Between 12 and 15 January the 41st midwinter water connected census was held in Bulgaria. This European initiative is coordinated internationally by Wetlands International, and the MoEW on national level.
As traditional participants, the Green Balkans’ teams visited 19 water bodies in total, as well as the Tundzha and Maritsa rivers. The exact results for the species diversity and numbers, of the birds, from our team are not yet processed, but we have the first preliminary results, some of which are very interesting.
Except for the think snow, in some places more than 50 cm we have determined and all round freeze of the standing water bodies – the microlakes were frozen solid, and the biggest lakes, as Pyasachnik, Koprinka, Zhrebchevo and Malko Sharkovo – almost 100%. There was some freezing even of the mildly salty lakes on the Black sea coast and Maritza river near Svilengrad. We were expecting that in the cold of the winter, many of the birds would have migrated to the south of Bulgaria. Fish-eating birds, searching for unfrozen waters, and the herbivores – meadows, pastures, and fields not covered in snow. This is why the total number of birds is very low. Even on the non-frozen water bodies as Ovcharitsa lake and fast flowing rivers, the numbers were significantly lower than usual.
Besides that, there were new species, common for more northern places. The most interesting were in the heat exchange lakes – Ovcharitsa and Rozov kladenets. In Ovcharitsa we saw a Great bustard (Otis tarda) for the first time in 40 years in South Bulgaria. It is extremely rare is also the Velvet scoter (Melanitta fusca), and some flocks of Red-breasted geese (Branta ruficollis). On the Rozov kladenets lake (the unfrozen area was just 10%) there were sightings all winter of the rare White-headed duck (Oxyura leucocephala), that usually dwell on coastal lakes.
The largest number of birds – almost 12 000 of 54 species were reported on Ovcharitsa lake. There, as well as in all visited water bodies, the largest numbers were of Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) and Eurasian coot (Fulica atra).
As traditional participants, the Green Balkans’ teams visited 19 water bodies in total, as well as the Tundzha and Maritsa rivers. The exact results for the species diversity and numbers, of the birds, from our team are not yet processed, but we have the first preliminary results, some of which are very interesting.
Except for the think snow, in some places more than 50 cm we have determined and all round freeze of the standing water bodies – the microlakes were frozen solid, and the biggest lakes, as Pyasachnik, Koprinka, Zhrebchevo and Malko Sharkovo – almost 100%. There was some freezing even of the mildly salty lakes on the Black sea coast and Maritza river near Svilengrad. We were expecting that in the cold of the winter, many of the birds would have migrated to the south of Bulgaria. Fish-eating birds, searching for unfrozen waters, and the herbivores – meadows, pastures, and fields not covered in snow. This is why the total number of birds is very low. Even on the non-frozen water bodies as Ovcharitsa lake and fast flowing rivers, the numbers were significantly lower than usual.
Besides that, there were new species, common for more northern places. The most interesting were in the heat exchange lakes – Ovcharitsa and Rozov kladenets. In Ovcharitsa we saw a Great bustard (Otis tarda) for the first time in 40 years in South Bulgaria. It is extremely rare is also the Velvet scoter (Melanitta fusca), and some flocks of Red-breasted geese (Branta ruficollis). On the Rozov kladenets lake (the unfrozen area was just 10%) there were sightings all winter of the rare White-headed duck (Oxyura leucocephala), that usually dwell on coastal lakes.
The largest number of birds – almost 12 000 of 54 species were reported on Ovcharitsa lake. There, as well as in all visited water bodies, the largest numbers were of Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) and Eurasian coot (Fulica atra).
For further infromation:
Georgi Dulev, GSM 0884004665, gdulev@greenbalkans.org
