“Other’s you praise, yet you don’t know your own. You don’t know what you have”, those words, said by Stanisław Jachowicz, very aptly capture the relations that divide the residents of Warsaw and surrounding districts and the areas which I intend to describe here – and area that is underestimated , known by a few, and that is a shame.

The Ławice Kiełpińskie Reserve, the topic of my discussion, was created in 1998 due to its natural and landscape value. The main objective to establish the reserve was to protect one of the most important in Poland nesting sites of several species of wetland birds, such as the little tern nesting colony, breeding places of the common gull, black-headed gull, tern, spotted sandpiper, little ringed plover, ringed plover, Sawyer’s merganser and kingfisher. It covers a 7-kilometre section of the Vistula, between Białołęka in Warsaw and Rajszew or looking at the Vistula’s left bank, between Łomianki and Pieńków. It covers an area of just over 800 hectares of the riverbed. A diverse bank in that part of the Vistula, starting with flat sandy beaches through to steep imitations of cliffs, give the Vistula an extraordinary character, which is very different from that which we can find in the centre of Warsaw.

In this section the river is totally untamed by man, it does not constitute a uniform and straight riverbed. The naturally occurring formations here, such as islands, overgrown with natural and constantly recreating Vistula wetlands and sandy banks divide the riverbed into several smaller armlets. Another attribute worth noting is the volatility of the water level in the river. The level changes constantly, similarly as its intensity, and together with it, the landscape of the reserve changes. At high water levels, from the water surface only the crowns of trees can be seen that cover the islands. At low water levels one gets the impression that the Vistula can literally be crossed on foot. Some armlets are washed away by the water current, and others are built up by the deposited sand. The armlets change their shape similarly as the sandy banks. All these processes mean that the Vistula landscape is dynamic and changes its character from year to year. In addition, the water carries huge amounts of fertile organic matter in which invertebrates can develop and which is food for many birds living here.

Birds enjoy the benefits that the Vistula offers, mainly in terms of a food base and islands safe and free from many predators. The most numerous are waterfowl and among them one can find of course mallards, and mergus mergansers – species most often found here. Besides them one can see gadwalls, little teals, teals, goldeneyes, wigeons, pintails, tufted ducks, pochards, mute swans, and even whooper swans. Shallow sandbanks, which are ideal places for wading and relaxing, are used by lapwings, green sandpipers, wood sandpipers, redshanks, battalions, and appearing in large congregations dunlins and common sandpipers. One can also see in this area the black-headed gulls, and common gulls and potentially the nesting herring gulls, and not infrequently one can also come across the black-backed gull or the lesser black-backed gull. The riverbed is also used by common terns and little terns during migration. The opportunity to feed and rest is taken up by the grey heron and the common egret, and with great luck it is possible to find a little egret that is very rare in our country. It should not be difficult to meet up with a cormorant. A dozen or so years ago this species was in danger of extinction in our country, currently it is experiencing a significant increase in numbers, to which we can be eyewitness. White-tailed eagles are also common sight as they circle above the river, causing anguish particularly at the sight of ducks that most often fall victim to them. Also passing harriers, ravens and the nesting nearby hawks and buzzards are seen here.

In March and at the beginning of April one can observe flocks of graylag geese, noisy bean geese, white-fronted geese and cranes, whose distinctive bugle calls can be heard over a distance of 2 km. One also has to mention the migration of less visible birds. Their loud singing resounds throughout the wetlands, so that it is difficult not to notice them. Returning from wintering the chiffchaff, willow warbler, blackcap, dunnock, reed bunting, robin, wood warbler, garden warbler and flycatcher are only some of the many species using the Vistula wetlands, which are an important ecological corridor. The area is also of interest to mammalogists – It is not uncommon to see foxes, beavers, otters, American minks, grubbers, roe deer, wild boars and moose.

The surrounding areas of the Ławice Kiełpińskie reserve are appreciated by those who have experienced its charm and beauty. I am not only thinking of ornithologists, nature photographers and anglers. One can meet people who choose this place to enjoy the quiet and peace of nature. It is worth finding this out for oneself, especially since it is not necessary to have a car to get here.

One should be aware that the reserve area is not a place with particular comforts for strollers. A worn-down, winding path strewn with logs and stick leads us along the bank, sometimes one must push through a dense thicket, and sometimes one may have to get around an oxbow lake that may be in the way, in order to go further.
As can be seen one does not have to travel somewhere far to experience nature in the wild. It just needs to be discovered.