at my
watch, which showed 04.30! I decided to return to sleep for another hour or so,
taunted by a Wryneck that hollered from the hotel garden.
Awaking again at
06.00, I left the sleeping hotel and stole down the creaking stairs, only to
find out that we were locked in! The only apparent escape route was an
emergency exit door that I scanned carefully for alarms. Taking a deep breath I
shoved it open, relieved by the ensuing silence. The fields leading to the
river were strewn with seedheads of dandelions, radiant in the morning
sunshine. The Hoopoe was by the edge of the pond and the Wryneck was still
singing from a small apple tree – the extra hour in bed had not been too
costly! The edge of the garden presented several idyllic viewpoints over the
stream, with sunlight sparking off the surface and the birdsong of the Polish
countryside resounding over the valley. Birds were everywhere, including a
Golden Oriole singing from the bushes, two Marsh Warblers flitting in the rank
grass beneath the walkway and I was thrilled to see a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker
fly from the hedge into a nearby tree.
The rest of the
party surfaced for a sumptuous breakfast outdoors in the courtyard, watched by
a Lesser Whitethroat, which danced in and out for the nearby foliage. We all
strolled down to the walkway together after packing and added a few more
sightings to bring the Kiermusy total to an impressive 50 species.
Dojlidy is not only the name of the local Białystok beer but is also the top birding site in the city itself. It consists of an extensive area of fishponds just on the fringes of the suburbs. Indeed many people in this corner of Białystok undoubtedly wake up to the crossing of Cranes, booming of Bitterns and harsh crekking of Great Reed Warblers. Such is their life…
The ponds are easily accessible and straightforward to
navigate around. High embankments provide excellent viewing of the ponds and
reed beds below. The area is quite extensive and at the least a few hours,
preferable a whole morning, is needed to do the site and justice.
10th, 16th May 2003
Shortly after leaving the car we found ourselves on a tall embankment looking down on a variety of pond habitats. In the first one there was extensive rank marsh grasses, providing excellent breeding habitats for Red-necked and Black-necked Grebes, some of whom could be seen sitting on nests. Darek searched hard for a lone Slavonian that had been reported, to no success. The next pond had more substantial patches of reeds and we were able to watch a pair of Great Reed warblers building a surprisingly exposed platform in a patch of quite thin reeds, and see Common Terns sitting on even flimsier nests on the surface of the water. Behind us was a much more substantial pond of impenetrable reeds. Here the distinctive boom of Bittern could be heard, but nobody obliged by emerging from the marsh jungle. In the distance large flocks of ducks such as Pochard, Mallard, Gadwall and Tufted Duck surfed on open water. One pond further over we could see a mixed flock of white gulls and terns, which turned out to consist of Whiskered and Black Terns, as well as a few White-winged Blacks and some Little Gulls – - quite a spectacle for anyone assuming that everything would be a Black-headed Gull! Speaking of which, a vast colony of the latter species were breeding in the reeds, making an infernal racket. This was accentuated on our second visit a few days later, when some biologists were further escalating the noise by touring the colony and taking egg measurements to much audible, and some physical, harassment.
We skirted a particularly large pond via a dogleg in the track, hearing some distant Savi’s Warblers and another Bittern, and then continued into a section of the site covered in scrub and open woodland. A Honey Buzzard soared high over the tack while we listened to a full spring chorus of Blackcap, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff and Thrush Nightingale. While we only heard them on this first visit, it was at this location on our second visit that we watched a Penduline Tit delicately weaving its intricate nest in the bows of a willow. Continuing past a couple of wet meadow areas, we found a pair of Whooper Swan on a nest – the male sporting a gentle burnt orange on the head. This is one of the few locations in Poland where this species breed, and the sight of another two birds out on the water suggested that there may indeed have been a second breeding pair this season. This back end of the pond complex was much more meadow like, with swathes of rank grass and denser banks of scrub. Golden Orioles were seen flying overhead. We turned around at a large meadow, on the edge of which three Cranes were dancing and bugling. It seemed surprising to see this species in front of a backdrop of urban Poland. Even more surprisingly a massive White-tailed Eagle took off from the meadow and swept over our heads.
We returned to the car by a similar route. Sedge Warblers were plentiful, but no Reed warblers. Other common species included Swallow, Swift, Reed Bunting and Coot. Also noted were Marsh Harrier, White Stork, Lapwing and Tree Sparrow. Most of these species would be seen by on several occasions over the next few days, but Dojlidy is a very accessible and concise introduction to the birds of this region. Whooper Swan is probably the only speciality species, but Penduline Tit was another species that despite passing suitable habitat we did not record again.
We toured the ponds with Darek Lebensztajn who lives nearby and knows the area well. One the way back he showed us a European Beaver, who was sleeping in the base of a hollowed out tree on a small island in a city park. The beaver snored away while huddles of fishermen gathered on the fringes of the pond a lone Moorhen pumped across the surface. A few days later there was a big storm and when we revisited this location the tree was damaged and the beaver had gone.
31st May 2004
We were only able to visit Dojlidy for an hour in the middle of the afternoon (15.00-16.00). This also limited the area that we could visit to the nearest ponds to the parking area. It was however interesting to see the ecosystem advanced by a few weeks on comparison to the previous year. Great Reed Warblers had finished nest building and were visible and vociferous on top of the reeds. Both Red-necked and Black-necked Grebes had young, which could be seen poking their heads out from the ruffled feathers of their parents’ backs. The Penduline Tits had finished nest building and we saw several birds and located two nests. Scarlet Rosefinch was also heard calling from the scrub, a bird that we had not noted on earlier visits. We did not see any terns this time but did hear booming Bittern. On our way back a chance scan of the telescope picked up a commotion about half a kilometre away. The cause was a White-tailed Eagle that had taken to the air (almost from the same spot that we had seen it in 2003), surrounded by a cloud of mobbing Black-headed Gulls and a Buzzard.
Białowieża rightly enjoys a reputation as one of the finest natural sites in Poland. It consists primarily of mature woodland, forming an approximately 20 kilometre square section of forest right on the edge of Byelorussian border (an even more substantial tract of forest lies on the other side of the border). Of the Polish area, a small section has been designated as “strict reserve”, which is protected. The rest is criss-crossed by logging tracks where managed forestry is conducted, although this remains a slightly controversial aspect of the area and one that continues to raise issues of concern.
Environmental
worries aside, the entire area is of outstanding natural history interest. The
forest itself is partitioned into different forest habitats, from “wet forest”
(mixed forest of species such as alder, with woodland pools), spruce forest,
mature deciduous forest (oak, hornbeam) and floodplain forest. The river Narew
cuts through the northeast corner of the forest, creating vast meadow areas and
interesting riverine habitat. The strict reserve can only be visited in
accompaniment of a guide. The rest of the forest can be self-powered around by
car (limited access), bicycle and foot. You could spend days and days exploring
this area.
11th – 13th May 2003
On
this visit we obtained a lift to Białowieża and travelled around the
forest by bicycle and on foot. We based ourselves in the small bed and
breakfast on the northern edge of the village of Pogorzelce, which was some
four kilometres northwest of Białowieża
village. Accommodation was in a modern two-storey outbuilding that had been
built in a small clearing on the edge of the forest. Out of one window we
looked into the canopy of trees and out of the other we could see the rooftops
of the village. Cuckoos and Golden Orioles sang out from the forest on our
arrival, around midday, and with beautiful sunshine pouring over the lush
Białowieża greenery, there seemed no time to waste in getting out on
our bicycles and exploring.
Equipped
with a decent forest map, we decided for our first outing to head northeast
from the village. We first took a broad dirt track north, which crossed a river
in a grove of open woodland where Hawfinches were glimpse flitting between the
trees. A Black Stork was seen flying high over the track before we plunged off
down a much narrower trail. Now we really were in the forest, but finding
wildlife was fairly daunting in the depths of the woods. Carpets of white and
blue flowers decorated the ground and shafts of light filtered through the
canopy, illuminating butterflies and clouds of little insects. An unfamiliar
song was quickly traced to a pair of Collared Flycatchers, which seemed fairly
common in the section of the forest. The track we were following slowly started
to degenerate after it had crossed an open meadow, where Buzzards soared above
us, and eventually in a rather marshy quagmire the path appeared to end. We
beat a retreat and took a random turning to the right, which quickly again had
us getting off the saddle and pushing as the ground beneath us became too rough
to ride. We stopped for some food as a deer bounded off noisily into the
undergrowth and a Middle Spotted Woodpecker flicked around the trunks of
adjacent trees. Clouds of huge dancing mosquitoes pressed around us ensuring
that the stop was but a brief one.
Completing
a loop back onto the main dirt road and then off again on the other side, the
clouds started to darken and we experienced some light rain. We had been
slightly surprised by the apparent lack of “unusual” birds, as Chaffinch and
Blackbird had been by far the dominant species all the way round. However this
soon changed in the drizzle as a small bird was glimpsed foraging in the rank
grass at the edge of the road. I plunged into the undergrowth in pursuit of it
and was thrilled to glimpse a male Hazelhen jump up onto a dead log, before
being swallowed by the complex undergrowth. We ended the day by walking our
bikes slowly along a long straight track that ended on the banks of the Narew.
Another Hazelhen was seen crossing this grassy track before we reached the
reeds at the edge of the river. This was a magical spot, with water flowing
through an extensive bank of reeds and sedge, and on either side the tall
forest gazed passively down on the watercourse. Sharp loud rasping from the
grass sounded like enormous amphibians, but the more I failed to even glimpse
the source of the noise, the more I became convinced that this was my first
encounter with the call of the Corncrake, a noise we were to become extremely
familiar with.
We
pedalled back to the village for a hot shower and some home cooking in the main
house – in this case dumplings and hot tea, about as Polish as it gets. The
night that followed was hot and still, but far from silent. Tawny Owls hooted
out from the woods and Cuckoos and Thrush Nightingales called throughout the
hours of darkness, their melodies amplified within the clearing. When the light
started to our through the windows at 4am it seemed that for the birds there
had been no break. The Cuckoo called all morning, joined at first light by the
Orioles rolling their calls around the village and a lone Hoopoe. However the
light also brought some heavy showers, which rattled off the tin roof. The
whole experience was quite orchestral.
We rose to a gloomy and uncertain sky, and decided to set off by foot. We headed south from Pogorzelce down a narrow trail that followed the edge of a large clearing in the direction of the walking trail boardwalk known as the Żebra Żubra, which led off from a small breeding compound for the European Bison, which are one of the notable flagship species of Białowieża. We had hoped to see wild bison on this visit, but the nearest we got was on this narrow trail, where evidence of fresh bison spoors suggested that they were in the area. The infuriating rasping of Corncrakes could be heard from the meadow to the left of the trail, but the sound proved ephemeral and hard to locate precisely.
We picked up the start of the Żebra Żubra about two kilometres down this track. It began with a section in surprisingly open forest, where good views up into the canopy were possible. Almost as soon as we started another unfamiliar song was heard, which ended in a “sweet sweet sweet sweet”. As I had hoped, this was traced to Red-breasted Flycatcher, which gave very obliging views as it chased insects in the foliage above our heads. The Żebra Żubra was in fairly poor condition, which kind of added to its charm as we plunged into some bog forest, where yellow marigolds lined the edges of dark pools, and planks of the Żebra Żubra appeared to be rotting away in the permanent humidity. Passing through yet another tall forest habitat, the impression was that the Żebra Żubra provides a full experience of Białowieża habitats in miniature.
The walkway ended at the main road, just north of Białowieża village. This was a particularly good location, as beds of rank grass and nettles on the edge of the forest provided a habitat for River Warbler, which was stitching away like an ancient sewing machine. We traipsed around the grass in search of this wretched bird, but never got anything more than an unconvincing glimpse. Meanwhile Common Snipe drummed above the enormous meadow in front of us, and Icterine warbler yacked away from the secondary vegetation.
Białowieża village is perhaps not what it once was, but aspects of the quiet rural village, with White Storks on nests and colourful peasants working backyard plots still remains. However increasing tourism has rather scaled the village beyond its original boundaries. The main feature is the park, which is reached by crossing a causeway between two lakes, beyond which an impressive woodland garden surrounded an ugly communist style hotel, which was fortunately largely hidden amidst the trees. Hawfinches and Fieldfares were common in the woodland. We had a few chores to perform in the village. While Anita collected a few supplies from the store I sat on the pavement and was astonished to see a Wryneck rollicking from a large fruit tree between two houses. When I dropped my binoculars I discovered that my interest in the Wryneck paled next to the attention that I was getting from two elderly ladies who were muttering about visitors who came to see bison and birds (“żubry i ptaki” - my Polish is not good – but it was good enough to work that out). Having completed various pieces of admin relating to the next leg of the trip, we returned via the main road to Pogorzelce. The four kilometres passed surprisingly quickly, with a warm sun evaporating the puddles of the morning rain, and the landscape looking new and fresh. In Pogorzelce village we heard another Wryneck and found a Barred Warbler in a garden by the main road. Sometimes you do wonder whether there is ever any point in walking for miles and miles when the birds are always “at home”.
The Polish tradition of “obiad” (essentially a late lunch) replenished what we had burnt off during the morning exertions, and I realised that I was becoming addicted to hot tea with lemon. With fine conditions we decided that it looked good enough for a longer cycle ride, this time to the southern section of forest. We decided to stick to wider tracks and cover more distance. We crossed the main bisecting Hajnówka Road and plunged into the logged areas on the southern side. There was much tall spruce forest here, as well as larger areas of bog forest where Green Sandpipers bred and the mosquitoes were so thick that we had to cover our mouths and close our eyes while we cycled through them. We turned around at the Belarus border and continued up to the back end of Białowieża village. Around our crossing of the Narew, the clouds broke again and we got a thorough soaking. However as all cyclists know, once you are wet you are wet… Stopping only to pick up a few beers in the village we continued back for home. At the end of the Żebra Żubra trail we saw a German car parked suspiciously next to the “omnicalling” River Warbler. We joined the friendly occupant in another hunt for the warblers, but not even the river now pouring down the surface of the main road could entice them out of the impenetrable sedge, so we set a hot shower as the immediate priority and abandoned the hunt.
As dusk closed in on Pogorzelce I strolled to the edge of he village and looked out over the large meadows. A huge Lesser Spotted Eagle took off from the edge of the river and flapped gently towards a distant tree. Several Corncrakes were once again taunting from invisible locations in the grass. It seemed a wild place.
Rain poured all night and we feared that our last morning would be a washout, but obligingly it ceased after breakfast and a last halfday outing seemed possible again. One the advice of a villager we decided to follow a narrow trail with the bikes that led north from the twin Orthodox and Catholic crosses on the edge of Pogorzelce village. This apparently led to a nice lookout over the Narew. It did, but in fact it was a familiar one, because we ended up at the lookout we had reached at the end of our first afternoon in Białowieża. Mist was hissing off the river and the atmosphere was truly uplifting – the kind of morning that you feel the oxygen in your blood and are utterly aware of the joys of being alive. A Black Woodpecker flew over the clearing as we prepared once more for battle with the calling River Warblers. However this time there was no war to wage. The birds were seen immediately and even allowed a close view as the male sang from a perched just a few centimetres from the ground, tail cocked and head raised proudly.
We retraced our Sunday evening ride back to the long dirt road, listening to the bugling of distant Cranes. We twisted along a series of new tracks in the hope of locating some bison. The sun now shone brilliantly in through the canopy, creating a photographic paradise. There was no evidence of bison, but we did see a Roe Deer and a Weasel. We heard several more Red-breasted Flycatchers and flushed a Nightjar from the edge of a forest pool. We returned to the house in brilliant sunshine. The landlord’s family were preparing for an afternoon of sunbathing and volleyball as a couple of Cranes flew over the clearing. It suddenly seemed an awful idea to be moving on.
31st May – 3rd June 2004
On this visit we had access to a car, although did not use it very much to get around the forest. We based ourselves at the same guesthouse in Pogorzelce, where again we had the place to ourselves. We self-catered breakfast and lunch, making use of the fridge and basic kitchen equipment.
We
arrived in the early evening and immediately went down to Białowieża
village for some dinner. The village was quiet and the modern “folk-style”
restaurant almost deserted, although worth the visit for the somewhat gourmet
wild boar steak (a small piece of tender meat that swam in some sort of green
herbal sauce). A group of British nature tourists were being mustered into a
minivan for an evening of owling – they looked absolutely knackered…
Henry and I surfaced at an early, but not
too early, hour to stroll down to the banks of the Narew. This short triangular
walk from Pogorzelce was one that we had worked out in 2003. The first bird
that we heard in the quiet village street was a singing Barred Warbler, in the
same garden as 2003. Despite the extensive chattering from the foliage we could
not see the bird. Meanwhile a small dog trotted out of a driveway and started
to wake the village by yelping at us. We held our ground as the yelping
intensified – how many villagers should we wake to see this warbler?
Fortunately the Barred Warbler conceded ground and flew across the road,
shifting the battlefield by a few metres. Now that the tension had receded the
dog seemed to lose interest and we were able to proceed. A dramatic and
successful start!
At the twin crosses on the eastern end of
the village we turned towards the forest, crossing a meadow of Whinchat and
Red-backed Shrike. We then entered the cool of the forest, where Wood Warblers
slurred from invisible spots of the canopy. This track quickly joined a logging
road, which ended at the banks of the Narew at our favourite river lookout,
where a swathe of reeds and rushes lined the banks of the small river as it cut
a wide clearing between the two stands of forest on either side. Just as in
2003, the dominant noise was that of River Warbler and so we began a hunt for
it in the lower foliage of some trees that stuck out from the knee-high sedge.
It was Henry of course who had sufficient lateral thinking skills to consider
that it might just be singing from the top of the tree, and indeed, bizarrely,
that was exactly where it was, offering much better views through the scope at
a safer distance back up on the road embankment. Here was also had good views
of Hawfinch and Scarlet Rosefinch. In 2003 we had several Corncrakes calling
during the day here, so we tried calling them up. This had quite some effect,
but unfortunately not on the Corncrakes. Firstly a Marsh Warbler popped up and
started replying in perfect Corncrake-speak and then a distant Red-backed
Shrike started crying from a distant wire, revealing the fact that indeed a
weak Corncrake sound does indeed resemble their call. Humiliating…
Breakfast was in full preparation on our
return and taken outside in the bright morning sunshine, during which we were
serenaded by an exquisite Common Starling who gave perfect renditions of much
of the local avifauna, with Golden Oriole and White Stork bill-rattling being
his two specialties. The rest of the day was given over to a series of walks in
the forest. The first was around Pogorzelce and the second along the Żebra Żubra. The latter was quite
hazardous, not just for the many missing planks and gaps in the boardwalk, but
also for the regular parties of up to 50 herded schoolchildren who we had to
squeeze past. We heard Red-breasted Flycatcher again at the Bison Reserve, but
this time could not locate the caller. Woodpeckers were also again
disappointing along this trail, with only Great Spotted seen, several at nest
holes. On the leg back to Pogorzelce we walked underneath two circling Black
Storks and back at the house watched our local Lesser Spotted Eagle hunting
over the meadow across the road.
The
last scheduled activity of the day was Corncrake hunting in the meadows to the
east of the village. As the light faded things were surprisingly quiet, with
only one distant singing bird, although we had enjoyed a brief sighting of a
Grey-headed Woodpecker and singing River Warbler, silhouetted against the dusky
sky. However just after sunset, as a lone Woodcock roded over the forest edge,
the grass came alive with Corncrakes, possibly up to ten being heard. However,
despite several close approaches we did not even catch a fleeting glimpse of
this most impossible species. They mocked us from the back gardens of
Pogorzelce as we walked home, and one even taunted us into the night from the
bedroom window.
After
an early morning walk around our local patch of forest, we drove in to Białowieża village to take a guided tour into the
“strict reserve”. We had prearranged this the day before and been assured that
we would get a knowledgeable guide. However when our guide ambled up the alarm
bells rang all round. Not only did he lope up with a hang-dog look that
suggested he was on the end of a particularly heavy night session, but when
Anita asked if he knew about the birds of the forest he readily agreed in a
cloud of alcoholic vapour. This is when having a Polish member of the party is
essential. Anita returned and raged (politely) at the incompetent office staff,
who were impressed enough to commence a hunt for another guide. We had a degree
of luck at this point, because a retired forester and former mayor of the
village had just passed through the office and a quick call brought him back to
take us to the reserve. He was a large jovial “Santa Claus” like figure, which
is surely exactly who anyone would want to take them into an old decaying
ancient piece of Northern European woodland. (Never mind the fact that we were
later told by our landlady that the reason he was an “ex-mayor” was for similar
problems to that of our first guide…)
And so, belatedly, we set off behind our
sturdy woodman. We halted every few steps to receive some local history and
after half an hour we had progressed about 400 metres and were very much still
within the grounds of the palace, with no sign of the forest reserve. I was
genuinely concerned that this tour might never make it beyond the park
self-guided trail. However we finally reached the gate of the palace park and
turned across a wide meadow, at the far end of which lay a distant line of
trees, shimmering on the horizon. Somewhere over there was the forest reserve.
A mammoth wooden gate, imposing and guarded,
rather dramatically marked the entrance to the reserve. Whatever else it
achieved, it presented a distinct impression that the world we were about to
enter was privileged and secluded. Once through the oak timbers we were leaving
something of ourselves temporarily behind. Inside the gate an organic silence
swelled over us. It was a wood just like the rest of Białowieża only
at first glance. The trees were giant, sure, but what demarked this tract of
forest was the visible decay. The fallen logs, the broken branches, the gnarled
dying timber, the carpets of moss, strips of lichen, the living dampness. A
broad vehicular track cut through the forest, but on either side there were no
industrial piles of recently felled logs, or rotting stumps, or tyre marks in
the mud, or stands of young saplings thrusting skywards in a geometric
clearing. This was just an apparently endless forest, sun glittering through
the foliage, fungi hugging the trunks, an ancient timber society standing in
solemn order above a carpet of ferns and delicate woodland flowers.
Although we saw no sign of mammal life
during our couple of hours in the strict reserve, it was not hard to imagine
bison and deer standing quietly in the shadows, or a small troupe of wild boar,
curled up in the dense understorey. Birds were also thinly distributed in this
spacious environment, with ubiquitous Chaffinches by far the most common
species, although Collared Flycatchers were far commoner here than anywhere
else we had been in Białowieża. Woodpeckers were as always
disappointingly elusive, with a Great Spotted nest being our only encounter as
we completed a circuit of the reserves minor trails, stepping carefully over
fallen logs and skirting around the massive tree roots of a fallen giant, whose
trunk had developed into an entire mini terrestrial ecosystem, while our guide
related tales of his days working in the forest.
All sense of direction was easily lost on
the winding trail, which eventually somehow rejoined a vehicular track, which
led us slowly back to the forest gate. We passed some graves of Polish
resistance soldiers, who lay now in a place of immense peace, with the spirited
song of only our second Red-breasted Flycatcher saluting them from the living
world. An earnest field researcher passed us on a bicycle, notebooks and
binoculars, mission uncertain. And then the wooden gateway towered above us
once again. Our time was up. The ancient forest had made room for us, briefly,
but was content to let us go.
So it seemed that yet again there would be
no wild wisent encounter in the woods of Białowieża. For that, we
would need to pay a visit to the small reserve, effectively an open zoo, carved
out in a large clearing in the forest. This proved to be a more interesting
visit than perhaps expected, as the enclosures were quite generous. A small
herd of bison were on display, including a very fresh looking calf, which
wobbled around the legs of its mother, searching for her teats. Four wolves
paced their forested paddock. If you looked hard enough, the meshed fence
melted, and nothing stood between the viewer and the magnificent dogs, standing
proudly in the woodland. Carnivore to carnivore, a scene from our own
prehistory.
We dined with our hostess again and spent
another fruitless evening Corncrake hunting. There were fewer birds singing
than the night before, and equally elusive. The light faded from the sky, but
nothing moved in the luxuriant sedge. In the distance a weird mechanical
popping noise resounded from a drainage ditch. Nightfall at Pogorzelce welcomed
a fascinatingly inaccessible world, which was not going to reveal any secrets
this time around. Białowieża can only ever by glimpsed, which is why
it is always worth returning to.
3rd June 2004
The large Siemianówka reservoir lies to the north of Białowieża and has built up quite a reputation as an ornithological location. We passed through on our way out of Białowieża, following a good dirt road to the north of Pogorzelce and weaving our way along country lanes until the village of Siemianówka. Getting access to the lake proved harder than anticipated, as the well-marked track into the forest to the east of the village soon branched out into a myriad of minor trails, not all of which proved particularly two-wheel drive friendly. We eventually abandoned the car next to some Willow Tits and hiked the last few hundred metres to the lakeshore.
What we discovered, when we got there, was quite astonishing. For several hundred metres from the bank, the lake margins were green with vegetation growing in the shallows. The cries of hundreds of nesting gulls and terns filled the air, with small flocks of birds constantly taking to the air above the reeds. Further offshore Marsh Harriers patrolled above the surface. A Yellow Wagtail hopped up, almost too close to focus on with the telescope. Whinchats, as always, perched atop any prominent vegetation. We walked along the edge of the plantation forest slowly, admiring the pink spotted orchids hidden in the grass. A Bittern boomed out from the reeds as we finally turned back, deciding to relocate to a place that had better viewing out over the massive marsh.
After some inspired navigation, we emerged from the pine plantation at some old pumping stations. This was a known location that we had visited with our friend Darek some years before. A gigantic observation tower had been erected, from which a vast vista out over the marsh could be seen. An equally interesting view over the near ponds could be obtained from the embankment next to the pumping station, from which clouds of Barn Swallows and House Martins emerged. White and Yellow Wagtails skipped overhead, none of which looked like a convincing Citrine, which is a breeder at this location. From the ponds an accelerating then decelerating dripping noise emanated frustratingly out of sight amidst the reeds. I wondered whether this was amphibian or bird, but was easily defeated.
This had essentially been nothing more than a lunch spot, but there is no doubt that the area would merit a more rigorous exploration. We ended by returning to the western end of the lake, where Anita apparently owns a tiny piece of land. It wasn’t clear exactly where it was, but we think we found it. It would be hard to make much of it, but if you stood on the hill and listened carefully it looked very possible that River Warbler would be an early addition to the garden list!
Anyone expecting Biebrza to resemble a massive nature
reserve should think again. This is probably the most famous ornithological
location in Poland, and yet you could be forgiven for wondering where it is,
even once you get there. The reasons are really twofold. Firstly the area is
vast and slightly fragmented, spread throughout an area of about 60-kilometre
square (probably larger actually). Secondly it is a working region, with
villages, farms, main roads and even some large towns. In between all this the
floodplain of the Biebrza River creates several very interesting and
undisturbed habitats, as well as some fascinating man-managed ones. In fact the
more you explore Biebrza, the more you become engrossed by the richness and
complexity of the entire ecosystem, form the vast marshes and flooded meadows
of the Middle Basin, to the forest and bog land of the Northern Basin.
13th – 15th May 2003
We were in two minds about the wisdom of leaving Białystok after a severe mid-afternoon thunderstorm had provided thrilling entertainment, but had reduced the city to a network of rivers, and the intersection adjacent to Kasia and Marek’s flats had become a small lake. However the weather quickly cleared and the 100 kilometre drive to Grzędy in the north of the Biebrza region was made largely in sunshine.
We chose to stay at the forest station at Grzędy, in the far north of the part of the park known as Czerwone Bagno, the “Red Marsh”. We were somewhat caught out on the approach because this turned out to be a longer journey than expected. Not only were there delays due to crippling road works on the main approach road north of the drab town of Grajewo, but the access road to Grzędy was somewhat slow and tortuous as it passed through some tranquil villages and pleasant rural landscapes, whose rural idyll of White Storks and old men on wobbly bicycles was lost a bit on us as the light faded and our concerns about finding Grzędy before dark began to mount. However we made it, just as dusk was closing in, and arrived at a large building in a big clearing. The station seemed almost deserted, with even the proprietor appearing rather unimpressed that we had stolen her peace away. We checked into our basic room ands chatted with some Polish birders, who were the only other guests. Grabbing a snack dinner and sinking a beer, we let the fresh post-storm air flood in through the window as Tawny Owls hooted around the clearing and the wild haunting call of Cranes stirred the night.
Once again rain poured down overnight, but this time showed no sign of clearing in the morning. Although the precipitation reduced to a drizzle and then ceased, the shy was leaden and a stiff breeze gusted across the marshes. We stood on the little bridge at Kuligi, just down the road from the forest station, and listened to faint booms of Bittern, but most birdlife was keeping wisely low. The next part of the morning proved frustrating from a time perspective, as we realised that perhaps Grzędy was too far from the lower sections of Biebrza to make an effective early start. We also wasted a lot of time collecting permits for our days in Biebrza. These had to be purchased from a park office, where a private company called Biebrza Eco Travel appeared to be steadily monopolising the Biebrza market – not only being the authorised permit issuing body, but also selling maps and information at a significant markup. Thus it wasn’t until about 11.00 that we really were in the marshes proper.
Our strategy was to slowly drive down the quiet country road to the west of the Middle Basin, that runs from Klimaszewnica down to Wizna, calling in at sites along the way. The first target was not a marsh bird at all, but a search for an Ortolan Bunting, which were said to have a preference for the tall poplars that line sections of this road. We drove down sections of this road at a speed that challenged the tractors, windows down, hoping that an interesting call could be retrieved from the stiff breeze buffeting the corridor of trees. Amazingly this tactic paid off just north of Mścichy, when a distinctive and tuneful rendition of Beethoven rang out from somewhere above us. Finding the bird took about a minute, but it then obligingly orchestrated from the swinging perch to our full satisfaction.
With the help of some villagers we managed to find the start of a track that led deeper into the marshes from the village of Mścichy. The start of this track was mostly pasture with small areas of scrub, but soon headed towards areas of sedge and reeds, and indeed a fair amount of water was lying around, both in the paddocks and on the road itself. Some Dutch birders told us that they had seen Aquatic Warblers in the sedge, but being unsure exactly what to look (listen) for our first possible sightings became swamped by a mass of Sedge Warblers, and soon too many doubts had crept in to be confident. Instead we made do with the clouds of mixed terns and swallows that were billowing around some open water, and the racket of mixed warblers from the marsh. Great views were had of a Savi’s Warbler reeling from the top of some reeds, Snipe drummed past us, Yellow Wagtails coloured the ditches (Citrine had been reported here, but we did not find any) and Marsh Harriers flapped lazily overhead. It would be impossible to describe the experience as a disappointment.
Rattling further down the cobbled road, our next stop was the village of Brzostowo, where we haggled with a crafty toothless farmer over an apparently random charge to collect the key to the nearby hide. This was set high on stilts on the edge of the meadow, but rather similarly to our previous visit in mid summer, the conditions here were so dry that thee were relatively few birds around. Some German birders commented that there only 10% of the numbers that they had seen the previous season at this time of year. Nonetheless, it was certainly a great viewpoint, even if a bit too quiet.
Our next outing was just as unsuccessful. We had been given a mud map to a large Ruff lek. This took us further from our intended route than expected (Biebrza is a big place!) and ended in disappointment, as it seemed that the birds had moved on. It looked as if it had turned into a bit of a bogey day, so thought that we had better at least get a decent hike out of it. Grobla Honczarowska is a causeway that cuts into the marshes from the eastern edge of the river basin for six kilometres. The causeway was lined with willows and thick scrub, with occasional glimpses of reeds and marsh through gaps in the cover. We penetrated the marsh for three kilometres until we reached an open area of very low sedge, which is supposedly one of the best Aquatic Warbler locations in the area. We scaled up the watchtower but found ourselves shivering in a cold breeze. In the distance a colourful huddle of Ruff, like ripening melons, could just be made out but very few birds moved in this fascinatingly barren landscape. Just occasionally however, before the sedge became swathes of reeds, we heard low churrs. These were carried away in the stiff wind and locating them proved hopeless, so we continued to watch for movement. Twenty minutes past and the gloomy spirit of the day looked determined to uphold its spell. Then suddenly my binoculars picked up a suspicious object almost sitting on the ground, only revealed when the wind parted the blades of sedge on which it appeared to be resting. Up went the head, revealing a yellowish throat, and the grating churr ratcheted out – sweet relief!
The daylight started to drain from the sky as we returned to the car, snipe drumming overhead and an almighty splash from the reeds almost certainly being a retreating Elk. It was a short drive from here to Barwik, where we set off along a narrow forest trail that soon opened out into the marshes and to a famous wooden platform, which was already covered in a dozen birders of various nationalities. The jolly Norwegians on the left scanned the bog in front of the platform, while the two quiet French lads on the right generously shared their telescope with us. Everyone was waiting, but nothing was happening. The location of interest was some hundred metres away, which was rather further than I had expected and somewhat beyond comfortable binocular range. We were waiting of course for any sign of action from the Great Snipe that famously lek here. I have to say that this experience was a little disappointing as well. We did indeed see several Great Snipe, some of which briefly jumped into the air, but the show was far from spectacular and entirely subdued. Perhaps it was just a poor night. Nonetheless, it was kind of fun, playing the game under a deep purple sunset. We undertook the long dark drive back to Grzędy, and fortunately found the forest hut deserted. Allowing us to grab some supper in the communal kitchen with the minimum of fuss.
Yet again, the night was a wet one, with torrential rain falling. This time it continued in a broken manner for the whole day, varying only in intensity. We sat at breakfast debating whether to embark on a long hike in the Czerwone Bagno (Red Marsh), which Grzędy was the gateway to. The clouds appeared to slowly lift, but the sky remained a seamless grey and it was almost impossible to separate the rain clouds from the general drabness. At 09.00 we decided just to go, which proved the right decision. We followed the Red Trail, a loop of some 18 kilometres, and despite the fact that we did get a decent soaking, this was quite the most enjoyable aspect of our Biebrza visit as we simply got out there into the habitat.
The first seven kilometres were through a very rich
forest, as rich as any we had tramped through in Białowieża. At this stage we were restricted to light
showers, encouraging us to make a small two-kilometre detour along a slippery
boardwalk that eventually jutted out over a small sedge meadow. We were much
more lucky with woodpeckers in the woods here, with at least three Blacks, one
Middle-Spotted and one White-backed. During a more intense shower we huddled
beneath a shelter next to a small forest shrine and compared notes with a
German birder who appeared from the opposite direction. From here the track
opened up into sand dunes, surrounded by stands of birch, and eventually we
reached a tall tower on a slight rise. From here the views out over the
Czerwone Bagno were highly impressive. Despite the dull conditions we could see
two Elk grazing over a kilometre away.
The
return leg of the walk was on a much narrower trail, which at times descended
into shallow bog, making my choice of rubber boots very beneficial, while
Anita’s boots inevitably got wet. The rain intensified and a cold wind blew in,
which somewhat diverted our attention from the gorgeous scenery and more onto
practical thoughts such as hot showers and shelter. Both were eventually
secured and, after a well-earned potato cake, we hit the road, clutching two
eagle posters that the warden had donated on our way out the door.
Our last Biebrza stop was in the village of Dziękonie, where we had been recommended to visit a local craftsman who sculpted wooden birds. We were welcomed in to his house, which was under serious renovation, and shown his collection. The artist was keen to discuss his works, while his pushy wife was rather too keen to force a sale. Their son seemed genuinely glad to have the chance to chat to somebody in English. The birds were rather variable, both in size and quality. We purchased a very fine Ortolan, but were left with the distinct feeling that he needed to hot up his Aquatic Warbler if he was going to make inroads into that surely lucrative niche market.
3rd – 5th June 2004
Our arrival in the Biebrza region was somewhat marred by the series of mobile phone calls to Biebrza Eco Travel, with whom we believed we had arranged to rent a small cottage. The bemused office clerk sounded initially very puzzled, and then located our names in his ledger next to an indistinct remark. Somewhat nearer to Białystok the story now emerged that we were welcome still to rent the cottage, but that a Danish ornithologist was already living in it, and quite content to share. By the time we had a completed a terse and fractious shopping expedition in the heat of downtown Białystok, it was arranged that we would drive directly to the Biebrza office and attempt to sort this out in person. Despite the acrid smell of total incompetence behind the scenes at Biebrza Eco Travel, the rather blameless duty assistant eventually secured us a different cottage in a village to the east of the Middle Basin. This seemed a satisfactory conclusion to an unsatisfactory situation and so with some relief we were able to relax and enjoy the remainder of the day.
It was now late afternoon so we decided that a late obiad was as good a plan as any. We fuelled up in Goniądz and then followed the signs to the only obvious open restaurant. This took is down a steep driveway that emerged in a large car park before a very new looking folk-style eatery called Hotel Bartek. The vast barn interior was deserted, but the menu looked good, so we decided to sit out on the deck behind the restaurant. We were quite unprepared for the fact that this deck jutted out onto the back of the Biebrza River, with a wall of reeds being held back by some tall poplars just a few metres from our wooden table, on which some icy cold Dojlidy beers were soon thawing. A chorus of Marsh Frog and Golden Oriole accompanied the superb regional cuisine, which impressed even Anita. To cap it all, from time to time white-winged Black Terns, dazzling pied fliers, could be seen rising above the reeds then dropping down, like petrels riding the waves of vegetation between our dinner table and the river.
A gentle early evening late now coated the snowfields of dandelion seed-heads, as we followed the back road from Goniądz to Osowiec. Snipe drummed in front of the tall tower just to the north of Goniądz. Opposite the Second World War fortifications at Fort Zarzeczny we followed a trail to another hide that overlooked a small reed bed. A Bittern boomed directly in front of the hide, but of course refused to show. As the clouds of mosquitoes gradually built up to a point of discomfort, a pair of Montague’s Harriers swept in and circled the marsh, flying just metres from our viewing post, before dropping into the reeds. We then rattled down the rutted road to the east of the Middle Basin, turning west to the village of Chojnowo.
After exhaustively searching in all the wrong corners of the strangely H-shaped village, we eventually located our accommodation, a mustard wooden house set in a grove of fruit trees. We were met by the owner, who directed us to the safety of the interior, as the garden was waste-high in mosquitoes. While the cottage was everything that we needed, and well equipped, we were a little bit surprised to discover that, while remaining a relative anopheles sanctuary in comparison to the yard, the house itself was somewhat infested. The owner patiently explained a little bit of the local history and showed us the facilities, while we swabbed at the invading insects that danced prolifically around the kitchen. He managed to feign an amount of genuine surprise at the health of the domestic ecosystem, while we willed him to depart so that the battle could begin. Which it did, as soon as he bade us farewell. A 15-minute session with tourism brochures and local history fact sheets soon decimated the numbers of the house occupants, leaving rivers of blood gushing down the whitewashed walls of the kitchen - ok, slight exaggeration there, but it felt like it! (The death toll would certainly have been around three figures.) Our attempts to locate the point of infiltration also failed, and we were left suspecting the chimneybreast. This fortunately meant that the bedrooms were relatively safe environments, so long as strict controls were applied to opening the kitchen door. As a pastel sunset faded over the fields on the edge of the village, our resident stork bade goodnight with a prolonged bill rattle from its nest on top of the nearest telegraph pole.