POLAND 17–27 May 2009 Leader: Przemyslaw Kunysz

A repeat of the highly-successful tours of previous years, Poland has proved to be a very popular destination for birdwatchers. It combines excellent birds, including Ural Owl, Great Snipe, Greater Spotted, Lesser Spotted and White-tailed Eagles, all of the European woodpeckers, Citrine Wagtail and European Roller, with superb scenery and fascinating culture. The old-fashioned methods of agriculture are responsible for the abundance of Corn Crakes and other species.

Day 1 We will depart from Heathrow on a scheduled flight, arriving at Warsaw mid-afternoon, where we will meet our local guide and bus with driver for the five-hour journey to the south of the country near the Ukraine and Slovakian borders. Comfort stops will be made en-route. Two nights in Przemysl.

Day 2 After breakfast we will drive into the Carpathian foothills at about 2000 feet where we will look for Black Stork, Lesser Spotted Eagle, Grey-headed Woodpecker, River Warbler, European Golden Oriole, Collared and Red-breasted Flycatchers, Red-backed Shrike and Spotted Nutcracker. In the afternoon we will visit the River San, right on the Ukrainian border, where we will look for Garganey, Eurasian Penduline-tit, Great Reed-warbler, Grasshopper, Icterine, Marsh and River Warblers, Thrush Nightingale and European Serin to name but a few species. After our evening meal we will visit a forest where we will look for Ural Owl. We may also see Syrian Woodpecker, although Great Spotted Woodpecker is more common.

Day 3 Today we will drive north, first to fishponds then to a beautiful marsh. We should see Black-necked and Red-necked Grebes, Great Bittern, Eurasian Penduline-tit, Greylag Goose and both Black and Whiskered Terns. Overnight in Tomaszow Lubelski.

Day 4 Continuing north to Zamosc, which is one of the most beautiful towns in Poland, we will look for Syrian Woodpecker before visiting the wonderful town square. Next we will head towards the Ukrainian border where there are several wetlands and the River Bug, which forms the border itself. There is a good chance of Little Crake and Barred Warbler here and we should see all three marsh terns. The whole day will be spent leisurely exploring the area where every village has a White Stork's nest. Arriving in Chelm in the late afternoon we will check into our modern hotel (with satellite TV!). After our evening meal, we will visit a nearby marsh for Aquatic and Savi's Warblers, Western Marsh-harrier and Montagu's Harrier.

Day 5 On our way north again, we will search for Ortolan Bunting before stopping at a lake which has breeding Great Bitterns as well as numerous Great Reed-warblers. Eurasian Hobby may be present over the lake, together with White-tailed Eagle. Our next destination is the River Bug where there is a totally different habitat, with sand dunes on which Wood Larks and Tawny Pipits breed. On the river are Little and Common Terns and waders, which may include Common and Green Sandpipers, Ruff and Greater and Little Ringed Plovers. Our destination is Hajnowka on the western edge of the Bialowieza forest for a three-night stay. The hotel is good and they cater for early-rising birdwatchers!

Days 6–7 There will be a varied programme of birdwatching in the buffer forests around the park proper, together with a morning visit to the primeval forest core with a guide. In the area as a whole we will visit sites where White-backed, Three-toed, Black, Middle Spotted and Grey-headed Woodpeckers can be found, although most will have left their nest holes by now. In addition, we will also search for Hazel Grouse, although it can be very hard work! The forest abounds with Collared Flycatchers, Wood Warblers and Hawfinches, while overhead are Lesser Spotted Eagles and European Honey-buzzards. Bison, European Beaver, Wolf and Brown Bear all occur in the forest, but the chances of seeing any of them are very remote. We will also visit a large reservoir to the north where Citrine Wagtail, Common Rosefinch and Black Stork breed and nearby we will look for European Roller and Ortolan Bunting.

Day 8 We drive north again to fishponds near Bialystok, where Black-necked and Red-necked Grebes breed and can be seen resplendent in their breeding plumages. There are also Little and Great Bitterns here, together with breeding marsh terns. We will arrive at our hotel in Goniadz in mid-afternoon and, after checking in for a three-night stay, stand on a nearby viewpoint for a magnificent view over the middle basin of the Biebrza Marshes. Hundreds of White-winged Terns breed here in good years and Ruffs can sometimes be seen lekking. Black-tailed Godwits are common and White-tailed Eagles regularly hunt over the area. The real prize here, however, is Greater Spotted Eagle, about nine pairs of which breed in the area. They are far from easy, however, and identification from their commoner cousin, Lesser Spotted Eagle, can be difficult at a distance. In the evening we will visit a Great Snipe lek, although getting good views can sometimes be frustrating. Eurasian Woodcocks will be roding and Common Snipe drumming, and we may even see a European Nightjar on our way back to the hotel.

Days 9–10 We will explore various parts of the marshes seeing Western Marsh-harrier and Montagu's Harrier, more Aquatic Warblers and numerous waders and terns. Elk can sometimes be seen from the tower hides and we may also find Black Grouse. Thrush Nightingales, Spotted Nutcrackers, Crested Tits and Common Rosefinches also occur.

Day 11 With regret, we return to Warsaw for an afternoon departure to London Heathrow. There may be time for a quick drive through the old city, which has been restored, en-route to the airport.

General Information There are no special health or visa requirements. The weather can be variable at this time of the year from cold, wet and windy to very hot and sunny, so a selection of clothing is recommended. Insects can sometimes be troublesome. Wellington boots are recommended for the marshes. This will be a relatively intensive birdwatching holiday, although the walking is mostly only moderate on flat terrain with good paths.

Group Size Minimum number for tour to go ahead: 6; maximum group size: 10 with 1 leader, 16 with 2 leaders.

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