Do you know that: from August to September on the Bubnów Marsh cranes coming to this place as their sleeping quarter can be observed. The crane is one of the biggest birds whose wingspan amounts up to 240 cm. In the autumn cranes gather at staging areas before they fly away. On the Krowie Marsh and in the Polesie National Park even up to 3500 cranes may be observed from the end of August to the beginning of October. In the country there are many more – in 2013 as many as 120 thousands of cranes were reported during one autumn travel.
Lake Wereszczyńskie (so-called Bąbelek [Bubble]).
Existing environmental protection forms: the Polesie National Park, Nature 2000 protection area of the Bubnów Marsh (PLB060001), Chełm Area of Protected Landscape.
Directions: From Urszulin we drive along the national road no. 82 towards Lublin. Having driven a few hundred meters, still in Urszulin at the church and before the headquarters of the Polesie National Park management, we turn left in the road towards Sawin. Then, having driven about 2 km we turn left to the village of Zastawie. In Zastawie we head to Lake Wereszczyńskie referred to as Bąbelek by the local inhabitants (GPS coordinates: 51○22’05.19’’N; 23○13’48.28’’E; elevation: 169 m).
Bird watching equipment: binoculars or spotting scope.
Transport: on foot or by bike.
Difficulty level: mid difficult in terms of distance.
Length of the trail: about 7 km.
Periods for bird watching
| Month | I | II | III | IV | V | VI | VII | VIII | IX | X | XI | XII |
| bird watching period | ||||||||||||
| the best season for birding |
Trail description: The trail begins in Zastawie by Lake Wereszczyńskie (also called Lake Zastawskie or Bąbelek) (GPS coordinates: 51○22’05.19’’N; 23○13’48.28’’E; elevation: 169 m). The Lake drains into the river Włodawka which we go along. As we reach an asphalt road we turn right (north-west) and head to the watch tower localized at the flood plain on the Bubnów Marsh (GPS coordinates: 51○22’33.30’’N; 23○15’06.36’’E; elevation: 170 m) in the Polesie National Park. From the tower we go back about 300 m to the first crossing of dirt roads. At this crossing we turn left and move southwards (still on the dirt road) through the meadows, heading to the village of Sęków. As we reach Sęków we turn right (westwards) into an asphalt road and move towards Wereszczyn. As we reach the first crossing of asphalt roads we turn right to the village of Zastawie. In Zastawie we come back to the Lake where our journey started.
The most important bird species to be seen or heard during the best season for birding: the black stork, the white stork, the Montagu’s harrier, the hen harrier, the ruff, the black-tailed godwit, the northern lapwing, the common rosefinch, the barred warbler, the crane, the greylag goose, the Mediterranean gull, the black-necked grebe, the European serin, the common linnet, the European goldfinch, the whinchat, the corn bunting.
The best observation points: 1 – at the Lake we can observe aquatic birds as well as hear Eurasian bitterns or Eurasian reed warblers; 2 – a spot for the observation of aquatic birds e.g. black-headed gulls (colony of over 23000 pairs), Mediterranean gulls, great egrets, black-necked grebes, little crakes, spotted crakes, cranes, black storks; 3 – a place where such species as the white stork, the black stork, the common rosefinch, the black-tailed godwit, the northern lapwing, the ruff, the Montagu’s harrier, the western marsh harrier or the hen harrier can either be heard or seen.
[Key
Common birds Zastawie Sekow Wereszczyn
Com. border lux
Observation points
Main roads
Bodies of water
Local roads
Watercourses lux
Buildings
Forests lux2
Open spaces]
The “Birds of Polesie” Trail.
Other attractions in the vicinity of the trail: see the “Aquatic warbler” Trail.