Przemyśl, picturesquely spreading on the slopes of its hills, with the ribbon of the San river cutting through it, is a very interesting place for the tourist-naturalist. The treelined alleys, orchards blooming on the outskirts of the city, squares, trees planted around the forts of the Ring Fortress of Przemyśl, parks, fowery riverside meadows as well as the San river itself all create splendid living conditions for numerous plant and animal species.
Let us start our natural-history trip by visiting the Castle Park, which occupies an area of 20 ha. Among
the familiar lime, hornbeam and beech trees, which form the Carpathian beechwood community, so typical of the woods of the Przemyśl Uplands, one can also fnd oaks, birches and monument-like cottonwoods. The species of foreign origin include a collection of thujas and single specimens of horse-chestnuts, cork and tulip-trees. The park looks particularly spectacular in early spring, with the plants of the ground cover sprouting: the cowslip, anemones and violets. The old trees attract woodpeckers: the middle spotted, the great spotted and the grey-headed woodpecker among them, as well as other species searching for food in the cracked bark, such as the short-toed treecreeper and the nuthatch. Altogether, during the breeding seasons of 1988-1990, as many as 45 bird species were recorded setting up their breeding sites within the area of the park. The park is also a habitat to squirrels and hedgehogs. In wintertime it is occasionally visited by red deer, while in summer it is a place of nocturnal hunts by bats: the barbastelle and the common noctule.
the familiar lime, hornbeam and beech trees, which form the Carpathian beechwood community, so typical of the woods of the Przemyśl Uplands, one can also fnd oaks, birches and monument-like cottonwoods. The species of foreign origin include a collection of thujas and single specimens of horse-chestnuts, cork and tulip-trees. The park looks particularly spectacular in early spring, with the plants of the ground cover sprouting: the cowslip, anemones and violets. The old trees attract woodpeckers: the middle spotted, the great spotted and the grey-headed woodpecker among them, as well as other species searching for food in the cracked bark, such as the short-toed treecreeper and the nuthatch. Altogether, during the breeding seasons of 1988-1990, as many as 45 bird species were recorded setting up their breeding sites within the area of the park. The park is also a habitat to squirrels and hedgehogs. In wintertime it is occasionally visited by red deer, while in summer it is a place of nocturnal hunts by bats: the barbastelle and the common noctule.
The Lipowica Park is located in the quarter of Budy Małe, on the other side of the river. In terms of its density and composition, this park resembles a typical forest community. The dominant tree species here are the lime, the hornbeam and the oak. The park is dominated by typical forest bird species: songsters, garden warblers, wood warblers and hawfnches. Altogether, the park is inhabited by 44 nesting bird species, these including predators, such as buzzards, kestrels and tawny owls. In autumn the visitors to the park may happen to come across red deer, while during the warm season, where the undergrowth is reached by the sun beams, reptiles can be spotted seeking sunshine: the sand lizard, the common lizard or the grass-snake.
The San Valley with the old river-bed near Kruhel Mały and the willow clusters along the river banks form an entirely diferent type of environment. The river is the focus of the wildlife and vegetation connected with the aquatic environment. Its avifauna, i.e. the domain of birds, is represented by 44 breeding species, which have been observed here in the years 1985-1995. Particularly noteworthy are: the common rosefnch, the penduline tit, which builds its bottle-shaped nests out of willow fuf, and the most distinguished singer among the avian tribe, the thrush nightingale. By the riverside, one can come across common sandpipers, kingfshers, sand martins and common terns. These birds are not directly connected with water but they are often attracted to such places by the promise of food. Early spring is the time of black-headed gulls, which are often confused with terns. In late summer and early autumn, along the San, birdwatchers may spot grey herons, great white egrets and little egrets migrating southwards. The muddy banks of the river often reveal the traces left by otters and European beavers, the latter being relatively recent arrivals. Large specimens of woody willows often display the traces of beavers preying. However, the river is, above all, the realm of fsh. Within the city, the river is home to as many as 24 species, some of which are highly valued by fshing enthusiasts: the river trout, the grayling and the huchen.
One of the summer spectacles is the mass fight of common mayfies, which happens every year at the turn of spring and summer. These ephemeral insects live only for a few hours, at which time they perform their nuptial fight and die soon afterwards. Every motorist tourist, who is staying in Przemyśl for a few days, is encouraged to visit the Arboretum at Bolestraszyce. The park, which occupies an area of 21.1 ha., holds a sizeable collection of trees: 1000 yewtrees, 160 magnolias, 200 cornels, 100 maidenhair trees and over 100 taxopodiums. However, it is not only trees that constitute the value of the place; the park is also home to 3800 species and varieties of other plants.
On the way to the Arboretum at Bolestraszyce, tourists are advised to make a brief break at the brick-yard at Buszkowice, where, since 1963, there has been Poland’s biggest breeding-site of bee-eaters. These birds are very easy to watch. Their behaviour is, one might say, ostentatious: they can often be seen sitting on prominent points like tree tops or electric wires. The brick-yard is also inhabited by sand martin. Like bee-eaters, these brown-plumaged birds dig burrows in the steep walls of the brick-yard.
However, Poland’s only sanctuary which protects a breeding site of bee-eaters is the Skarpa Jaksmanicka reserve in the village of Siedliska. The reserve is situated close to the “Salis Soglio” , a very well- preserved fort from World War I. The forts of the former Ring Fortress of Przemyśl are also among attractive places for natural history enthusiasts. Overgrown with hawthorn and sloe, they give shelter to many species of the local fauna. The tall trees limes, oaks and hornbeams are a habitat of many bird species: red-backed shrikes, linnets, goldfnches, whitethroats, lesser whitethroats and river warblers. A relatively new arrival is the syrian woodpecker, which has been nesting here since 1978.
There are no lakes in the environs of Przemyśl but this shortage is well compensated for by the oxbows near Hurko, Buszkowice and Bolestraszyce. The biggest of them, the old river-bed at Hurko is located of the road to Medyka, 5 km away from Przemyśl. In 1993 it was included on the list of legally protected places and classifed as ecological land. The old river-bed is refuge to numerous plant and animal species, especially birds. Among those that can easily be spotted here are: garganeys, marsh harriers, bitterns, little bitterns, great reed warblers and Savi’s warblers. Near the old-river bed at Hurko, to the right of the road to Medyka, stretches a vast area of the Krówniki meadows. A botanical attraction of this place is a rare fower plant, the Snake’s head fritillary, only a few sites of this species having been recorded in Poland. In 1974 a plant reserve was established here, known as the “Szachownica w Krównikach”. In late August every year the place attracts white storks assembling before their seasonal departure.
While travelling west of Przemyśl, let us visit two significant natural objects of the Przemyśl Upland Landscape Park: the park at Krasiczyn and the “Hołubla Gorge” reserve.
The Park at Krasiczyn is situated off the Przemyśl-Sanok road, 10 km away from Przemyśl. Its appeal is created by the combination of the magnificent historic castle with gorgeous limes, oaks and conifers, yew-trees among them. The trees of foreign origin here include the columns of the northern white cedar, close to the castle, maidenhair trees as well as plane-trees and American tulip trees. The “Przełom Hołubli” (Hołubla Gorge) reserve is located 11 km away from Przemyśl, off the road to Dynów. The reserve contains an educational marked path, named the “Dolina Hołubli” (Hołubla Valley). This woodland community is a dry-ground forest consisting of limes, beeches and a rare bush, the Southern bladdernut. The place is also a habitat of the spotted salamander, a yellow-and-black reptile. In springtime, we may chance to spot an interesting amphibian, the yellow-bellied Toad mating here. When faced with a threat, it exposes its belly with dangerous-looking yellow spots.
If time allows, let us also make for two reserves located within the City of Przemyśl, in the quarter of Winna-Góra Zasanie. These are: the “Winna Góra” reserve, which protects the natural site of the ground cherry, and the “Jamy” reserve, protecting the site of the Austrian fax.
Text: Przemysław Kunysz