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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 Ciocănitoare de munte, Ciocănitoare cu spate alb, Ghionoaie sură, Ciocănitoare pestriță mică and Ieruncă. 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. Ciocănitoare cu spate alb, Ciocănitoare de stejar, Ciocănitoare neagră, Muscar gulerat and Muscar mic 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. Sfrâncioc roșiatic and Privighetoare de zăvoi are fairly common while Mugurar roșu and Silvie porumbacă 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, Barză neagră or Acvilă țipătoare mică can be seen soaring overhead and in late spring or summer evenings, a choir of Cristel de câmp 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.