Do you know that: the aquatic warbler Acrocephalus paludicola is a tiny bird which breeds only in 40 places in the world, which are situated in 6 countries. Over 90% of its overall population occurs in only 3 countries: Belarus, Ukraine and Poland. The Polesie National Park is one of 12 most important breeding areas for the aquatic warbler globally and one of key areas for the breeding population in Poland and European Union.
The Bubnów Marsh is of the most precious peat bogs in Europe. Here aquatic warblers, Eurasian curlews, Montagu’s harriers and many more other wetland birds breed.
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 the watch tower near the flood plain on the Bubnów Marsh in the Polesie National Park (GPS coordinates: 51○22’33.30’’N; 23○15’06.36’’E; elevation: 170 m).
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
| 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 watch tower (GPS coordinates: 51○22’33.30’’N; 23○15’06.36’’E; elevation: 170 m) near the flood plain on the Bubnów Marsh in the Polesie National Park. From there we head north-eastwards along a dirt road, which runs through fields, a forest, meadows, towards Pikulawka-Kulczyn. As we reach forest for the second time, we see information boards of the Polesie National Park. At this point (GPS coordinates: 51○22’38.54’’N; 23○16’22.40’’E; elevation: 175 m) we turn right into a path leading southwards. On a great part of this path there is a wooden footbridge which facilitates movement through swampy areas. Having passed about 300 meters we reach the observation tower (GPS coordinates: 51○22’28.16’’N; 23○15’31.30’’E; elevation: 175 m). We come back to the observation tower by flood plain using the same trail.
The most important bird species to be seen or heard during the best season for birding: the aquatic warbler, the Montagu’s harrier, the hen harrier, the short-eared owl, the Eurasian curlew, the common snipe, the great egret, the crane, the Eurasian bittern, the spotted crake, the Eurasian penduline tit, the black-tailed godwit, the greylag goose, the ferruginous duck, the gadwall, the northern shoveler.
The best observation points: 1 – a spot for the observation of aquatic birds, e.g. black-headed gulls (colony of about 2000 pairs), Mediterranean gulls, Caspian gulls, great egrets, black-necked grebes, little crakes, spotted crakes, cranes, ruffs, black-tailed godwits, common rosefinches, Eurasian penduline tits. From the end of August to the beginning of October we can watch even 1000-2000 cranes and about 2000 geese which use the Bubnów Marsh and the Staw Marsh as their sleeping quarters. 2 – a perfect spot for the observation of, i.a.: aquatic warblers, Eurasian curlews, Montagu’s harriers, western marsh harriers, hen harriers, black storks.
[Key
Observation points
Observation towers
The Aquatic Warbler Trail
Main roads
Local roads
Bodies of water
Watercourse
Borders of the Polesie NP
Buildings
Border of the Urszulin Commune
Forests
Open spaces]
The “Aquatic warbler” Trail.
Other attractions in the vicinity of the trail: The village of Wereszczyn is worth visiting as it belongs to the group of the oldest villages in Polesie – according to historical sources Wereszczyn existed already in the thirteenth century. A must on the sightseeing list in this village is a baroque parish church under the invocation of St. Stanislaus from the seventeenth century with adjacent cemetery with historic gravestones. Moreover, in this village there is a manor-park complex from the nineteenth century and a monastery of the Community of the Brothers of Merciful Jesus. To the south of the village of Andrzejów there is a medieval gord from the thirteenth century. In Świerszczów we can visit a parish church under the invocation of St. Basil from 1875. Apart from that the “Aquatic warbler” Trail partly overlaps with the cycling trail “The Gord Trail”. From the tower on the flood plain on the Bubnów Marsh a Nordic walking trail “The Wereszczyński Trail” has also been marked out – the trail leads to Wereszczyn. In the village of Zastawie we can stop at small Lake Wereszczyńskie where a jetty, a shelter and parking lot have been located.