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Non-protected areas
The Przeręb Ponds near Zator
The ponds, with a total surface area of almost 500 ha, are one of the largest and oldest pond complexes in Poland. At the same time, they are the most interesting from the environmental point of view. It is worth staying here longer to watch birds and admire some very rare plant species.
In spring and in autumn, when the ponds are devoid of water, there is an abundance of birds to be seen in the basins, e.g.: Ruffs, Sandpipers (and/or Yellowlegs), Black-tailed Godwits and Redshanks. In spring those species come back from their southern wintering areas to the faraway northern breeding grounds; whereas in autumn they fly in the opposite direction. In those periods, the ponds in the O¶więcim Basin are a very important place for them to take a rest and feed. In the breeding season, when the basins are filled with water, we can see a few Duck species here: Aythya fuligula the Tufted Duck, Aythya ferina the Pochard, Anas strepera the Gadwall and the Red-crested Pochard which is very rare in Poland. Besides, any observer will spot Whiskered Terns - birds which often nest in colonies amid the patches of the floating heart. The water bodies in the vicinity of Zator are one of the most important refuges of this species in Poland. Also rare Heron species - the Great Bittern and the Little Bittern - breed here. Those who are really lucky will "score" a real rarity in Poland - the Night Heron. It is a Heron species which in our country nests only in the upper Vistula valley. Within the Przeręb farm more than 270 bird species have been registered to occur, which makes it one of the most interesting places for watching aquatic and wetland birds.
Plant enthusiasts will also find something to admire - and no small thing: a few of the rarest species listed in the Polish Red Data Book of plants. The easiest one to spot is the floating heart, blooming with yellow flowers in July-August. The water chestnut doesn"t form beautiful flowers but it covers large sufaces of water in ponds with compact patches, so it is also hard to overlook. It is a plant regarded as endangered but in the local water bodies it occurs in the greatest abundance in Poland. It is much more difficult to spot the floating watermoss - a small, protected water fern. Almost impossible to notice are the waterworts, whose leaves are only a few milimetres long and flowers have to be watched through a magnifying glass.
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