Black Stork Tracks

[asteria]

It looks like the oldest transmitters of Raivo and Priidu are more reliable than the newer ones.

[Katinka]

Yes, it is enthralling how transmitters keep on working over the years. Recently Carsten Rohde has published an interesting but controversial view on that technique (http://www.blackstorknotes.blogspot.de/ ... -results=1).

From time to time I think of the fact that "our" Estonian juvenile BS on their first migration are flying, orientating and resting in a similar way…Adventurous - and not successful all the time to reach the classic wintering sites.
- deleted -
If somebody likes - please go on with commenting the tracks. I've decided to stop.
I'm going to keep on with (virtual) following in my personal interests and check the FB notifications of DzivibasLidojums as well as the YouTube publications of Melnais starkis Dzivibas lidojums – Another cryptic language but sounding as nice as Estonian.
On FB the Latvian activists luckily decided to add a rough English translation.

Here are the recent conclusions from the movebank map signals.

Agnese – since 5 days resting in Southern Moldowa, near Cahul. Moves definitely show activity.
Guste – goes on rambling and flying not too much, still in the Ukrainian South East, now more southwards.
Oga – has made it to the South, for some days - after 14 days of stopover. Now signals show a turning northwards, latest signal from Ternopil surrounding. Irritating, even for the Latvian experts.
Dora – has made big "jumps" to Southern direction - since 6 days moving along the Danube river bank.
Dace – since 20 days on Kaliningrad territory, signals show moving, as to read from FB. Also they are waiting for closer observations by volunteers from there.
Tince – has got enough food from the ponds to finally fly on some days ago, from Southern Belarus straight on to center of Western Ukraina, roughly estim. 260 km. Location: meadows/wetland near a pond.

Santa – conclusions were drawn via FB from closer examinations of her: the bird died of the electric power lines in the near surrounding.

Mellene – continues resting in Romania Eastern borderland – the map shows ponds. Not far away from Agnese.

Priidu - no news from Birdmap that would tell us he's taken off from the rich feeding grounds of the Danube plains.
At the same time Raivo is moving to and fro in Israel's South.

[Felis silvestris]

But at the same I have to realise that this topic is not visited here within the forum.

I think not getting a written response here does not necessarily mean it is not read. I'm reading regularly here, but if I can't add anything, I don't write anything. The topic itself has already more than 22000 views, so I would not call it "nobody visits".

[Manu]

Katinka: I try to follow ALL the topics of LK, also this topic . But sometimes I don't have time to write something or I don't know what to reply .

[Katinka]

Please ... (my English stores have run down)
I simply forgot to note that I immidiately was corrected by Felis!
I've deleted the concerning passages in my last post, as I found the correct number of "views" for this thread...
But anybody who likes to follow the BS that kind is invited to continue and post instead of me.

Now back to black with Carsten Rohde. His mail yesterday told that he has cancelled the Israel trip for this autumn, after 12 years in a row.
Next and hopefully more positive project he intends to start will be in winter, at the Spanish wintering sites.

[Katinka]

20:41 EEST
As the reported signals keep on being fascinating, here some more news.

Agnese – since 11 days resting in Southern Moldowa, near Cahul. Moves still show activity.

Guste – after more moves in the SE of Ukraina, and a signal irritation, she showed moves again from a fish pond, ca. 25 km from city of Makiiv, now heading more South. But compared with the today's Latvian report via FB (once again: https://www.facebook.com/DzivibasLidojums) I don't know what conclusions to draw. Māris Strazds has taken up personal research, now is on the way there. It was a volunteer named Lara Chernysheva who could observe 2 BS there – but the signals belonging to Guste later showed no move. The story goes on to be enthralling.

Oga –Signals show a clear turn back northwards (min. 150 km), latest signal from Loknytsya surrounding. The Latvian experts haven't told any further conclusions via FB
Dora – Since 16 days moving to and fro at the Danube river bank near Braila.

Dace – signals at last have been silent since 24 days on Kaliningrad territory. Now today certainty… By volunteers around Gennadi Grishanov the relics of Dace were saved. The situation hints most likely to a bird of prey.

Tince – has flied on 8 days ago, now center of Western Ukraina. Location since 5 days: meadows/wetland near a pond, near Ryabiivka.
Mellene – continues resting since min. 10 days in Romania Eastern borderland. Not many signals.

For Priidu we have to wait for a "real" update, as he still seems to rest in the Danube river area. On the other side that length could be a hint to be necessary for Priidu to catch enough fish before taken up a large migration to Central Africa - after a period with an assumed lack of enough food on Saaremaa...

[Katinka]

Now they are 5 juvenile BS left in the big dangerous world of migrating birds...
As announced via FB, in the Latvian evening news "LNT Ziņas" from 20:00 EEST it should have been a topic, but couldn't find it. So look into FB to see the pictures of finding Guste - just like the transmitter signals had caused a suspicion since many days - read the "interview" after the exploration in the SE Ukraina by Māris Strazds and colleagues (by now only in Latvian language).

Me I'm a bit desillusionated, for Guste could have given an example how to fly South via the Eastern Black Sea route...

[Katinka]

vainamoinen - paldies...
Here is with her help, what was the story behind Guste's discovery situation:

Very short translation. Guste was shot near Donetsk in Ukraine. She was found in the reeds. Shot was done from about 30 m. She was in good physical condition, small fishes in the stomach. It's typical case of poaching.
Now my comprimed valuation of the facts - juvenile BS during their (first) migration are endangered by birds of prey, electric wires (fish pond safety nets) and are shot by poachers. In Africa I'd "understand" the reasons - pure need for alimentation - but elsewhere - to go shooting for fun and let the bird behind - somehow absurd!
In the Latvian TV news forum disgusted reactions to read (Google Translator works for short constructions) and helplessness.
Big questions...

Our Priidu has moved forwards in the meantime, the direction is the right one - now on Bulgarian territory. Must be in an excellent condition after 20 days surrounded by enough food!

[Britta]

katinka thank you very much for the informations and posts

[Katinka]

Via FB Lara tells about her impressions to finding Guste - Russian language, kyrillic letters.
I have to smile because Google Translator is short before exploding...

But this one saying everybody knows:

Аист на крыше,
Счастье под крышей,
Мир на Земле.
Storch auf dem Dach:
Glück unter dem Dach
und Friede auf Erden.


If asteria is here, or Gavril - any translation of Lara's words would be welcome.

I'm off now for a while.

[Gavril]

Via FB Lara tells about her impressions to finding Guste - Russian language, kyrillic letters.
I have to smile because Google Translator is short before exploding...

But this one saying everybody knows:

Аист на крыше,
Счастье под крышей,
Мир на Земле.
Storch auf dem Dach:
Glück unter dem Dach
und Friede auf Erden.


If asteria is here, or Gavril - any translation of Lara's words would be welcome.

I'm off now for a while.

Good afternoon, Katinka! If I can be helpful to You?

[asteria]

Аист на крыше,
Счастье под крышей,
Мир на Земле.

It literally means:
A stork is on the roof,
Happiness is under the roof,
Peace is on the Earth.

[Gavril]

Via FB Lara tells about her impressions to finding Guste - Russian language, kyrillic letters.
I have to smile because Google Translator is short before exploding...

But this one saying everybody knows:

Аист на крыше,
Счастье под крышей,
Мир на Земле.
Storch auf dem Dach:
Glück unter dem Dach
und Friede auf Erden.


If asteria is here, or Gavril - any translation of Lara's words would be welcome.

I'm off now for a while.

Information from Lara's a short version:
Black stork named Guste (girl), nesting place of Latvia in the period of migration was killed under Donetsk about Mospino man with a gun 11-12.09.2013 The Guste on the back was attached to the radio, she was under the supervision of ornithologists Latvia since birth. The life of a robust and healthy poultry is terminated during the first migration. Beauty and grace of this majestic bird is not stopped the firm hand of the hunter. With a broken wing stork fell into the reeds. Judging by the numerous trails in the reed tried to find, but to no avail. Obviously in the day, the family of the hunter was starving. In search of the lost birds flew ornithologist, project Manager Schwarzstorch Latvia Maris Strazds. Together with an experienced ornithologist, a teacher of the Donetsk national University Leonid Ivanovich Taranenko, they explored the bird's body, made the measurements and the records of science.

[asteria]

It is very unlikely that the stork was shot because the hunter family was starving. If they were starving, they would have stolen a pig or a lamb somewhere or so. Storks are not edible, and it was killed just for fun. Sad, but such people can shoot other people also for fun, not saying about the birds.

In Belarus and Poland people love storks and never kill them. It is said that the one who kills the stork will bring much grief for himself and his relatives.

[Gavril]

It is very unlikely that the stork was shot because the hunter family was starving. If they were starving, they would have stolen a pig or a lamb somewhere or so. Storks are not edible, and it was killed just for fun. Sad, but such people can shoot other people also for fun, not saying about the birds.

In Belarus and Poland people love storks and never kill them. It is said that the one who kills the stork will bring much grief for himself and his relatives.

In this sentence about the "hungry family" was irony with deep sorrow for the dead bird and the ignorance of so-called "people" with a gun.

[asteria]

It is not ignorance but cruelty. There was a Danish movie "Zappa" about the boys who started from killing a pet badgie and then easily killed their classmate. To kill a living creature for them is like killing an "enemy" in computer games.

[Katinka]

Update Latvian BS - the 5 from Sept 27, 22:36 EEST

Agnese – finally the perfect direction! on Turkish territory now
Oga – has crossed the main parts of Turkish territory ( )

Dora – Since 27 days "lost" in Romania (but definitely active moving in the Danube river plains)

Tince – not quite as far as Oga, but hopefully she will fly on to Israel without any disturbances

Mellene – has just taken up her migration from Romania after ca. 20 days of resting, now a clear heading South

And big relief, for our Priidu after all has reached Israel skies and seems to fly on southwards, like all the last 6 years being tagged by Kotkaklubi.
Raivo will stay for wintering in the Bet She'an region like he used to do.

[asteria]

Raivo may stay in Israel or may go on his migration to Africa as he sometimes did.

[Katinka]

good comment! Because we had a lot of BS tagged in Estonia since 2006, I again looked through my overview which I made from the Birdmap some weeks ago. Aha: Raivo has changed his migration behaviour over the years. Clever bird! Like Oss he seems to stay in Israel since some years. Before that, he flew until the coasts of Kenia.
As he is an adult BS which almost in 2006 was known to raise offspring (in a nest known since artificial construction in 1991) he seems to have good instincts for a more or less risky wintering site in the South.
The story somehow keeps being fascinating.

[Katinka]

Update for Priidu
Birdmap from today makes me correct - he flew above Israel in such a tempo that he almost has reached "his" destination, the Central African Republic.

About the signals of Dora (any new, and since 29 days in the same surrounding) - I am very unsure to make conclusions from, as there are irritations between the "point density" and "animal density" at the last place of stop.