Academy of Nature in Roztocze
The best experience with the Academy of Nature in Roztocze
A passion for birdwatching combined with an excellent knowledge of the terrain ensures an exciting experience every morning. Active rest in the fresh air in a group of several people is an opportunity to establish mutual relations and get to know the unique nature of Roztocze.
RegisterEnjoy bird watching with the Academy of Nature in Roztocze
Bird watching in the morning is a real emotion and positive energy for the whole day. Birdwatching combined with cycling gives wings to the mind and body. This elite hobby is achievable for all of us.
Upcoming expeditions
We offer trips Bird & Bike and Bird & Car, which provide observations of the most interesting species of birds living in Roztocze. The offer is constantly modified and takes into account changes in the number of individual bird species related to their biology and current environmental conditions.
Bird migrations in Roztocze 31.08
News from Roztocze
The first anniversary of the Academy of Nature in Roztocze
On August 1, 2022, the Academy of Nature in Roztocze celebrated its first anniversary. We show our guests the beauty of nature and the richness of Roztocze birds, regardless of the season. We invite you to birdwatching in the hospitable Roztocze region all year round. Our mission, apart from promoting the region and bird watching, is the satisfaction of our guests. We have prepared for you an offer of field trips (Bird & Car) and bicycle trips (Bird & Bike), during which we learn about bird species and the principles of their ethical observation. Your satisfaction creates the unique atmosphere of our expeditions and motivates us to expand the Academy's offer. During this year we have been trusted by 52 people, including 4 children. Our clients mainly come from Polish cities, but there were guests from Australia, Luxembourg, the United States and Great Britain. Customers participating in the expeditions gave 11 opinions, all of them very good (5.0). Thank you for your appreciation and we remain at your service. We've been working hard on the ad this year. Our activity is more and more recognizable in the region. We are a company offering a unique nature offer for all guests of Roztocze, regardless of age. Our advertisement is in the Magic Roztocze 2022. It is a particularly recommended compendium of tourist information about Roztocze and its surroundings. We also actively joined the editorial office of the tourist map of Roztocze and its vicinity. We took care of extending the offer of field and bicycle trips including bird watching throughout the year and creating an offer of individual trips. If you want to be up to date with the nature of Roztocze, visit our profile on social media FB or Instagram. Some of our observations were presented on December 12, 2021 during a meeting for the inhabitants of Zwierzyniec and the surrounding area. It was a great ornithological event. The participants of the meeting (about 60 people) could learn many interesting facts about birds. Educational activities include the publication of an article in 115/2021 no. Wiadomości Zwierzynieckich entitled "About natural journeys". The content of the article refers to the development of natural interests and passion for bird watching by the founder of the Roztocze University of Life Sciences, a valued field guide, promoter of natural science and birdwatcher, and the weekly "News from Roztocze" published on our website. We have started cooperation with many accommodation providers, hoteliers and restaurateurs in Zwierzyniec and its vicinity. We have established cooperation with a company offering comprehensive tourist services in Roztocze - QUAND Tourist Office. We have participated in many events taking place in Roztocze and we are planning some more. By providing support, we joined the 30th Final of the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity in cooperation with the Center for Culture and Public Library in Zwierzyniec, offering a ticket for the field expedition "Heavenly Birds of Fields and Meadows", which was auctioned and has already taken place, and we donated to the Capital of Language Festival Polish 2022. Knowing the importance of ethical bird watching, we decided to purchase new, professional bird watching equipment. The Swarovsky ATX 30-70x95 telescope is an advanced optical equipment that allows us to "see the invisible" to the human eye. The telescope is perfect for observing birds in water reservoirs, which are abundant on the route of expeditions with the Academy. Optimal magnification, incredible sharpness and brightness of the image as well as a large field of view increase the comfort of observing birds in their natural environment. In addition, each of the participants of the expeditions has high-class binoculars at their disposal and receives a free ornithological notebook, very useful during intensive field observations. While traversing the area of the Central, Eastern and Western Roztocze, we made many interesting observations. The bike yesterday indicated 2,500 km in a year, the car also loaded a few kilometers. The most interesting bird observations include: sightings of a spinning top, Night heron and a firehouse building its intricate nest, observations of outlets from nests - the mink of young Bee-eater, observations of the Tawny Owl and listening to its voices at night. Other events include finding lynx droppings on the road and meeting elks. We would like to thank all guests of the Academy for their trust and the unique atmosphere accompanying each of the expeditions. Thank you for your opinions, which confirm the highest quality of our services. We would like to thank the whole community of the city and commune of Zwierzyniec for the positive acceptance of the idea for the activity of the Academy of Nature in Roztocze and for every kind suggestion. We would especially like to thank all accommodation providers, hoteliers, restaurateurs and all kind people for informing tourists about our activities. The most important thing! we send mental thanks to the numerous species of birds present during all trips, thanks to them our clients were satisfied with birdwatching in the forests, fields and meadows of Roztocze. Well, we continue our journey, getting to know the remarkable nature of Roztocze. See you in the field, hey!
Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis)
The Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) is a jewel among Polish birds. It inhabits the shores of flowing waters, patiently waiting for small fish flowing in the water. Despite its colorful plumage, it is very difficult to spot. The female Kingfisher has a jaw that is almost completely pink-orange, and the male's beak is completely black. Juveniles of this species can be distinguished by the dark tops of the fingers and the light brown markings on the breasts. Kingfishers nest in the form of burrows in steep, sandy river banks. Kingfishers eat mainly small fish up to 10 cm long, less often water beetles, dragonfly larvae, and occasionally frogs. The waters in the vicinity of Kingfishers are shallow, transparent and necessarily with a high purity index. The presence of Kingfishers has become a kind of confirmation of the best quality of water reservoirs. Caring for the cleanliness of flowing waters ensures the presence of Kingfishers and gives the opportunity to enjoy meeting this bird's gem in the natural environment all year round. Taking into account its unique features - the Kingfisher was placed in the logo of the Academy of Nature in Roztocze.
Sedge Warbler (Acrocephalus schoenobaenus)
Sedge Warbler (Acrocephalus schoenobaenus) - a tiny bird that sings loudly in rushes, wet thickets, sedges with rushes and reeds. Its characteristic feature is a distinct fawn eyebrow contrasting with the dark, lined brown-gray coat. The underside of the body is uniformly beige. He builds a cup-shaped nest among water plants. Sedge Warbler breeds one or two broods a year. In September, it flies to distant wintering grounds in Africa. Earlier, it accumulates fat reserves, doubling its mass. He takes short breaks during his hike. However, when flying over the Sahara, he does not take breaks and then loses all the water and fat in his body. When it reaches the wintering area, it weighs much less than before the beginning of the autumn migration. Late summer is a period of intensive foraging of migrating birds in order to gather energy for long journeys to wintering grounds. The observation of songbirds in Roztocze is a great therapy for body and soul.
Little Bittern (Ixobrychus minutus)
Little bittern (Ixobrychus minutus) is the smallest heron in Roztocze. He comes to us in Africa. It is a very secretive bird that builds nests in reeds or bushes by the water. The male builds a nest and lures the female to it. The female lays 4 to 9 eggs, which incubation takes about 17-19 days. The chicks are fed by both parents. It hunts fish, frogs, insects - usually under the cover of night. A threat to Little Bitterns is the destruction of their natural habitats, where they could build a nest and raise their young. Drying wetlands above small water reservoirs and removing reeds and rushes from the shores of all water reservoirs limit the habitats of these beautiful and dignified birds. Observation Little Bitterns near the waters is an attraction for people visiting Roztocze.