Winter Tour, February 2026

After pick-up from Warsaw Chopin airport we set off for ca. 3,5 hrs journey to Białowieża. While closer to the Forest we started to watch the surroundings more carefully from the van & we soon were able to observe a group of ca. 25 European Bisons. We arrived to the accomodation at dusk and discussed our plans for the next days.

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We started before breakfast. The plan was to do a quick scan of meadows & glades at sunrise and then have a little walk in the forest. First stop produced two Elks (Moose) on the edge of the woods – quite a rarity in Białowieża Forest. Nearby a few Red Deer females were returning back to the forest from overnight stay around village – that was their tactics in winter to avoid wolves. After that we set off for some walk in old growth part of the forest. It was suuuper slippery but we soon found first signs of wolves (poos & footprints) as well as some passerines – Nuthatches, Long-tailed & Marsh Tits as well as Siskins. Female White-backed Woodpecker was also seen by some. After morning meal we decided to head to the area where a pack of wolves was seen in the morning. We planned 1,5-hours stake out on the road crossing hoping that those elusive predators will come on the road (they like to do it). Wolves didn’t show up, but White-tailed Eagle & Pine Marten did.

The plan for the rest of the day was to do some wolf search visiting road crossings by vehicle. While scanning the area carefully we of course observed some good birds. Hazel Grouse was heard & White-backed Woodpecker, a flock of 50 Waxwings and few Hawfinches were seen. No mammals for the rest of the afternoon though…

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On early morning of Day 3 we again wanted to do some scan of the meadows & glades before entering the forest. Soon we found a herd of about 30 European Bisons, followed by a few Reed Deer stags near the village & Red Squirel. One of the stags was already one antler short – I did a short look hoping it lays down around, but it didn’t… While watching another European Bisons a pair of Grey-headed Woodpecker showed up nicely in the nearby willows. Before returning to the accomodation for breakfast we decided to try with Pygmy Owl. That was a good decision as we found the bird perched up nicely, however silently, on dead spruce. One more week and they definitely will be more active vocally!

After morning meal we headed to the coniferous forest to try with Three-toed Woodpecker & Nutcracker. We didn’t find any of those but Crested & Willow Tits showed nicely. After this failed attempt we headed to another site to try with Three-toed Woodpecker before wolf search in the afternoon, but they did precede us! Two wolves showed up on the road in front of our bus and we were watching them comfortably for about 10 mins! This even included observing them through scope while urine marking and snow eating. Wow, what a sighting!

Due to our success with this predator we wanted to try with Three-toed Woodpecker in the afternoon instead. We tried in several sites and finally in the third spot a pretty female Three-toed Woodpecker showed up in the open. For sunset we planned to be at picturesque river valley but even on the way there we had some interesting observations – another White-backed Woodpecker as well as super fresh wolf footprints (they weren’t there in the morning) & Tawny Owl perched on the road side. In the final location the sunset was indeed lovely but so were ultra fresh Lynx footprint – not more than 5 hours old only…

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Thanks to our successful previous days we decided to not have any activities in early morning of Day 4. The plan for the rest of the day was clear though – try with birds that we were missing. We found Nuctracker at first site as well as singing Coal Tits & Mistle Thrushes there. We were short of two woodpecker species – Lesser-spotted & Middle-spotted. The former didn’t cooperate (for the whole length of the tour…) but the latter showed up nicely – in a form of pretty male. Another pair of Grey-headed Woodpeckers were also present there. For the afternoon we decided to change the environment a little bit and visit open areas outside the forest. There we found an impressive herd of ca. 110 European Bisons. Also two Rough-legged Buzzards were hunting over the nearby farmlands. At sunset we returned to the woods and did a short stake out on the road crossing hoping that something will come out on the road but nothing did, except for 3 Red Deer females.

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Day 5 was a travel day from Białowieża Forest to Biebrza Marshes via Białystok city. There we had some stops to try with Syrian Woodpecker. In the first location we didn’t find any, but second site produced good views of Syrian Woodpecker male. We continued our way to Biebrza Marhes where we arrived in the afternoon. We took a road via conifers to search for some roadside Elks. That was a good decision as soon we found Elk female together with two-year old juvenile not further than 30 metres from the road. Suprisingly, it turned out to be highlight of the tour for some, even despite excellent observation of wolves we had a day before!

We checked-in in the accomodation and visited only open water present withing ca. 50 kms length of the river! That could show you how cold the winter was. There no Beavers nor Otters, but a lovely group of 11 Goldeneyes together with Rough-legged Buzzard & Sparrowhawk overhead.

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That was the last day of the tour so we had about 2 hours of birding on the Marshes before travelling to Warsaw, but what a fruitful time it was. We saw a group of 7 Gray Partridges, Tree Sparrows, Bullfinches, Tawny Owl, Greylag Geese & another Rough-legged Buzzard. And for dessert, a tiny flock of 4 Tundra Bean Geese flew over our heads – a sign that early spring is coming…

We set off for a journey to Warsaw where the tour concluded, but even on the way there we had an interesting record – two Elks on the roadside of the highway.