Birding in Krakow and the environs within the
Carpathians
We will visit two of the higlights in the southern part of Poland: Pieniny & Tatra Mountains and the extensive fishponds near Krakow. Our focus are special birds with Pygmy and Ural Owl, Black, Grey-headed, White-backed and Three-toed Woodpeckers, Wallcreeper, Alpine Accentor, Hazel Grouse, Collared Flycatcher and many more.
It is also an area where almost all species of big central European mammals live - Brown Bear, Wolf, Lynx, Beaver, Chamoix, Otter, Red Squirel (often in black phase), Stone & Pine Marten and Marmot.
You will love the landscapes of unspoiled countryside where farming has been practised in harmony with nature for centuries. After nature walks we will finish each day with traditional Polish cuisine, good beer and excellent polish vodka - which are still very cheap.
Itinerary
DAY 1: KRAKOW, WOLSKI FOREST AND THE EXTENSIVE FISHPONDS
Arrival at Kraków or Katowice airport and journey to the city (transfer depends on the wirport - just 15 minutes from Kraków or 2 hours from Katowice). There is unspoilt countryside on the way where we can stop to produce Grey Partridge, Quail, Rooks and Jackdaws of the eastern 'pale headed' race.
Lunch will be followed by sightseeing at the Old Town and the Jewish District. We will visit to a city park - Wolski Las, which is home to eight species of woodpecker with Wryneck, Black, Grey-headed, Middle-spotted, Lesser-spotted and Syrian etc. The other highlights are Collared Flycatcher, Short-toed Treecreeper and Icterine Warbler. We will also see other species which are rare in Western Europe such as Hawfinch, Golden Oriole, Wood Warbler and Tree Sparow.
Late afternoon we will drive (30 minutes) to Zator where we will have dinner. We will try in the evening for Crakes as here they are represented by numerous Water Rail, Spotted & Little Crake.
Overnight: Hotel in Zator Old Town with its Gothic church and palace from the 15th century
Target Species: Wryneck, Syrian, Middle, Great and Lesser Spotted, Black, Grey-headed and Green Woodpecker, Collared Flycatcher, Hooded Crow, Hawfinch, Barred Warbler, Icterine Warbler, Wood Lark, Short-toed Treecreeper, Spotted & Little Crake.
DAY 2: EXTENSIVE FISHPONDS IN THE UPPER WISLA RIVER VALLEY
Breakfast and whole day birding in the fishponds systems, which have a history that is 700 years old. They were created by monks in the Middle Ages and are today an important wetland for birds and an excellent place for birdwatching. There is good access via the dikes. It is also the area where the highest number of bird species in Poland has been recorded.
Everywhere Scarlet Rosefinch are singing 'Pleased to meet you'. The ponds are overgrown with reeds that are home to a good number of Bittern and Little Bittern, which are often observed. Great White Egrets are increasingly seen in large flocks and will probably start to breed in the near future. Single pairs of Purple Herons have just became breeders. Night Herons are the emblem of this region and our ornithologists local group. It is the only place in Poland where there are 300 pairs nesting. The colonies of Whiskered Tern here are the largest in Poland and there are also good numbers of Black and Common Terns. It is an excellent place to observe the breeding colony of Caspian Gull with some pairs of Yellow-legged and Mediterranean Gull. Four species of Grebe are present with Red-necked and Black-necked Grebes which is a common breeder. We will see Ferruginous Duck and Red-crested Pochard, Shoveler, Gadwall, Garganey, & Greylag Goose which also breed here. There are also Widgeon, Pintail, Goosander and Goldeneye on passage.
We often find Penduline Tit's nests and observe lovely calling Bearded Tits. The dense reed-beds hold, amongst others Warblers, numerous Reed, Great Reed, Savi's, Sedge, River, Grasshopper Warblers and Bluethroat of the northern subspecies Luscinia svecica svecica.
Birds of prey are also present with two breeding pairs of the White-tailed Eagle and good numbers of Marsh Harriers, Sparrowhawks and Goshawks. There are numerous White Storks, and Godwit, Redshank, Little-ringed & Ringed Plover breed on the wet meadows in the neighbourhood. Our newest breeders are Cranes and Black Storks which have both fortunatelly increased in Poland in the last couple of decades. We will find single Marsh Sandpipers in flocks of Ruff, Spotted Redshank, Green and Wood Sandpiper, Dunlin, Curlew Sandpiper, Temminck's and Little Stint. We will also have good chances to see Citrine Wagtail, White-winged Black Tern, Whooper Swan, Red-throated Pipit and Jack Snipe, which are present in the fishponds area to the end of May when they fly north.
Shrubby meadows in the neighbeirhood offer Red-backed & Great Grey Shrike and Barred Warbler.
NOTE: If you wish too, we can visit Nazi Concentration Camp at Auschwitz (just 10 kilometers from the fishponds) and an open-air folk museum near the fishponds - Wygielzow with its 17th Century houses, barns, inn and wooden churches.
Overnight: Hotel in Zator Old Town where there is a Gothic church and palace from 15th century
Target Species: Scarlet Rosefinch, Bittern, Little Bittern, Purple Heron, Night Heron, Great White Egret, Red-necked & Black-necked Grebe, Whiskered, White-winged Black & Black Tern, Caspian & Mediterranean Gulls, Ferruginous Duck, Red-crested Pochard, Corncrake, Spotted & Little Crake, Penduline & Bearded Tits, Great Reed, Savi's, Sedge, River & Grasshopper Warblers, Bluethroat, Golden Oriole, White-tailed Eagle, Goshawk, Red-backed & Great Grey Shrike, White & Black Stork, Marsh, Curlew, Green & Wood Sandpiper, Spotted Redshank, Jack Snipe, Temminck's & Little Stint.
DAY 3-5: PIENINY NATIONAL PARK AND THE ENVIRONS
Morning visit in the fishponds and breakfast. Passage to Pieniny Mts, (c.1.5 hours) which is an exceptionally charming area of mixed forests, sharp limestone rock pillars several hundred meters high and castles from the middle-ages. There are panoramic views of the Tatra Mountains and a great opportunity to see birds of prey, which are represented by Golden Eagle, Lesser-spotted Eagle and more and more often - a visitor from Slovakia - Imperial Eagle as well as Hobby, Peregrine and Honey Buzzard.
Black Storks and Caspian Gulls are often seen seen by the gorges. It is the place to observe two more species of Woodpeckers: Three-toed and White-backed, which have healthy populations here. Black and Grey-headed are not rare either. Hazel Hen which can be attracted by whistling with a special whistle made of goose bone. Other highlights are Red-breasted Flycatchers, Ring Ouzel, Nutcracker, Crossbill, Firecrest and Woodcock that are often seen in the dusk, as well magnificent Ural Owl and the tiny Pygmy Owl. You will observe Pygmy Owl with our local guide who attracts this bird after a few minutes of calling, the magnificent Ural Owl is numerous and also active by day. The unwary have been known to be attacked when too close to the nest!
We will also drive to the limestone rocky area inhabited by a pair of Eagle Owls. This is also Tengmalm's Owl territory so we hope to see one. You will have a chance of Tawny and Long-eared Owl too in these environs. One afternoon will be spent observing Cornacrake and Quail.
There are good populations of Red Deer, Row Deer and Wild Boar, which are followed by Wolves and Lynx and it may be possible to get a glimpse of one or both species. Other mammals include Weasel, Stoat, Pine & Stone Marten, Red squirrels (often dark phase) and Eastern Hedgehog. There will be an opportunity to observe the attractive amphibian Fire Salamander and four species of Newts with the endemic Teriturus montadoni.
There are also over 1,000 species of flowering plants with many Orchids and endemics like Erismum pieninicum and Taraxacum pieninicum. It is really a fabled garden in an area of 20 square kilometres, with meadows filled with aromas and the buzzing of insects with many butterflies such as Camberwell Beauty, Apollo, Swalowtail or Scarce Swallowtail.
NOTE: If you wish, it is possible to have two hours rafting with higlanders in traditional costume (Cost is £5 per person). We can also visit some wooden churches as Debno.
Overnight: Hotel in Niedzica with its beautiful castle from the middle-ages.
Target Species: Hazel Hen, Ural, Eagle, Tengmalm's & Pygmy Owl, Three-toed & White-backed Woodpecker, Corncrake, Red-breasted Flycatchers, Hobby, Peregrine, Honey Buzzard, Golden & Lesser-spotted Eagle, Ring Ouzel, Nutcracker, Crossbill, Firecrest, Woodcock, Black Stork & Caspian Gull.
DAY 6: TATRA NATIONAL PARK
Today we will transfer 15 kilometers (30 minutes) to the Tatra Mountaines National Park of typical alpine character, which is a World Biosphere Reserve. Vegetation zones change very visibly with the increase in altitude, with lower forests of beech and fir and upper forest of spruce and dwarf pine shrubs above the timber line. Above this there are only alpine meadows with a few species of creeping willows amongst the rocks where Alpine Accentor, Water Pipit, Lesser Redpoll, Bluethroat of the northern race L.s.svecica, and some years, Dotterel, may be seen.
If you wish you can use the Cable Car (£7 per person) to reach Kasprowy Wierch high above the clouds (1,987m) where all the alpine species occure. It is also a place for Chamois and Alpine Marmot that live in higher parts of the mountains. There is a chance seeing Brown Bears.
After lunch we will walk into one of the valleys in the western limestone part of Tatra Mountains, which is a breeding area of the colourful Wallcreeper. Birds will be represented by Ring Ouzel, Nutcracker, Crested Tit and Greenish Warbler. There are numerous Dipper and Grey Wagtails along streams. Picturesque valleys with unusual rock formations and deep gorges have been created. Old mountain shelters are numerous on the meadows. Karst processes have formed beautiful caves.
Within the Carpathian arch the Tatras are the predominate area for high mountain flora of exceptional richness. About 1300 species of plants may be observed there. We will also visit Orawa peat bogs with impessive panoramic views of the dramatic peaks of Tatra Mts. Walking in the peat bogs area is full of characteristic plants and we will have the opportunity to see Black Grouse, Snipe species, Cranes and Citrine Wagtail, which is the eastern species that is expanding its breeding area at the moment. It is area frequently used by hunting birds of prey. Montagu's and Hen Harriers with more and more observations of Pallid Harrier - we have a few observations of Long legged Buzzard every year too.
NOTE: If you wish you can have a short visit to Zakopane old town, which is pretty with wooden houses built in Polish higland style. There is a Church and cemetary with unique wooden grave markers. We can also take a break in Chocholow village which is now a "living open-air museum" of traditional local timber architecture. The most complete survival of an old highlander village. The majority of the houses here were built during the nineteenth century.
Overnight: Hotel in Niedzica where there is a beautiful castle from the middle-ages
Target Species: Alpine Accentor, Wallcreeper, Water Pipit, Lesser Redpoll, Bluethroat, Ring Ouzel, Nutcracker, Greenish Warbler, Montagu's & Hen Harriers, Black Grouse, Cranes, Citrine Wagtail
Day 7 Morning birding, breakfast and transfer to the airport (1.5 hours)
NOTE: If you wish we are able to organise for you extra day or days in Krakow a fairy tale city that ranks with Vienna and Prague as one of the architectural gems of central Europe.
Price £600 (£100 single room suppliment) - based on 3-4 persons - includes accomodation in nice small familly hotels with en-suite twin-bedded rooms with private facilities, fantastic food (breakfast, packed lunches, and a big dinner), transportation by minubus, local guides and expert guidance in English.
October 2011