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Burzyński's Forest
It comprises a forest complex covering small hills with brook valleys adding variety to the lie of the land. The most precious part of the forest, as far as wildlife and landscape are concerned, is a stretch situated in the southern part of the complex. It is an area of a planned reserve named "Burzynek". Fertile Carpathian beech forest predominates here, rich in rare and protected plant species, with a fine beech stand and few specimens of Acer pseudoplatanus the sycamore maple and hornbeam. The most interesting (protected) constituents of the flora of Burzyński's Forest are e.g. the mezereon, with tasty-looking but highly poisonous berries; the impressive-sized giant horsetail; Galium odoratum, Asperula odorata the woodruff, smelling of coumarin; the European wild ginger and the common ivy. The place is particularly attractive for a visit in early spring, when for a short time the ground cover of the beech forest assumes the hues of rainbow-coloured geophytes growing here. These plants bloom in masses, taking advantage of a short period when the sunlight reaches the forest floor through the still leafless tree crowns without any hindrance.
The bird assemblage of the Burzyński's Forest is similar to those of other beech forests in the area of the Wieliczka Foothills and the O¶więcim Basin. There is a predominance of species nesting in tree holes and half-holes: the Pied Flycatcher, the Collared Flycatcher, the Spotted Flycatcher, Phoenicurus phoenicurus the Common Redstart, the Great Spotted Woodpecker, Certhia familiaris the Common Treecreeper, The Eurasian Nuthatch and a few Tit species. The first three of the above mentioned species are rare and linked with old growth stands. A large number of tree holes in the forest are provided by snags, characteristic for primeval woodland. As the bush layer is poorly developed, there are only few birds which build nests on the ground or in bushes: Erithacus rubecula the European Robin, Phylloscopus sibilatrix the Wood Warbler and other Warblers. Also some birds of prey nest here, such as Buteo buteo the Common Buzzard and Accipiter gentilis the Goshawk. The first one hunts rodents in the nearby fields and the other feeds on forest birds.
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