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Description
The first stretch of Żebra Żubra trail traverses a magnificent, ancient patch of alder carr forest. Dikes and boardwalks allow you to keep your feet dry. Many of Białowieża's specialties can be found here, including Eurasian Three-toed Woodpecker, White-backed Woodpecker, Grey-headed Woodpecker, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker and Hazel Grouse. After passing Białowieża's little zoo, the trail traverses another superb patch of old-growth forest, this time of the Oak-Linden-Hornbeam variety. It immediately becomes apparent that the higher, drier soils here give rise to a completely different type of vegetation. Because of this the bird community here differs slightly from that of the alder carr forest. White-backed Woodpecker, Middle Spotted Woodpecker, Black Woodpecker, Collared Flycatcher and Red-breasted Flycatcher are among the possibilities here.
Just before entering the village of Białowieża proper, it is possible to cut back to the car park though the meadows of Zastawa. These wet meadows, with interspersed trees and bushes, are home a different ensemble of birds altogether. Red-backed Shrike and Thrush Nightingale are fairly common while Common Rosefinch and Barred Warbler require more luck to spot. From the car park it is a short walk to a nearby watchtower. This spacious platform is a nice spot to have a break and maybe something to eat or drink. The tower overlooks the valley of the Narewka and is an excellent spot to do some more birdwatching. Here, a telescope might come in handy. With a bit of luck, Black Stork or Lesser Spotted Eagle can be seen soaring overhead and in late spring or summer evenings, a choir of Corn Crake can usually be heard.
Details
Access
From Białowieża village, take the road heading to Pogorzelce, Teremiski and Budy. Some 100 meters after entering the forest (immediately after passing Skansen Open Air Museum), a small car park on the left hand side marks the beginning of the trail. Alternatively, continue down the same road for another 700 meters to find the car park of the watchtower on your right hand side. Click on the P in the map to get directions. The length of the walking route indicated on the map is about 9 km.