NEW! Poland
Bialowieza Forest and the Biebrza Marshes
Saturday 22 May - Saturday 29 May 2010
Price: £1445 pp Single Supplement: £105 pp Deposit: £300 pp
 
Following on from our successful holidays to the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania and Estonia this latest holiday visits another great Eastern European destination. Our carefully planned itinerary centres on two fantastic areas in the north-east of Poland: the famous Bialowieza Primeval Forest and the vast marshes along the meandering River Biebrza. The rich birdlife here includes Great Snipe, Hazel Grouse, Greater and Lesser Spotted Eagles, Greenish and Aquatic Warblers and a possible 10 species of woodpecker. Much of eastern Poland is rural and unspoilt and “southern” birds such as Roller occur here alongside “eastern” ones like Citrine Wagtail and “northern” species such as Whooper Swan.
Day 1: Saturday
Fly London to Warsaw and head by road eastwards to Bialowieza and its old forest (about 3 hours direct) with stops for lunch and roadside birds which will include many nesting White Storks (25% of the world population is in Poland). We will keep an eye open for Black Stork, too. If time permits we will stop by some sand-dunes where birds include Roller, Tawny Pipit, Woodlark, Ortolan Bunting and Hoopoe. We spend four nights in a family-run guest house at Bialowieza where mostly traditional Polish fare is served.
Days 2 to 4: Sunday - Tuesday
We have three full days around Bialowieza and besides exploring the old-growth stands we will also visit adjacent “managed” forest and boggy river valleys. Bialowieza is the last virgin lowland forest in Europe and consists of old oaks, limes, ash & spruce with much decaying and fallen timber. Here Three-toed, White-backed, Grey-headed, Black, Lesser & Middle Spotted Woodpeckers all do well. Hazel Grouse are not uncommon and there are Red-breasted and Collared Flycatchers, Hawfinch, Common Crossbill, Wood & Icterine Warblers, Nutcracker, Redwing, Firecrest and Willow, Marsh and Crested Tits. Open areas are the hunting grounds of Lesser Spotted and Booted Eagles as well as Honey Buzzard, Hobby and Goshawk. Corncrake, Thrush Nightingale and River, Barred and Marsh Warblers are fairly common here and there's a chance of Greenish Warbler, too. We will also hear Common Rosefinch singing its “pleased to meet you” song. On one evening we will search for Pygmy & Tengmalm's Owls. Besides birds we might also encounter the forest dwelling European Bison which survives in good numbers at Bialowieza.
Day 5: Wednesday
Today we head to the northwest and our second base in the Biebrza Marshes stopping at the Bialystok fishponds & the Siemianówka Reservoir on the way. Siemianówka is a huge man-made lake along the Narew River near the Belorussian border where White-tailed and Golden Eagles, Citrine Wagtail, Marsh Sandpiper, Whooper Swan and Whiskered & Black Terns all breed. The Bialystok ponds host five species of grebe including Black-necked, Red-necked and Slavonian. Both Common and Little Bitterns occur here and warblers include Great Reed, Reed, Savi’s, Marsh and possibly Blyth's Reed. Upon arrival at Biebrza we will check into our guest-house at the heart of the area. Those who wish can take a short walk after dinner to listen for Corncrake and Little & Spotted Crakes.
Days 6 and 7: Thursday and Friday
Our two days in the Biebrza River Basin will be bird-filled. Here the marshes, meadows, pastures and scrubby fens are home to a rich range of breeding and passage birds. A very special bird at Biebrza is Aquatic Warbler and we will take in good sites for this. We will also visiting a Black Grouse lek and later watch battling Ruff at their lek. Other waders in the flooded meadows are Black-tailed Godwit, Spotted and Common Redshanks, Dunlin, Marsh and Wood Sandpipers and maybe Temminck's & Little Stints. Common Cranes will be in breeding pairs and ducks should include Garganey, Gadwall, Wigeon, Pintail and Shoveler. A key bird of prey here is Greater Spotted Eagle, though Lesser Spotted is more common. Montagu's Harrier is quite common. White-winged Black Tern colonies are a major attraction hereabouts, too. Songbirds include Great Reed, Reed, Sedge, Savi's, River, Barred and Grasshopper Warblers, Bearded & Penduline Tits and the white-spotted race of Bluethroat. We will bird by bus, on foot and also from convenient birding towers. On one evening we will visit a Great Snipe lek and at this same place Common Snipe will be drumming, Woodcock roding and there is even a chance of seeing Jack Snipe displaying. As if all this were not enough we may well come across mammals such as Elk and Beaver in this incredible area.
Day 8: Saturday
Today we head back to Warsaw for our flight to London. If flight times allow we can see the Old Town, which was completely destroyed during WW2 but later rebuilt and since declared a World Heritage Site.
Price includes return scheduled flight from London – Warsaw, airport taxes, ground transportation, accommodation and all meals, incidental tips, and the services of experienced Heatherlea leader Gerard Gorman, joined local guides with more than 7 clients. Max 14 clients.
Please note: all itineraries are given as a guide only. Actual
holiday content may vary according to the judgement of your guide, and
elements beyond our control (eg weather).
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