Do you know that: the white-winged tern Chlidonias leucopterus is a breeding species at Lake Łukie in the Polesie National Park. The population of this breeding bird is not numerous in Poland and the exact number is constantly changing and fluctuates between 150 and 12000 breeding pairs. Apart from the white-winged tern also the whiskered tern Chlidonias hybridus and the black tern Chlidonias niger breeds on Lake Łukie.
Lake Łukie – breeding area of terns
Existing environmental protection forms: the Polesie National 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. At the road crossing in Urszulin we turn left towards Sosnowica. Having driven scarcely 200 meters, by school, we drive straight towards Dębowiec and Załucze. From the road crossing in Urszulin we pass about 5.6 km and reach the Educational-Museum Centre in Stare Załucze (GPS coordinates: 51○23’45.91’’N; 23○07’19.96’’E; elevation: 173 m) – here the “Terns” Trail begins.
Bird watching equipment: binoculars or spotting scope.
Transport: on foot.
Difficulty level: mid difficult in terms of distance.
Length of the trail: 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 at the Educational-Museum Centre of the Polesie National Park in Stare Załucze (GPS coordinates: 51○23’45.91’’N; 23○07’19.96’’E; elevation: 173 m) and overlaps with the nature path “The Spławy Trail” which has been marked out by the Polesie National Park (www.poleskipn.pl). The nature path is expressly designated by the Polesie National Park.
The most important bird species to be seen or heard during the best season for birding: the white-winged tern, the whiskered tern, the black tern, the common tern, the ferruginous duck, the Eurasian bittern, the little bittern, the great egret, the black stork, the common goldeneye, the greylag goose, the great crested grebe, the red-necked grebe, the great reed warbler, the mute swan, the gadwall, the common snipe, the white-tailed eagle, the osprey.
The best observation points: 1 – a place where a wooden footbridge begins. Here we can see and hear field, meadow and woodland birds, e.g. the thrush nightingale and the common rosefinch, however, the most interesting at this point is the grey-headed woodpecker; 2 – jetty at Lake Łukie – a good spot for the observation of aquatic birds, i.a.: white-winged terns, whiskered terns, black terns, common terns, ferruginous ducks, Eurasian bitterns, little bitterns, great egrets, black storks, common goldeneyes, greylag geese, great-crested grebes, red-necked grebes, great reed warblers, mute swans, greylag geese, gadwalls, common snipes, white-tailed eagles, ospreys as well as, with a bit of luck, we can see Eurasian bitterns flying from one reed to another; 3 – a spot for the observation of woodland birds, i.a.: Eurasian wrens, Eurasian blackcaps, European robins, common chiffchaffs, willow warblers, great spotted woodpeckers, common chaffinches, song thrushes.
[Key
Observation points
The white-winged tern Lake Lukie
Com. border lux
Main roads
Bodies of water
Local roads
Watercourses lux
Buildings
Forests lux2
Borders of the Polesie NP
Open spaces]
The “Terns” Trail.
Other attractions in the vicinity of the trail: see the “Eurasian bittern” Trail.