Katowice or nearby in November (1 Viewer)

[pandachris]

My g/f is taking me to Poland for my birthday in early November. She's nice like that. We're flying in to Katowice (and out again) - probably 3 or 4 nights.

Can anybody recommend a suitable locality to stay where we can get some birding in, a little "normal" tourism and perhaps a meal and a few vodkas at night?

We'll probably hire a car. No target species, per se, though we'd like to upgrade Nutcracker from "heard only". Oh yeah. Hazel Hen would be nice B

We don't speak Polish but she has residual Russian from 6 months in moscow in the 90s and seems to be able to glean a few bits and pieces from written Polish.

Any help/suggestions appreciated.

 

[pandachris]

Minor update

We're now going late-November rather than early, which probably doesn't make a whole lot of difference.

We'll probably stay for two nights in the Zakopane area, two nights in Krakow and a night somewhere near Katowice (fairly early flight) and we'll have a car for Zakopane/Katowice.

Any info on the areas would be appreciated - also what are driving conditions arounnd Zakopane likely to be like in late November. I know that weather nowadays is not what is was, but will the roads be driveable, covered in snow/ice, flooded etc - in a normal late-autumn?

 

[pandachris]

Well, one last try.

We're staying in Kazimierz, Kracow for two nights, a couple of kilometres outside Zakopane for two nights and then some place north of Katowice for the last night - though we'll probably be there after dark.

Any parks in Kracow, or areas along the river where we might see a few bird? Hawfinch would be nice, or maybe a woodpecker or two. What abpot Zakopane? Anyone birded around there recently?

 

[James Lowther]

morskie oko near zakopane is supposedly a good spot for nutcracker
http://www.zakopane-life.com/poland/morskie-oko-zakopane

i've seen reports of alpine accentor from the top of the ski lift on the slovak border south of zakopane

and there's wallcreepers in Dolina Koscieliska to the west of zakopane

las wolski park in krakow is supposed to be good for woodpeckers (black, grey-headed, middle-spotted)

would be interested to hear how you get on as i'll be heading that way at the end of nov (sounds chilly!!)

 

[macs]

Hi,
As I come from northern Poland, I cannot help much. However, I can recommend Babia Gora in Zywiec Beskid Carpathians. I have been there once last July. It is less crowded than Zakopane and reportedly very good place to spot Three-toed woodpecker, Pygmy owl, Water pipit, Crossbills, Alpine accentor. I do not know what the weather may be like in November, though. Surely colder than in Krakow so be prepared!
Check this:
http://www.bgpn.pl/bgpn.php?index
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babia_Góra


Happy birding!

Maciej

 

[pandachris]

Krakow and surrounds

Thanks both. Some useful stuff.

James - we're there about the same time as you - Kracow on 27/11 and 28/11 and Zakopane on 29/11 and 30/11. Hopefully we'll be prepared for the cold. If you're around at the same time and see any birders (me fat bald and beardy, she not so fat, nor bald nor beardy) come and say hello.

I can't see las wolski park on my Krakow map. Anybody have directions from Kazimierz?

Babia Gora looks pretty good, Maciej, but perhaps too big a diversion for such a short trip. Maybe next time, though.

 

[pandachris]

Wallcreepers

James (or anybody)

Do you have directions to the possible Wallcreeper site? It's a bit of a bogey bird for us, as we've failed to find it in a few places including an "it was just here about 10 minutes ago".

 

[James Lowther]

check out the following
http://www.birdtours.co.uk/tripreports/poland/poland8/South-pol-june-03.htm

http://anytimetours.co.uk/poland2006.htm

that's all i know (it's where i got my info from)

i think that both reports are referring to the same spot?..

good luck!!

James

p.s. las wolski is west of krakow city centre and houses the zoo

 

[pandachris]

Thanks James

We might be pushing our luck hoping to see them in late November. I'm told that there will be a foot or more of snow in the Zakopane area so my guess is they'll have moved on, but worth a look, I guess.

 

[jurek]

Hi,

why not contact Polish nature forum: http://forum.przyroda.org ?

Katowice area is pretty lively for birds and birders. Some water reservoirs and fishponds are full of birds and are good for quick birding.

 

[pandachris]

Jurek

Thanks for the details - just a bit late for us as I was barely on-line last week before we flew to Poland.

For the record and in case anyone else might find this useful, the walk to Morskie Oko took a good two hours through heavily forested areas with squirrels and numerous Crested Tits. It might not be permitted at present on weekdays (we were told that it was closed) because there is road maintenance going on but was certainly open on Sunday.

The Nutcrackers were seen as close as 3 metres, feeding from a little wooden structure at the rear corner of the lodge/cafe - just look left as you get your first view of the lake at the top of the short slope. They were in view more often than not during the thirty minutes or so that we spent outside the lodge.

The soup on sale in the cafe was delicious and very welcome because it was a little nippy outside, although it there was less snow than forecast. The setting of the lake is spectacular and worth the walk on its own.