Bieszczady National Park

Bieszczady National Park Poland

Situated in the extreme south-eastern corner of the country, this national park has been little visited until recent years but is becoming an increasingly regular part of birding trips to the Poland. The Bieszczady Mountains form part of the Eastern Carpathians and are located close to the Slovakian and Ukrainian borders and part of the area is a Biosphere Reserve shared with adjacent Slovakia. The lower parts of the range consists of rolling grassland but at higher levels there are extensive forests of Beech, Pine, Spruce and Larch with alpine meadows higher still. Many of the typical forest and upland birds of Eastern Europe occur here but the area is still relatively little-known ornithologically.

Breeding species include Black Stork, Hazel Grouse and Corn Crake but the main attractions for birders are the raptors, owls and woodpeckers of these hills. Golden, Lesser Spotted and Short-toed Eagles all breed, and possibly also Booted Eagle. Greater Spotted Eagle is present in small numbers in summer and may also breed. Western Honey Buzzard also nests here as well as Northern Goshawk and perhaps Saker Falcon. Eurasian Eagle Owl is present but elusive as is Ural Owl, a speciality of the area. Other owls include Eurasian Pygmy and Tengmalm's. Woodpeckers are extremely well-represented with nine species plus Wryneck and Red-breasted and Collared Flycatchers breed. The spruce forests have Crested Tit and Spotted Nutcracker and Alpine Accentor, Water Pipit and Ring Ouzel nest in the subalpine meadows. Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush is sometimes seen and possibly breeds in these mountains. Streams have Grey Wagtail, Common Dipper and Common Kingfisher. Eurasian Dotterel is an occasional passage visitor in autumn.

The Bieszczady Mountains are also home to a good selection of mammals with reintroduced European Bison Bison bonasus, Brown Bear Ursus arctos, Lynx Felis lynx, Grey Wolf Canis lupus, Otter Lutra lutra as well as Red Cervus elaphus and Roe Deer Capreolus capreolus and Wild Boar Sus scrofa.

The national park is situated about 90km south-east of Sanok but there are good birds throughout the range. The road through Wetlina, Brzegi Gorne, Ustrzyki Gorne to close to the 1346m peak of Bieszczady Tarnica is one of the best areas for exploration and there are many marked trails into the hills from this road. Increased tourism to the area, particularly from winter sports enthusiasts, has led to some disturbance and habitat loss but does provide visiting birders with facilities. Accommodation can be found in the villages of Wetlina, Lutowiska and Ustrzyki Gorne and there are refuge huts in the mountains.

Birds

Birds you can see here include:

Grey Heron, Black Stork, Mallard, Western Honey-Buzzard, Short-toed Eagle, Northern Goshawk, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Common Buzzard, Lesser Spotted Eagle, Greater Spotted Eagle, Golden Eagle, Booted Eagle, Northern Hobby, Hazel Grouse, Corn Crake, Eurasian Dotterel, Eurasian Eagle Owl, Eurasian Pygmy Owl, Tawny Owl, Ural Owl, Tengmalm's Owl, Wryneck, Grey-headed Woodpecker, Green Woodpecker, Black Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Syrian Woodpecker, Middle Spotted Woodpecker, White-backed Woodpecker, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Three-toed Woodpecker, Wood Lark, Barn Swallow, House Martin, Grey Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, Tree Pipit, Meadow Pipit, Water Pipit, Common Dipper, Common Wren, Alpine Accentor, Eurasian Robin, Black Redstart, Common Redstart, Whinchat, Stonechat, Northern Wheatear, Ring Ouzel, Blackbird, Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush, River Warbler, Icterine Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Common Whitethroat, Barred Warbler, Garden Warbler, Blackcap, Wood Warbler, Common Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Spotted Flycatcher, Red-breasted Flycatcher, Pied Flycatcher, Collared Flycatcher, Willow Tit, Crested Tit, Coal Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Eurasian Nuthatch, Common Treecreeper, Common Jay, Spotted Nutcracker, Northern Raven, Red-backed Shrike, Great Grey Shrike, Chaffinch, European Serin, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Linnet, Common Rosefinch, Common Crossbill, Common Bullfinch, Hawfinch, Ortolan Bunting, Yellowhammer

Content and images originally posted by Steve

Reviews

valdi99's review

Here goes trip report with photos http://www.birdguide.pl/Trips.php?&s_trip_id=1

All the best,

Pros

• Many birds including eagles
• ural owl and other rarities

Cons

• Hard walking somtimes up to the mountains