Park Miejski in the central Polish city of Toruń has two claims to fame: it is one of the oldest public city parks in Poland and was, prior to the First World War, the largest recreational area in West Prussia. It now has a third: the sight where I spotted my first Mandarin Duck.

I observed the male Mandarin Duck, above, and a female companion, below, on two of the four morning strolls I managed to this sprawling 25 hectare park during a visit in late March. The first was on the Vistula, Poland’s longest river, which forms the sprawling 25 hectare park’s southern border, then again a couple days later on a pond near the center of the park.

I was enthralled by the male and its seemingly impossibly wide array of bright colors which I’m sure could cure a hangover. A fuller gallery is forthcoming.

The Mandarin Duck was one of three new to me sightings. The others: a Middle Spotted Woodpecker and a Dunnock, that upped my eBird life list to an even 200 (!). And I managed photos of all three.

The Dunnock I was particularly pleased with, finding it somewhat elusive and camera shy on the first three visits before finally managing the shot below on the fourth.

The Middle Spotted Woodpecker is below; its red crown differentiates it from the Great Spotted Woodpecker who sports a black crown.

I was pretty happy with this shot of a Eurasian Green Woodpecker; it’s not my first but probably the best photo I have of one. There were quite a few, mostly active in the park’s highest trees.

I was also happy to snap a few shots of a Song Thrush, probably the loudest of the birds I crossed paths with. They are masters at blending into their spring surroundings.

The most common bird, by far, was the Hooded Crow, which, as I mentioned in its gallery post, is appearing in certain central European urban areas in particularly high numbers. I walked the city a lot over the course of five days and didn’t cross a city block where Hooded Crows did not rule the roost.

European Starlings were also quite common and pound for pound, the most photo-friendly. A pair are below.

And rounding out the post with four more: a few Common Mergansers, a Great Tit, Eurasian Tree Sparrow and a Common Wood Pigeon, who were standing guard from every other tree.

Miejski Park

Miejski Park, which sits just southwest of Toruń’s pleasant old town district, dates back to 1817 when it was built on the site of an abandoned clay mining and brick production facility, and was later combined with parts of a nearby forest in the 1920s to take on its current shape. Dozens of paths cross it forests, groves and meadows, making it popular with walkers, joggers and bicyclists. The nearest entry point is about a 20-25 minute walk from the old town. Birdingplaces.eu has a good map.

As pure hiking and exploration goes, I most enjoyed the dirt paths to, from and along the Vistula. Those riverside areas could use a good clean-up though; I can’t remember having ever seen a public park so littered with plastic, bottles and other flotsam. Local colleagues ensured that the north bank of the river was next on the clean-up lists.

I don’t want to end on that note, though. I’d rather wrap up this post with this stunning European Peacock Butterfly, one of three I spotted and followed briefly one morning, and the only one that stopped long enough for a decent shot.

Personal report tally at the Park Miejski as of 23 March 2026:

29 species in four visits; 11 species photographed. (And a European Peacock Butterfly.) Links to personal internal galleries.

• Black-headed Gull
• Common Buzzard
• Common Chaffinch
• Common Gull
• Common Merganser
• Common Wood-Pigeon
• Dunnock
• Eurasian Blackbird
• Eurasian Blue Tit
• Eurasian Collared-Dove
• Eurasian Green Woodpecker
• Eurasian Jackdaw
• Eurasian Magpie
• Eurasian Nuthatch
• Eurasian Tree Sparrow
• European Greenfinch
• European Robin
• European Starling
• Great Cormorant
• Great Spotted Woodpecker
• Great Tit
• Hooded Crow
• House Sparrow
• Mallard
• Mandarin Duck
• Middle Spotted Woodpecker
• Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)
• Song Thrush
• White Wagtail

Photos from 19-23 March 2026.