Wildlife Services
0333 9000 927
(UK National Rate)
Wildlife Watching, Tracking & Photography in Southern Poland
Next trip January 2025
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Call Martin with your questions, or just for a chat, on 0333 9000 927
Calls to 03 numbers cost no more than calls to 01 and 02 numbers, even from mobiles
Poland in Winter
The first time I visited Poland was in February 2013 (above) and it was magical. Every tiny twig had its own layer of snow and the sunlight glistened on the frozen landscape under a flawless blue sky.
Tracking wolves was amazing and we could even tell which sex some of them were by the position of their urine marks in relation to their paw prints.
We even found what could have been a lynx track as well as likely wildcat tracks and the ubiquitous wild boar had turned over large areas of ground, creating large craters in the snow.
While I obviously can't promise we'll have perfect, or indeed any, snow it's worth taking a gamble on the weather for the prospect of tracking wolves and other wildlife, including bears which were confirmed in the valley where we stay, in January 2017.
On one of our walks in the snow in 2017, we heard a pack of wolves howling in the forest, less than a quarter of a mile from where we were tracking them. What an amazing experience that was!
We also had a close encounter with a huge male wild boar, which thundered past us, kicking up snow and mud in its wake!
The plan for this trip is to spend all day following the wolves and see where we end up, so there'll be a lot of walking and we might be lucky and find where they're denning. You'll need to be pretty fit as the ground will be rough and the hills steep, but hopefully the rewards will make it all worthwhile. At the very least, we'll all be much fitter than when we started!
If you click on the thumbnails below you'll see some of our photographs.
Wolf track
Wild boar diggings
Wild boar diggings
Wild boar bed
Young wild boar
Wild boar family
Fox in snow
Wolf in snow
Wolf faeces
Wolf tracks
Pygmy owl
National Park
Winter Trip 2025
6 places left *
* Because we only have two rooms available, we generally have 3 men in one and 3 women in the other
It's a great way to make like-minded friends! Each room has an ensuite with bath/shower, wash-basin and toilet.
Note that Ryanair are now flying on Fridays, not Saturdays
Full-board accommodation with me as your guide. Includes airport transfers but not flights (cheap with Ryanair)
(2500 Zloty is approximately £500, depending on the current exchange rate - this covers your accommodation, etc.)
Deposits are normally non-refundable but, if you have a genuine emergency, we'll try to be reasonable
and you may be able to use your booking fee to get you ahead of the queue for one of our other trips.
Poland in Summer
If you want to see lots of wildlife, these trips are by far the best of the lot.
Whether you're primarily interested in birds, butterflies, wild flowers, reptiles, amphibians or mammals, there's something for everybody in early summer.
If you're like me and are interested in all species of wildlife, you certainly won't be disappointed. We've seen and/or heard some really special animals, including corncrake, quail, mole cricket, golden eagle, lesser spotted eagle, honey buzzard, hobby, golden oriole, red-backed shrikes, black storks, black redstarts, purple emperor & lesser purple emperor butterflies, more fritillaries than I've ever seen before, beavers, sand lizards, wolf tracks & signs and wildflower meadows everywhere. We even had a glimpse of a raccoon-dog and a close encounter with a wolf!
If you like photographing butterflies and other insects, you'll be in heaven. If you're a botanist, you'll be more than happy.
With lots of butterflies, dragonflies and damselflies, sand lizards, warm sunny weather and beautiful scenery, one week just isn't enough.
Why don't you join me on this trip?
Why don't you join me on this trip?
If you click on the images below you'll see some of our photographs and videos (thanks to Annie Haycock who came in 2016 for her videos of the lesser spotted woodpecker, butterflies on wolf faeces and beavers).
Click to read Annie's account of her trip in 2016
Click to read David's summary of his trip in 2017
Wolf pack
Lynx
Butterflies
Woodpecker
Beavers
Shrike
Golden eagle
Lesser-spotted eagle
Demoiselle
Sand lizard
Purple emperor
Black stork
If you have kids, they'll have a great time with our Polish friends' kids, so don't let that stop you coming.
2 places left *
This is a special trip with two expert leaders!
Our June trip is going to be amazing, with a joint leader who's an excellent botanist and experienced bat worker, so we'll be doing stuff on this trip that we won't be doing on the other trips. Join me and Sue for a fantastic experience of batting, beavering and botanising!
* Because we only have two rooms available, we generally have 3 men in one and 3 women in the other
It's a great way to make like-minded friends! Each room has an ensuite with bath/shower, wash-basin and toilet.
Note that Ryanair are now flying on Fridays, not Saturdays
Full-board accommodation with me as your guide. Includes airport transfers but not flights (cheap with Ryanair)
(2000 Zloty is approximately £400, depending on the current exchange rate - this covers your accommodation, etc.)
(2500 Zloty is approximately £500, depending on the current exchange rate - this covers your accommodation, etc.)
Deposits are normally non-refundable but, if you have a genuine emergency, we'll try to be reasonable
and you may be able to use your booking fee to get you ahead of the queue for one of our other trips.
"Just back from a week in Poland with Martin. A fantastic holiday! Super wildlife sightings, great company, beautiful countryside, tasty food and a comfy bed. What more could you ask for? Thoroughly recommended!" - Mark
Mark enjoyed it so much he's now been twice!
"I have had a bit of time to reflect on the week and am still struggling to come to terms with what an amazing place and opportunity I have had. Thank you ever so much for an amazing time and your patience. I can't believe we saw so much in the space of a week." - Carl
"Born and raised in the UK, I've watched the decline in our biodiversity over my lifetime with a sense of sadness and helplessness (being an ecologist seems to heighten that) while also knowing that the decline started long before I was born in 1981, and I'm as much a victim of Shifting Baseline Syndrome as anyone
The thing is that there's knowing, and there's *knowing*.
The past few days I've really come to *know* as I'm in Martin Bailey's "secret" corner of Poland where I've really been (metaphorically) slapped in the face by the biodiversity. The profusion of wildflowers (meadows equal to and better than any SSSI grassland we have in the UK), the intensity of insect sound, the bird life (I've heard my first golden oriole this week - a species my childhood bird books insisted were a regular UK visitor - seen white storks, golden eagles, red backed shrikes...), evidence of wolves (poo of course! Ecologists are all about the poo 😆), sand lizards in meadows and churchyards, and the beaver-created wetland just behind my accommodation where again there's a huge profusion of invertebrate life, amphibians, grass snakes and - of course - beavers.
It really has hit home that the UK is more than a bit shit and there's so much more we could do. And although things are changing, we still need a massive culture shift.
I really do recommend anyone, ecologist or not, to take one of Martin's trips. It's truly fantastic."
Vicky's said she'll definitely be coming again!
One of our guests came in 2023 for the fourth time! He's now been in all seasons and keeps coming back!
Poland in Autumn
Autumn in southern Poland is atmospheric, to say the least. Whether it's exploring the forest in a cloud or gazing across the valleys at the beautiful autumnal colours, it's a lovely time of year to be there. We're timing this trip to hopefully see/hear the red deer rut. Unlike in Scotland, the red deer here rut in the forest, so it's possible, with care, to get quite close to them without them knowing you're there. If you're a wildlife photographer, you could have some fantastic experiences.
An added bonus is the abundant fungi to be found in the forest, which can include chanterelles 6 inches across and covering an area of 25m2, ceps as large as dinner plates, chicken of the woods and lots of orange milk-caps. There are Russulas of all colours, some edible and some not, panther caps, death caps, horn of plenty, hedgehogs and all manner of strange brackets and fingers as well as a multitude of puffballs and ink-caps.
It's also likely we'll see the fire salamanders, which can be difficult to spot but, once you've seen one, you should see many.
On our autumn trip we learn from our Polish friends which mushrooms they use, how they prepare and preserve them and how they cook them. This is always a fascinating and tasty adventure, deep in the Magura National Park.
We'll also be looking for signs of the local wolves and if we're lucky we may get images/videos of them on our trail cameras and hear their howls echoing around the forested hills. We may even get to see them!
The red deer will be rutting in and around the forest, so we'll also have the opportunity to try to watch and photograph them.
Click on the images below to see some of what we've found in previous autumn visits.
Salamander
Candle snuff
Coral
Hedgehog
Red deer stag
Stinkhorn
Tree fungus
Horn of Plenty
Chanterelle
Lost?
Chicken of the woods
Cep
Autumn Trip 2025
6 places left *
* Because we only have two rooms available, we generally have 3 men in one and 3 women in the other
It's a great way to make like-minded friends! Each room has an ensuite with bath/shower, wash-basin and toilet.
Note that Ryanair are now flying on Fridays, not Saturdays
Full-board accommodation with me as your guide. Includes airport transfers but not flights (cheap with Ryanair)
(2500 Zloty is approximately £500, depending on the current exchange rate - this covers your accommodation, etc.)
Deposits are normally non-refundable but, if you have a genuine emergency, we'll try to be reasonable
and you may be able to use your booking fee to get you ahead of the queue for one of our other trips.
Wildlife in Poland
Wolf pack
Lynx
Butterflies
Woodpecker
Beavers
Shrike
4/6 places left *
2/6 places left *
This is a special trip with two expert leaders!
Our June trip is going to be amazing, with a joint leader who's an excellent botanist and experienced bat worker, so we'll be doing stuff on this trip that we won't be doing on the other trips. Join me and Sue for a fantastic experience of batting, beavering and botanising!
* Because we only have two rooms available, we generally have 3 men in one and 3 women in the other
It's a great way to make like-minded friends! Each room has an ensuite with bath, wash-basin and toilet.
Full-board accommodation with me as your guide. Includes airport transfers but not flights (cheap with Ryanair)
(2000 Zloty is approximately £400, depending on the current exchange rate - this covers your accommodation, etc.)
(2500 Zloty is approximately £500, depending on the current exchange rate - this covers your accommodation, etc.)
Deposits are normally non-refundable but, if you have a genuine emergency, we'll try to be reasonable
and you may be able to use your booking fee to get you ahead of the queue for one of our other trips.
Lemko concert
Olchoviec church
Kotan church
Iconography
Krempna church
Mortar shells
4/6 places left *
2/6 places left *
This is a special trip with two expert leaders!
Our June trip is going to be amazing, with a joint leader who's an excellent botanist and experienced bat worker, so we'll be doing stuff on this trip that we won't be doing on the other trips. Join me and Sue for a fantastic experience of batting, beavering and botanising!
* Because we only have two rooms available, we generally have 3 men in one and 3 women in the other
It's a great way to make like-minded friends! Each room has an ensuite with bath, wash-basin and toilet.
Full-board accommodation with me as your guide. Includes airport transfers but not flights (cheap with Ryanair)
(2000 Zloty is approximately £400, depending on the current exchange rate - this covers your accommodation, etc.)
(2500 Zloty is approximately £500, depending on the current exchange rate - this covers your accommodation, etc.)
Deposits are normally non-refundable but, if you have a genuine emergency, we'll try to be reasonable
and you may be able to use your booking fee to get you ahead of the queue for one of our other trips.
Where we'll be staying
We'll be staying with my Polish friends, Jacek and Agnieszka, usually in Salamandra or down the road at the Old School.
The rooms are basic but comfortable and there are two rooms available with ensuite facilities. Each room is for up to three people, so if you'd rather not share a room with someone you don't know, bring a friend or relative with you.
We usually put all the men in one room and all the women in the other, but if we have fewer bookings and you're coming with your partner, you may be able to have a room to yourselves. If you're coming as a couple with children, you'll get a room to yourselves. Book early!
If we're full at Salamandra, we can use accommodation along the road at the Old School or Huta Polanska, but we'll usually all be eating together.
Rooms will be allocated when we arrive and if you would rather have a room to yourself, and it's possible, there will be a single room supplement.
One of the nice features of the Old School is the beaver pond at the bottom of the garden, where you have a good chance of seeing beavers in the evening and early morning.
Click on the images below to see Salamandra (Jacek's home), the Old School and some of the surrounding area. Bear tracks were found in the snow recently near Huta Polanska church in the valley where we stay and they have come to Salamandra in the past.
Salamandra
Salamandra
Salamandra
Old School
Polany
Huta Polanska
Fallen tree
Beaver dam
Baranie tower
Wysokie
Tatras
Trail camera
4/6 places left *
2/6 places left *
This is a special trip with two expert leaders!
Our June trip is going to be amazing, with a joint leader who's an excellent botanist and experienced bat worker, so we'll be doing stuff on this trip that we won't be doing on the other trips. Join me and Sue for a fantastic experience of batting, beavering and botanising!
* Because we only have two rooms available, we generally have 3 men in one and 3 women in the other
It's a great way to make like-minded friends! Each room has an ensuite with bath/shower, wash-basin and toilet.
Full-board accommodation with me as your guide. Includes airport transfers but not flights (cheap with Ryanair)
(2000 Zloty is approximately £400, depending on the current exchange rate - this covers your accommodation, etc.)
(2500 Zloty is approximately £500, depending on the current exchange rate - this covers your accommodation, etc.)
Deposits are normally non-refundable but, if you have a genuine emergency, we'll try to be reasonable
and you may be able to use your booking fee to get you ahead of the queue for one of our other trips.
Flights, Travel & Food
After you've booked your place, by paying your non-refundable deposit, I'll confirm when it's OK to book your flight and give you the information you need.
We fly from Manchester but it may be possible for you to fly from elsewhere (such as London Stansted) and we'd then meet you in Rzeszow. Some of our guests have flown into Krakow and then taken the train to Rzeszow, or a bus to Krosno or Rymanow. Some guests have come by train to avoid flying. We're fairly flexible, so can pick you up at various places.
On arrival you'll need to pay the balance of 2500 Zloty (approximately £500) to our hosts - you can choose to get Polish currency at home or use the ATM at the airport, as I do.
The airport transfer (included in the price) takes about 90 minutes and when we arrive in Polany you'll have a chance to settle in. By the time we get there you'll know everybody as you'll have been chatting in the vehicle.
When everybody is settled in it'll probably be time for lunch, depending on the flight times, so this will be your first experience of Polish food unless you've been to Poland before.
There will be ample food at each meal, but please let me know if you have any special requirements. We usually take sandwiches with us for lunch as we'll usually be out all day.
The Polish currency is the Zloty, not the Euro, but you probably won't need to spend much unless you want to sample some Polish vodka or suchlike. There is a local (ish) shop where we can get basic supplies, including the amazing Polish flavoured vodkas which we always sample, and also an ice-cream stand which we often visit; these both take debit/credit cards.
If you need to know anything else, or just want to chat about the trips, give me a call on 0333 9000 927.
I look forward to taking you to this beautiful and relatively unknown area of Poland.
Warm Regards,
Martin.
4/6 places left *
2/6 places left *
This is a special trip with two expert leaders!
Our June trip is going to be amazing, with a joint leader who's an excellent botanist and experienced bat worker, so we'll be doing stuff on this trip that we won't be doing on the other trips. Join me and Sue for a fantastic experience of batting, beavering and botanising!
* Because we only have two rooms available, we generally have 3 men in one and 3 women in the other
It's a great way to make like-minded friends! Each room has an ensuite with bath/shower, wash-basin and toilet.
Full-board accommodation with me as your guide. Includes airport transfers but not flights (cheap with Ryanair)
(2000 Zloty is approximately £400, depending on the current exchange rate - this covers your accommodation, etc.)
(2500 Zloty is approximately £500, depending on the current exchange rate - this covers your accommodation, etc.)
Deposits are normally non-refundable but, if you have a genuine emergency, we'll try to be reasonable
and you may be able to use your booking fee to get you ahead of the queue for one of our other trips.