1-2 October 2022 – is EuroBirdwach 2022: these are autumn bird migration days. EuroBirdwatch is part of World Birdwatch, a global initiative launched in 1993 by BirdLife International. For 30 years, the campaign has been held annually on the first weekend of October. The first World Birdwatch was intended to promote public interest in nature and to help raise awareness of its importance through birdwatching. Participants of the campaign are offered to observe and register as many species of birds as possible on the first weekend of October.
Birds are counted by children, including children of IDPs and adults, professional ornithologists, and nature lovers of various professions. On October 2, activists of the “Everyone Can Help” volunteer center organized a local excursion in the vicinity of Berehovo. After visiting the territory of the center, long-eared owls were counted. At least 5 individuals were found. The owner of the farm gave permission to install boxes for owls and bats on the property. We visited the horse farm “Mustang” and found a good place for installing a nesting pipe for a little owl.
A common buzzard, a grey heron, and many Eurasian jays were observed at the threshold of the perlite quarry. By the way, perlite is an acidic water-containing volcanic glass with a characteristic concentric-spherical singularity, according to which it splits into balls with a somewhat iridescent surface (resembling pearls). Perlites are common in areas of development of products of Paleogene-Quaternary volcanism (for example, in Transcarpathia).
The quarry has not been used for a long time, which is probably why there were few birds: single blackstarts and small flocks of beautiful goldfinches. They met also the mushroom pickers, and had chance to examine the contents of their baskets. The species composition of mushrooms depended significantly on the biotope. Storm clouds made adjustments to our excursion. I didn’t have the chance to eat roasted chestnuts. Hastily collecting medicinal herbs, they returned to the volunteer center to feed our storks.
The tour was held within the framework of the project “Churches, religious and public organizations for the eco-education of national minorities”, which is implemented by the Interreligious and Environmental Civil Forum of Eastern Europe (IRCEF) (headed by Alexander Bokotey) in cooperation with the German Nature Conservation Union (NABU Bundesverband NABU International) under with the support of the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Auswärtiges Amt #CivilSocietyCooperation) project coordinators Ivan Tymofeiev (NABU), Nataliya Kulya (IRCEF).
Informational Service of IRCEF
