Do you know that: the great grey owl Strix nebulosa is one of the biggest owls in the world and one of the rarest owls in Poland – the number of its population amounts to scarcely 8 pairs. At present it breeds in Poland only in Polesie – in 2010 first broods were discovered in the Sobiborskie Forests. In the Polesie National Park the great grey owl was observed already in 2006 whereas the current location of this rare owl is the neighbourhood of the Durne Marsh.

The Durne Marsh is a place where the grey great owl or the black grouse may be observed and which serves as a substitute of forest tundra from Northern Europe.

Existing environmental protection forms: the Polesie National Park, the Polesie Landscape Park, Nature 2000 protection area of Polesie (PLB060019), Nature 2000 protection area of Ostoja Poleska (PLH060013).

Directions: From Urszulin we drive along the national road no. 82 towards Włodawa. Having driven about 6.2 km we turn left at the church in Wytyczno. Then, having driven about 0.9 km we turn right in a dirt road to the Monument of the Soldiers of the Border Protection Corps in Łowiszów (GPS coordinates: 51^○26’27.25’’N; 23^○14’34.29’’E; elevation: 168 m). The “Great grey owl” Trail begins at this Monument.

Bird watching equipment:  binoculars or spotting scope.

Transport: on foot or by bike.

Difficulty level: easy.

Length of the trail: about 4 km.

Periods for bird watching

Trail description: The trail begins at the Monument of the Soldiers of the Border Protection Corps in Łowiszów (GPS coordinates: 51^○26’27.25’’N; 23^○14’34.29’’E; elevation: 168 m) and leads north-westwards along a ground road towards Nowiny encompassing cycling educational trail “The Mietiułka Trail” to the watch tower at the Durne Marsh (GPS coordinates: 51^○27’08.98’’N; 23^○13’46.06’’E; elevation: 174 m) in the Polesie National Park. From the tower the trail runs through a forest passage and comes back to the ground road Łowiszów-Nowiny and then comes back to the Monument of the Soldiers of the Border Protection Corps.

The most important bird species to be seen or heard during the best season for birding: the great grey owl, the black grouse, the crane, the common snipe, the Eurasian woodcock, the Eurasian curlew, the white-backed woodpecker, the middle spotted woodpecker, the European wryneck, the woodlark, the European stonechat, the hazel grouse, the tawny owl.

The best observation points: 1 – spot for the observation of Eurasian wrynecks or even white-backed woodpeckers and European stonechats and a nest of white storks; 2 – a place where hazel grouses, woodlarks and many other woodland bird species are to be heard. At night tawny owls may be heard; 3 – view from the watch tower (GPS coordinates: 51^○27’08.98’’N; 23^○13’46.06’’E; elevation: 174 m) over the Durne Marsh where great grey owls and black grouses may be observed. Along the edge of the peat bog “rodings” of the Eurasian woodcock can be observed. We should look out for the great grey owl throughout the whole trail.

Przebieg trasy „Puszczyk mszarny”.

Inne atrakcje w pobliżu trasy: patrz trasa „Podgorzałka”.