TIME FOR LUBUSZ REGION – Rzeczpospolita Ptasia

The Rzeczpospolita Ptasia (Republic of Birds) in the Warta Mouth is an endless area of meadows and floodplains near Słońsk and Kostrzyn on the Odra River. This is the impression always given by tourists coming here, especially from big cities. It is the space, the lots of sky and the birds that decide how good it is to relax here. You can walk or cycle for hours on bird trails or unpaved roads. You can also sit under a tree or by the water and wait to see what happens. Observations can range from the mating mayflies or the transformation of dragonflies on plant leaves to such a treat as a peregrine falcon hunting ducks or a white-tailed eagle hunting geese. A rabbit or a fox may suddenly appear on the road, and a beaver or a raccoon may come out of the canal. Dozens of black and white storks, herons and other fish-eaters feed in the shallows after the water has fallen. All you need is free time and a little patience. In addition to the views, especially in spring, the richness of the sounds of nature will delight you. Thousands of amphibians and singing inhabitants of the reeds allow to enjoy the atmosphere of the spring mating season. Who once came here, will certainly want to return, because each time is different. In every season of the year, the picturesque old willows invariably enchant everyone with their shapes.

The Rzeczpospolita Ptasia is not only a very attractive natural area in the Warta Mouth within the area of national and landscape parks, but also a club of bird enthusiasts associating already over 3520 holders of original passports issued in Słońsk. Stamps with the image of a bird of the year are collected in these passports. In 2021 it is the short-eared owl.

The Society of the Słońsk Friends "Unitis Viribus," the initiator of this initiative, has marked 60 km of hiking trails around Słońsk. Each trail is named after a species of bird that can be seen along the route. The Gęgawa, Darkacz, Kani and Dudek trails are marked as footpaths, but are also accessible to cyclists, although they lead along unpaved roads. The Dzięcioł trail is a nature and education trail leading through forest nature reserves, with signs and an observation tower. Zimorodek trail is a 12-kilometer canoe trail on the Postomia River and old riverbeds of Warta. In the "Mouth of the Warta River" National Park there are 5 educational paths with a total length of 37 km and the Natural Garden of Senses in Chyrzyn. Moreover, there are several educational points and observation towers. An additional attraction for geocaching enthusiasts are the caches and the "Treasure Tracker" geocache trail.
 

more at www.tps-unitisviribus.org.pl