Preface
The editor (József Gyurácz) defines the aim of Cinege as being the forum of detailed information about our programmes.
 

SOCIETY LIFE

Looking back on 1996

Events this year:  general assembly; conservation camp near Tömörd in spring; Day of Birds and Trees; registration of our foundation; purchasing Tömörd lake and its surroundings; protection programmes for the white stork (Ciconia ciconia), bee-eater (Merops apiaster), red-breasted flycatcher (Ficedula parva); Rába Valley Ringing Camp in July; Csörnöc Valley Conservation Camp in August; bat research camp in August; Botanical survey of the Répce Plain in summer; participation in the West-Transdanubian Regional Eco-Conference; bird-ringing camp near Tömörd in October; Birds’ Christmas.
 

BIRD PROTECTION

The White Stork(Ciconia ciconia) Population of County Vas in 1996 – Zoltán Barbácsy

The density of nesting pairs in our county is the double of that in Hungary.  1996 started well for the white storks, but the cold spring made it impossible for them to breed more chicks than an average of 2.8.  Population growth continued.
 

Survey of the Red-Breasted Flycatcher (Ficedula parva)Breeding Population in the Kőszeg Mountains – Csaba Németh

The method was based on mapping the territories by observing singing males and catching them with a mist-net.  Some special nestboxes were placed out as well.  About 70% of the potential nesting sites were surveyed and based on the collected there are about 10 nesting pairs in the area.
 

Results of the Vas County Bee-Eater(Merops apiaster) Population Survey in 1996 – József Gyurácz

In the county bee-eater surveys have been carried out annually since 1991.  This year 19 sandmines were researched.  Bee-eaters nested in 13 of these, 71 pairs altogether.
 

BAT PROTECTION

Report on the Results of the Vas County Bat Research Camp in 1996 – Csaba Endre Fehér

26 church towers were researched in the Kőszeg mountains.  In 16 of them we found altogether 1235 individuals of 4 species.  In the forests 35 individuals of 7 species were caught.  The observed species: Nyctalus noctua, Myotis daubentoni, Myotis mystacinus, Plecotus auritus, Barbastella barbastellus, Myotis myotis, Eptesicus serotinus, Plecotus austriacus, Rhinolophus hipposideros .
 

AMPHIBIAN AND REPTILE PROTECTION

Faunistical Observations on Amphibians and reptiles in Vas County – Róbert Dankovics

In our county, due to its favourable climate conditions, all amphibian species of Hungary can be observed.  The spreading of Titurus alpestris, Salamandra salamandra, Bombina variegata, Pelobates fuscus, Rana temporaria and Rana arvalis is patchy.  the most frequent species in Rana dalmatina.  Due to hibridization Rana lessonae, Rana cl. “esculenta” and Rana ridibunda are a difficult group.  R. lessonae and R. cl. “esculenta” are more frequent than R. ridibunda.  The following are evenly spread: Triturus vulgaris, T. cristatus, Bufo bufo, B. viridis and Hyla arborea.  More attention should be paid to T. cristatus, its numbers and especially its breeding places.  Our county is rather diasadvantageous for reptiles for the number of sunny hours is low and the amount of precipitation is high.  Emys orbicularis is very rare and it may be extinct from the area just like Lacerta viridis.  The most wide-spread species are Lacerta agilis and Natrix natrix.  In certain places Podarcis muralis, Anguis fragilis, Coronella austriaca and Elaphe longissima can be observed.  The author invites birdwatchers to take notes of their observations on amphibians and reptiles and send them to him.
 

HABITAT PROTECTION

The Fourth Nature Conservation Camp in the Csörnöc Valley – Péter Bánhidi

The research was originally initiated in 1983 to collect data for grounding legal protection of the area.  Now this goal has become less important, but our society keeps collecting data on the vertebrate fauna.  In the camp between August 16-25 we ringed 161 individuals of 32 bird species and also observed amphibians, reptiles, small mammals.  An additional aim was to educate young people interested in conservation.
 

Valuable Meadows near Vámoscsalád and Csáfordjánosfa – Balázs Keszei

In the north of Vas the meadows along the Répce river have several plant communities worth protecting.  The area has always had marshy fields with special communities: Alopecuretum pratensis, Succiso-Molinietum, Fraxino pannonicae-Ulmentum.  Characteristic protected plants: Iris sibirica, Clematis integrifolia, Dianthus superbus, Leucojum vernum, Scilla bifolia.  Characteristic trees: Salix alba, S. caprea, S. fragilis, S. triandra, Fraxinus angustifolia ssp. pannonica, Quercus robur.  These meadows offer good habitat and feeding sites for several animals as well: insects like Calopteryx splendens, Inachis io, Papilio machaon, Aglais urticae, Lucanus cervus, apiders like the Argiope bruennichi, birds like the lapwing (Vanellus vanellus), white stork (Ciconia ciconia), hobby (Falco subbuteo),nightingale (Luscinia megarhynchos).
 

Protection of the Tömörd Lake – Péter Bánhidi

Our society has been observing the area for more than ten years.  There has been a lot of changes: eutrophisation of the lake, its drying up for a short period, spreading shrubs on the meadows.  Conservation work in 1994-95 was focussed on reconstructing the 1986 conditions.  With the help of the Pro Vértes Foundation we have become owners among others of the territory.  The size of the purchased area is 15 ha.  The ringing camp between April 26-May 5 observed a group of about 100 wood sandpipers (Tringa glareola), a few coots (Fulica atra), spotted crakes (Porzana porzana), moorhens (Gallinula chloropus), little grebes (Podiceps ruficollis) and grey herons (Ardea cinerea).  With 15 mist nets 240 individuals of 28 species were ringed, among others wood sandpiper, jack snipe,(Lymnocryptes minima),  firecrest (Regulus ignicapillus), grasshopper warbler (Locustella naevia), whinchat (Saxicola rubetra) and corn bunting (Emberiza calandra).  19 birds of earlier ringing were recovered.
 

BIRD FAUNA

Some interesting Avifaunistical Data from Vas County – László Varga

Dates, places and numbers of observed birds of the following species:  great white egret (Egretta alba), grey-lag goose (Anser anser), white-fronted goose (A. albifrons), gadwal (Anas strepera), tufted duck (Aythya fuligula), re-crested pochard (Netta rufina), black kite (Milvus migrans), osprey (Pandion haliaetus), Montagu’s harrier (Circus pygargus), curlew (Numenius arquata), white-winged black tern (Chlidonias leucopterus), grey woodpecker (Picus canus), willow tit (Parus montanus), redwing (Turdud iliacus), redstart (Phoenicurus ochruros), firecrest (Regulus ignicapillus), grey wagtail (Motacilla cinerea), crossbill (Locia curvirostra), bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula).
 

Avifaunistical Observations along the Répce – István Fehér

Dates, places and numbers of observed birds of the following species:  white-fronted goose (Anser albifrons), shoveler (Anas clypeata), pintail (Anas acuta), goldeneye (Bucephala clangula), tufted duck (Aythya fuligula), spotted crake (Porzana porzana), corncrake (Crex crex), ruff (Philomachus pugnax), spotted redshank (Tringa erythropus), greenshank (T. nebularia), green sandpiper (T. ochropus), wood sandpiper (T. glareola).
 

CHILDREN’S COMPETITION

Birds of my Feeding Table

Prize-winning composition by Zsolt Molnár about his feeding table, its birds and their behaviour.